PM Modi to chair Union Ministers' chintan shivirs

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a series of chintan shivirs (brainstorming sessions) of the Union Council of Ministers as part of a mid-term stocktaking exercise, with the first two-day session beginning Wednesday to review governance and set priorities and reforms for the next phase of Viksit Bharat 2047.

The council of ministers has been divided into several groups, with the broader themes of the sessions including personal efficiency, effective communication, focused implementation and ministry functioning and stakeholder engagement.

The first meeting will be held at Seva Teerth on Wednesday, beginning around 4 pm, and followed by a full-day session on Thursday, with Modi attending both. Sources said all Cabinet ministers, including those not coordinating the groups, are expected to make brief interventions.


Over the past two days, preparatory meetings were held at the homes or offices of the coordinating ministers. Another round of shivir is likely to be held next week.

The exercise follows Modi's recent interaction with ministers of state on policy and governance, as well as a separate review with Union ministers, where feedback was shared on their engagements, including their social media presence.

The back-to-back reviews are also being seen by political observers as a possible precursor to the much-discussed Cabinet reshuffle.

The chintan shivirs will draw on inputs from ministries and departments, groups of secretaries, the Cabinet Secretariat and NITI Aayog, covering reforms, ease of living, reduction of compliances and governance priorities.

The Viksit Bharat 2047 exercise has been underway since 2021, when 10 groups of secretaries were constituted to prepare the long-term vision and short- and long-term road maps, backed by extensive stakeholder consultations. Eight presentations and discussions on different aspects of the vision have already been held before the council of ministers.

The 2021 exercise was held soon after a major Cabinet reshuffle, with one session also addressed by the then Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman.