New Delhi [India], May 27 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the eighth governing council meeting of Niti Aayog on Saturday on the theme of 'Viksit Bharat @2047: Role of Team India' at the new Convention Centre in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

As the chairman of NITI Aayog, PM Modi will preside over the meeting.

PM Modi will deliberate on issues related to health, skill development, women empowerment and infrastructure development, with an aim to make India a developed nation by 2047.

"Eight prominent themes will be discussed during the day-long Meeting including (i) Viksit Bharat@2047, (ii) Thrust on MSMEs, (iii) Infrastructure and Investments, (iv) Minimising Compliances, (v) Women Empowerment, (vi) Health and Nutrition, (vii) Skill Development, and (viii) Gati Shakti for area development and social infrastructure," the NITI Aayog stated.

"The Meeting will see the participation of Chief Ministers/Lt Governors of all States and Union Territories, Union Ministers as ex-officio Members, and the Vice Chairman and Members of NITI Aayog", it stated.

As a preparatory prelude to the 8th Governing Council Meeting, the second Chief Secretaries Conference was held in January 2023, where these themes were extensively discussed.

"Wide-ranging stakeholder consultations and brainstorming sessions with subject experts, academia and practitioners were held prior to the Conference in order to gain well-rounded grassroots-level perspectives," it further said.

The 2nd Chief Secretaries Conference, attended by the Prime Minister, brought together select Secretaries from the Government of India and Chief Secretaries from all States/UTs who proactively participated by sharing thematic best practices and policy insights, the release stated.

As the world's fifth-largest economy and the most populous nation, India is at a stage in its economic development trajectory where it can achieve accelerated growth over the next 25 years, the release said.

In this context, the 8th Governing Council Meeting provides an opportunity to create a roadmap for Viksit Bharat by 2047 in which the Centre and States can work together as Team India. This will play an important role in the international context as India's socioeconomic growth and transformation can have a positive and multiplier effect on the world at large, it said.

The NITI Aayog further said, "This 8th Governing Council Meeting is also being held in the backdrop of India's G20 Presidency. India's G20 motto 'One Earth, One Family, One Future' conveys its civilisational values and its vision of the role of each country in creating the future of our planet.""The emerging world has immense hopes for India's ability to provide values-based leadership and its capacity to deliver development at scale. The Centre and States have played a significant role in achieving this distinctive development trajectory," the Aayog said.

India's growth is closely interlinked with the growth of States. As mentioned by the Prime Minister in his 76th Independence Day address, 'When our States grow, India grows'.

This will be the guiding spirit of India's inclusive and sustainable vision for the next quarter century.

In order to achieve this vision, the 8th Governing Council Meeting would provide a platform for strengthening Centre-State cooperation and forging partnerships for achieving the goal of Viksit Bharat @2047. (ANI)