NITI Aayog has been at the forefront in the last few years transforming the development agenda of India. Modi’s vision of New India by 2022 is essentially one that foresees the country as a dynamic and spirited entity in the truest sense of the word and it is expected that NITI Aayog would reflect that change in a significant way. Apart from that, it is also highly essential that the different institutions headed by the Indian government – as well as the states – adapt to the changing environment. They should embrace the new challenges on offer. At the same time it is also crucial that the changes are built on the values enshrined in the Constitution.
Importance of the right approach
It is very important that these institutions are able to take in the significant amount of knowledge that India has because of its long existence and situate them properly in the socio-economic-cultural contexts of the day. It is very important that the aspirations of the people as well as the country are given the respect that they deserve and for this to happen reforms have to be made in different areas of governance. It is also important that the changes in policies be dynamic so that unprecedented changes can be encouraged and cultivated properly.
Working for everyone
Narendra Modi has promised ahead of the upcoming assembly elections across five states that his government would always be working for everyone irrespective of who they voted for. In doing so he tried to redefine the country as well as the people that live in it. He has said that the results of this election would lay the foundation of a New India. He has also asked people to promise that they would play a role in its creation by 2022. Interestingly enough, the current term of the existing National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government runs till 2019 only.
The significance of 2022
2022 is a significant year in the country’s history by virtue of the fact that it happens to be the 75th anniversary of India’s independence. He has highlighted some of his aims for this ambitious new programme such as concrete houses for the poor, twice the income for the farmers, lots of opportunities for women and the youth of India, and an India that does not have any place for ills such as casteism, corruption, terrorism, and nepotism. He wants to build a clean India in the truest sense of the term by 2022.
Taking feedback from the government
The Prime Minister’s Office had in the days prior to his latest Independence Day speech asked people all across the country over the email as well as on their smartphones to provide their thoughts on a number of critical areas of governance. Interested people were asked to do this through the Narendra Modi app as well as the MyGov website. Apparently, the Prime Minister (PM) received more than 10,000 suggestions from all around India. They covered a number of issues such as the following:
- black money
- education
- environment
- jobs
- digitization of the economy
