Every Indian has to contribute towards New India: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday listened to ideas of over 200 young entrepreneurs for transforming the country and said that every citizen has to contribute to create a New India by 2022.

Addressing a gathering of entrepreneurs at the "Champions of Change" conclave organised by the NITI Aayog, Modi said the government cannot run a big country like India without contributions of its people.

"In our country, government may create a system but development is fuelled by efforts and sacrifices made by its people," he said.

The Prime Minister also expressed regret that corruption had been institutionalised in India and said the government cannot stop it without making counter-institutional arrangements.

"Time has changed and we need to change the system as well.

"Our government is trying to create such institutional arrangements that if people falter, the system will take care of the situation," Modi said.

During the event, he listened to ideas of several young entrepreneurs and said he would explore the possibility of connecting them with the ministries concerned.

"For example those of you who are working on the digital platform, if you can offer time and sit with the government officials working on Digital India.... this would be a big contribution," the Prime Minister said.

He added that he wanted to create an annual institutional mechanism for implementation of the ideas emerging from this event and also to come up with new ideas.

Modi said the people in the government are over 50-55 years old while the young entrepreneurs had fresh "younger than 30 years old" ideas.

"I want to connect the two and this (event) is the beginning of that.

"As much as the we (the government and the young entrepreneurs) get connected to each other, the faster can we move towards change," he said.

Modi said different people across the nation have different strengths and "if these scattered powers come together, it can lead to a big change".

--IANS

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