New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the Fifth National Conference of Chief Secretaries in the national capital over two days, Saturday and Sunday (December 27-28). The conference’s primary focus is strengthening India’s human capital as the country moves towards achieving a developed India. Organized by the central government, this high-level conference will bring together chief secretaries, senior officials, policymakers, and domain experts from all states and union territories for in-depth discussions on key development priorities.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the main theme of this year’s conference is “Human Capital for a Developed India.” The program aims to strengthen central-state coordination through structured and continuous dialogue, based on the Prime Minister’s vision of cooperative federalism. The PMO stated that the conference “serves as a forum where both the central and state governments work together to develop a unified roadmap to maximize, strengthen, and future-proof the country’s human capital.”
It further stated that the dialogue aims to move the country beyond viewing its population solely as a demographic dividend, and instead to “prepare citizens by developing concrete strategies to strengthen the education system, advance skills, and create future employment opportunities across the country.” A common development agenda will be finalized at the three-day conference, scheduled from December 26 to 28 in the capital, Delhi.
Under the main theme, special emphasis will be placed on five critical areas: early childhood education, schooling, skilling, higher education, and sports and extracurricular activities. Best practices and actionable strategies for states and union territories will be discussed in detail. In addition, six special sessions have been scheduled on key reform and growth-oriented topics, including deregulation in states; technology in governance – opportunities, risks, and mitigation; agristack for smart supply chains and market linkages; one state, one world-class tourist destination; These include Atmanirbhar Bharat and Swadeshi; and plans for a future after LWE (Left Wing Extremism). The Prime Minister’s Office further stated that during the luncheon, focused discussions will be held on heritage and manuscript preservation and digitization, and AYUSH for All – Integrating Knowledge into Primary Healthcare Delivery, reflecting the government’s emphasis on cultural preservation and holistic healthcare. The National Conference of Chief Secretaries has been held annually for the past four years. The first conference was held in Dharamshala in June 2022, followed by subsequent conferences in January 2023, December 2023, and December 2024 in New Delhi. Senior officials from all states and union territories, along with domain experts, will participate in the conference, which is expected to play a key role in shaping India’s development trajectory in the coming years.
