New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said government would effectively use technology to improve governance and check the menace of corruption. In his interaction with US-based economists, the Prime Minister underlined the need for "injecting technology" into government processes and decision-making.
These initiatives, he added, would also provide the best possible solution to the problem of corruption. Corruption, it may be mentioned, was one of the major election planks during the polls earlier this year which saw emergence of BJP as the majority party at the Centre.
Talking to the US economists, the Prime Minister said his government would accord "topmost priority" to skill development and job creation. All government policies would be youth-centric as 65% of India's population is below the age of 35, said an official release quoting the Prime Minister. He said the government's focus on infrastructure and 'Digital India' would boost employment opportunities even in rural areas.
India's federal structure should be viewed as a "development mechanism" rather than just a "constitutional arrangement," Modi said, adding that he would endeavour to build "Team India" through a partnership with all state Chief Ministers and by encouraging and facilitating states to take initiatives for economic growth. Stating that a person, who is unhealthy cannot derive any benefit from exercise, the Prime Minister said in the first six months his government focused on making India healthy once again.
He further said the success of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, which was for the benefit of the poor, had boosted the confidence of the government. Speaking on the occasion, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley gave an overview of the various decisions taken by the government in the last six months in the economic sphere.
The Minister said there was a mood of optimism and expectation from the new Government, and the process of pragmatic and realistic decision-making was giving results.
