NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the world needs inclusive, smart, clean and transparent and green govts, while calling for global cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI) and cryptocurrency.
Addressing the World Govt Summit in Dubai, he underlined that govts must prioritise ease of living, ease of justice, ease of mobility, ease of innovation and ease of doing business in their approach to public service.
“People should neither feel the absence of govt, nor should there be pressure from govt. Govts have to ensure that there is minimum govt interference in people’s lives,” the PM said.
While calling for cooperation in dealing with challenges in an interconnected world, Modi said govts have to deal with multiple challenges such as ensuring national sovereignty while staying within the limits of international laws. He said every govt was bound by responsibilities, be it food or water security, health security or education. He referred to challenges posed by terrorism and climate change and said that technology was proving to be a key disruptor, whether positive or negative. “On the one hand, there are domestic concerns, on the other hand, the international system seems in disarray,” Modi said.He said that in his 23 years in govt, at the Centre and in Gujarat, he had worked on the philosophy of “minimum govt, maximum governance” and laid emphasis on creating an environment that generated a spirit on enterprise and energy among citizens. “Along with a top-down and bottoms up approach, we also move with a whole of society approach,” he said.
The Prime Minister said, looking at the future, govts have to strike a balance between national sovereignty and international interdependence and retain commitment towards international rule of law while working in national interest. “How do we expand national progress and increase our contribution towards global good? How do we take advantage of digital technology and stay away from its negative influence? How do we put our effort towards global peace and still work towards combating terror. Keeping in mind all these factors we have to do our planning for the future,” Modi said.
