Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged Governors to play the role of an effective bridge between the Centre and States and to interact with people and social organisations in a manner to co-opt those who are underprivileged.
He was addressing a two-day Conference of Governors inaugurated by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. This is the first Conference of Governors being presided over by President Droupadi Murmu. Governors of all States are attending the Conference.
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Mr Modi said the post of the Governor was an important institution which could play a crucial role in the welfare of people of a State within the framework of the Constitution, particularly with reference to tribal areas.
The Prime Minister posted on X: “Attended the Conference of Governors this morning. This is an important forum in which we discussed how Governors can foster development and serve society.”
The President said with the implementation of the three new laws related to criminal justice, a new era of justice system has begun in the country.
She said the change in national thinking was evident from the names of the laws: Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam.
The President said that for the smooth functioning of democracy, it was crucial that the various central agencies work with better coordination across all states. She advised the Governors to think about how they, as the constitutional heads of the respective states, can promote this coordination.
The President said that quality higher education was an intangible asset as it promoted individual development and social change as well as innovation and economic progress.
She said that the National Education Policy emphasised upon improving the Accreditation and Assessment system of educational institutions. She urged the Governors to contribute to this reform process in their capacity as the chancellors of state universities.
The President said that the Central Government had given utmost priority the development of the poor, the border areas, the deprived sections and areas, and people left behind in the development journey. She pointed out that a large section of the tribal population lives in the Scheduled and Tribal areas, and urged the Governors to suggest ways to achieve inclusive development of the people of these areas.
The President said that ‘youth development’ and ‘youth-led development’ would gain more momentum if the energy of the youth could be channelised into positive and constructive work.
The ‘MY Bharat’ campaign provides a well-thought-out system for this purpose. The Governors should encourage people associated with this campaign so that more and more youth get benefitted, she said.
Referring to the ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ campaign, she noted that it enabled the people of different states and UTs to understand each other and connect with each other. She urged the Governors to contribute in further strengthening the spirit of unity.
The President said that many efforts are being made to deal with the challenges such as climate change and global warming. The Governors can contribute to this by making the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign a people’s movement on a larger scale.
The President said that “by encouraging natural farming, we can increase soil fertility and enhance farmers’ income.” She said that to promote natural farming, the Raj Bhavans can lead by example.
The President expressed the confidence that all Governors will continue to contribute to the service and welfare of the people, doing justice to the oath taken by them.
The conference is designed to have breakaway sessions in which sub-groups of Governors will deliberate on each agenda item. Apart from the Governors, such sessions will also be attended by Union Ministers and officials of the Ministries concerned.
The observations and suggestions of the sub-groups will be presented before the President, Vice President, Prime Minister and other participants during the concluding session on Saturday.
The conference will cover a wide range of issues that play a critical role in not only shaping Centre-State relations but also promoting welfare schemes for common people.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar referred to the oath of the Governors and urged them to discharge their constitutional responsibility of making people aware of social welfare schemes and the incredible development that has taken place during the last decade.
Home Minister Amit Shah delineated the course of discussions that the two day-conference will take and urged the Governors to visit Vibrant Villages and Aspirational Districts to instill confidence among people and give fillip to developmental work.