PM urges governors to promote harmony, integration among states

Urging governors to play a proactive role in making universities promote excellence in academics, Prime Minster Narendra Modi today said Indian varsities must aspire to be among the world's best.

He also asked the governors to strengthen harmony and integration among states.

Addressing the concluding session of the Conference of Governors at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Modi urged governors, in their capacity as chancellors, to call upon universities to promote excellence in various spheres of academics.

He said Indian universities must aspire to be among the world's best and governors can play a crucial role in catalysing their transformation.

In this context, he pointed at the government's initiative to promote autonomy in IIMs, and among top 10 public and top 10 private universities.

Referring to the 'Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat' initiative, which promotes partnerships, cultural exchanges and people to people linkages among states, he emphasised the need to build new ways to promote harmony and integration among various states, an official statement said.

The prime minister said that the government is working towards promoting 'ease of living' for the common man. He said that governors, through their vast experience in public life, can motivate civic agencies and government departments to work with commitment towards the cause.

He also spoke of the government's ambitious health assurance scheme 'Ayushman Bharat'.

Modi said that occasions such as the 75th anniversary of independence in 2022, and the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in 2019, can serve as inspirational milestones for achieving development goals and targets.

He said the upcoming Kumbh Mela could also serve as an important occasion for promoting nationally relevant causes, the statement read.