The Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the high profile meeting of G20 Development Ministers on Monday. Welcoming everyone to Varanasi, he termed it as the oldest living city of the mother of democracy.
Highlighting the significance of Kashi, he said that the city has been the center of knowledge, discussion, debate, culture and spirituality for centuries, while it also has the essence of India's diverse heritage serving as a convergence point for people from all parts of the country.
PM Modi remarked that development is a core issue for the Global South. He pointed out that the countries of the Global South are severely impacted by the disruptions created due to the global Covid pandemic while geo-political tensions were responsible for food, fuel, and fertilizer crises.
He said, in such circumstances, the decisions you make are significant for humanity as a whole. He also emphasized that it is the collective responsibility of the people to not let the Sustainable Development Goals fall behind. He further added that the Global South must send a strong message to the world about the action plan required to achieve this.
PM Modi underlined that our efforts must be comprehensive, inclusive, fair and sustainable and attempts should be made to increase investment in fulfilling the SDGs and also finding solutions to address the debt risks faced by many countries.
PM suggested multilateral financial institutions be reformed to expand the eligibility criteria to ensure that finance is accessible to those in need. He said, in India we have made efforts to improve people's lives in more than a hundred Aspirational Districts which were pockets of under-development.
PM Modi underscored that these Aspirational Districts have now emerged as the catalysts of growth in the country as he urged the G20 Development Ministers to study this model of development. Highlighting the issue of the growing data divide, he said that high-quality data is critical for meaningful policy-making, efficient resource allocation and effective public service delivery.
The Prime Minister also said that the democratization of technology is a crucial tool to help bridge the data divide. In India, digitalization has brought about a revolutionary change where technology is being used as a tool to empower people, make data accessible and ensure inclusivity.
PM Modi underlined that India is willing to share its experience with partner countries and expressed hope that discussions will result in tangible actions to promote data for discourse, development and delivery in developing countries.
The PM said that in India, we hold great respect for rivers, trees, mountains, and all elements of nature. He also threw light on the traditional Indian thought which promotes a pro-planet lifestyle. Last year, along with the UN Secretary-General, the Prime Minister recalled launching Mission LiFE and expressed happiness that this group is working to develop a set of High-Level Principles.
