NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the global churn has thrown up opportunities for India and that it was the responsibility of bureaucracy that these don’t go to waste.
Addressing Civil Services Day celebrations, PM Modi said bureaucracy and policymaking cannot function on outdated frameworks in a rapidly changing world, and stressed that as the world is eager to invest in India, it is essential to take all necessary steps to ensure these opportunities are not missed.
Bureaucracy must evolve into an “active facilitator” of growth rather than merely being the “keeper of rule books”, he added, urging bureaucrats to ensure comprehensive and inclusive development.
“There was a time when the role of bureaucracy was primarily that of a regulator — one that controlled the pace of industrialisation and entrepreneurship. But the country has now moved far beyond that mindset. Today, we are creating an environment that promotes enterprise among citizens and helps them overcome every barrier. Therefore, the civil services must become an enabler — not merely the keeper of rule books but an active facilitator of growth,” PM Modi said.
The remarks came against the backdrop of the anticipation that the volatility US President Donald Trump has injected into global trade may result in opportunities for India and, simultaneously, the apprehension that a well-entrenched mindset of bureaucracy might come in the way .
On the crucial role of bureaucracy in achieving goals related to energy security, clean energy, sports, space and others, the PM said it has a great responsibility to ensure that there is no delay in achieving the goal of making India the world’s third-largest economy. “We must evaluate every sector: is our current speed sufficient to achieve the targets we’ve set? If not, we must accelerate. We must remember that we now have access to technologies that didn’t exist before — we must move forward with the power of technology,” he said.
Referring to progress made in the past decade and the tasks ahead such as building more houses for the poor, tap water connection to every household, better waste management and free medical treatment up to Rs 5 lakh, PM Modi said now there is a need to fulfil new commitments for nutrition across the country. “Our single goal should be: 100% coverage, 100% impact. This very approach has helped bring 25 crore people out of poverty in the past 10 years. And, this same approach will lead to a poverty-free Bharat,” the PM said.
He added that true progress doesn’t mean minor changes but full-scale impact. Clean water in every home, quality education for every child, financial access for every entrepreneur and digital economy benefits reaching every village, this is what holistic development truly means, the PM said. “I believe that quality in governance doesn’t come just by launching schemes. Rather, quality in governance is defined by how deeply a scheme reaches people and what real impact it creates,” PM Modi said.
