Tag Archives: NITI

Rajiv Kumar takes over as the New Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog

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Dr. Rajiv Kumar has taken charge as the new Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog today. A renowned economist, he replaces Shri Arvind Panagariya as the head of the premier think tank of the country. Addressing a press conference in the capital after assuming office, he said the priority would be to carry forward the spirit of Team India for a better future, keeping in mind the aspirations of millions across the country.

The new Vice Chairman said there would be more emphasis on improving Government capacity at the state level to ensure the values of co-operative and competitive federalism. He underlined the need to bring in out of the box thinking and ideas to bring about transformational changes in the country to fulfil the Prime Minister’s dreams of a Shreshtha Bharat.

Dr. Kumar said policy making should not be elitist, rather it should be rooted in ground realities. He added that participative governance involving various sections of society can ensure that development becomes a mass movement. He said that in the Indian context, cross cutting issues are very important be it agriculture, environment, water, finances, investment and so on. NITI Aayog is well placed to play the role of a platform that cuts across these issues. The thematic focus will be on generating employment, enhancing investment, improving ease of doing business, transforming agriculture, and reforming education and health.

The new Vice Chairman highlighted the need to tap into the potential of the social capital of the country to have an Indian Model of Development. The focus would be on generating employment to meet the rising aspirations of the people and for India to earn the demographic dividend. There is also the need to capitalize on our intellectual capacity.

The Vice Chairman intends to visit all states over the next three months and to begin with he would visit NE states. He said it would be a good idea to have sub groups of states such as Himalayan or NE/ Gangetic / Blue economy states and they should have state specific blue prints of their own. That would be more effective in reducing regional inequalities. NITI would play the role of a consultant as well as a catalyst to help States achieve their goals.

Terming his new assignment as a dream job for an Economist, Dr Kumar thanked the Prime Minister for the opportunity given to him to serve the country. He lauded the contributions of his predecessor, Dr. Arvind Panagariya for nurturing the NITI Aayog and leaving behind a rich legacy. Members of NITI Aayog, Shri Ramesh Chand, Shri VKSaraswat, Dr.VKPaul and CEO NITI Aayog, Shri Amitabh Kant were present on this occasion.

PM addresses Young Entrepreneurs at the “Champions of Change” initiative organised by NITI Aayog

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The Prime Minister today interacted with Young Entrepreneurs at the “Champions of Change” initiative organised by NITI Aayog at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra.

Six groups of Young Entrepreneurs made presentations before the PM on themes such as – Soft Power: Incredible India 2.0; Education and Skill Development; Health and Nutrition; Energizing a sustainable tomorrow; and Digital India; New India by 2022.

Appreciating the new ideas and innovations envisaged in the presentations made by the entrepreneurs, the Prime Minister said, that in times past, social initiatives had catered to the requirements of people at large, and these movements were spearheaded by eminent people in society.

The Prime Minister described the “Champions of Change” initiative as one effort to bring together diverse strengths for the benefit of the nation and society.

The Prime Minister said this initiative would be taken forward and institutionalised in the best possible way. One possibility could be to associate the groups that made presentations today, with the respective departments and Ministries in the Union Government.

He gave the example of Padma Awards to say how processes can be transformed to recognise hitherto unknown heroes of society.

The Prime Minister said the team of senior officers in Union Government are keen to explore new avenues and ways for the betterment of people. He encouraged the entrepreneurs to continue their ideation in their respective groups. He said that if they did so, they could go a long way in furthering the cause of governance.

The Prime Minister said a lot of small changes have been brought in by the Union Government, which have brought significant results. He said trusting the common man, through self attestation of documents is one such initiative. He also mentioned the abolition of interviews for Group C and D positions in the Union Government.

Shri Narendra Modi said that today there is an “app” for filling every gap. He said technology and innovation should be harnessed to transform governance. He said decentralised structures are important to nurture the rural economy. In this context, he mentioned the role of startups in catalysing transformation.

The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of good teachers in society. He said technology can provide a big boost to the quality of education.

The Prime Minister encouraged the entrepreneurs to work towards promoting the social welfare schemes of the Government among their employees.

He emphasized that New India could only be built through the efforts of crores of ordinary citizens. He invited the entrepreneurs to join in this effort.

Several Union Ministers, Vice Chairman NITI Aayog Shri Arvind Panagariya, and senior Union Government officers were present on the occasion. The event was coordinated by CEO NITI Aayog, Shri Amitabh Kant.