Rapid transformation is the need of the hour: Prime Minister Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here on Friday that the country is in need of a rapid transformation and not a gradual evolution as it has much grounds to cover. He was speaking at the NITI Aayog’s first annual lecture on Transforming India.

He believed that no country can develop in isolation and that younger generation is thinking and aspiring differently. “We can no longer afford to remain rooted in the past,” he said.

The Prime Minister was also of the view that there is a need for a change in the mindset as a transformation of governance cannot happen without a transformation in mindset.

Highly praising former Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew, who was instrumental in reforming that country he said that it is fitting that Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister , inaugurated the programme.“One of the greatest reformers and administrators of our time was Lee Kuan Yew who transformed Singapore to what it is today,” he said.

Modi also emphasised on the need of global cooperation and a system overhaul to put the nation on a developmental path. In this connection, he also felt the need of improvement in quality of institutions, change of laws, speeding up processes, and adopting new technologies.

“Thirty years ago, a country might have been able to look inward and find its solutions. Today, countries are inter dependent and inter connected,” Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister said there is a need for "futuristic planning" to ensure development of country’s natural and human resources. He asked NITI Aayog representatives to do some out-of-the-box thinking for the speedier development.

“There is no lack of resources, what is needed is to improve the utilization of resources. We should identify untapped natural resource and try to fully exploit them. The optimized utilization of natural resources, such as solar energy, should be the way forward for charting growth strategy,” he advised.

The NITI Aayog should focus on human resource development, and work towards intensive partnership with all states which are equal partners in economic and social development. Referring to agriculture, he asked for a "technological revolution". Equally important is the development of sectors like tourism to provide more opportunities to the poor and the under privileged.

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