Modi chairs secretaries meeting on governance

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the third high-level meeting with Secretaries to the India — India at his official residence on August 20, 2026. He called for greater engagement between government departments, universities, and young people to bring fresh perspectives into policymaking. Modi emphasized the need to overcome departmental silos, which he described as both an organizational and mindset problem. He urged officials to take a long-term view and work with a sense of ownership and belonging. The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of effective use of data and artificial intelligence while ensuring human intervention and judgment. He also called for greater focus on research and innovation, particularly in the defence sector, to make India's defence industry more globally competitive. Additionally, Modi discussed strengthening India's maritime sector, moving from port development to port-led development, and improving connectivity between manufacturing and export-oriented units. The meeting was attended by the Cabinet Secretary, key ministry secretaries, and senior officials from the Prime Minister's Office. The discussions came against the backdrop of recent student protests over the NEET paper leak, which led to the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.