Rare full house at NITI Aayog as all 28 CMs join PM Modi-led meeting

At the meet, PM Modi stressed that building a supportive ecosystem for India's youth through quality education, industry-aligned skills and job creation must remain a key priority, while highlighting women-led development as central to the Viksit Bharat vision.

In Short

• Opposition-ruled states break recent boycott trend, ensuring full participation
• PM stresses cooperative federalism to accelerate India's development journey
• States present development priorities, demands, and visions for growth

The annual NITI Aayog meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has in recent years been marked by boycotts and absences from several chief ministers, particularly those heading opposition-ruled states. This year, however, broke that trend. Chief ministers from all 28 states attended the country's apex public policy forum on Thursday, making it one of the most widely attended editions of the council in the recent past.

The 11th Governing Council meeting, held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, saw the participation of chief ministers from all seven opposition-ruled states -- Tamil Nadu's Joseph Vijay, Karnataka's DK Shivakumar, Kerala's VD Satheesan, Telangana's Revanth Reddy, Jharkhand's Hemant Soren, Himachal Pradesh's Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Jammu and Kashmir's Omar Abdullah. They were joined by BJP chief ministers, including Devendra Fadnavis, Yogi Adityanath and Suvendu Adhikari among others.

In addition to the chief ministers, the Lieutenant Governors of Union Territories and several Union ministers attended the meeting. The event, tasked with shaping national priorities and development strategies through active cooperation between the Centre and states, recorded a level of participation not seen in recent years.

Following the NITI Aayog meeting, the chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana and Jammu and Kashmir met Prime Minister Modi individually. Four of these states are governed by opposition parties.

Last year, three opposition chief ministers – West Bengal's Mamata Banerjee, Kerala's Pinarayi Vijayan, and Karnataka's Siddaramaiah – along with NDA ally Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, skipped the 10th Governing Council meeting.

In 2024, as many as 10 chief ministers were absent from the meeting, with several opposition leaders boycotting the event, while others skipped it due to prior commitments and instead sent representatives on their behalf. A similar trend was witnessed in 2023, when nine chief ministers stayed away. The years before that also had a comparable pattern.

Against this backdrop, Saturday's meeting stood out for achieving full attendance, marking a notable departure from recent precedent.

Sharing pictures of the meeting, the Prime Minister highlighted the spirit of cooperative federalism and said that the Centre and states are working together to accelerate India's development journey.

“Guided by the spirit of cooperative federalism, we are working together to accelerate India’s development journey. The collective efforts of the Centre and States will play a pivotal role in realising our shared vision of Viksit Bharat,” he wrote on X.

Addressing the Governing Council, Modi said India continues to move forward on its growth trajectory with confidence and determination despite global uncertainty and instability.

"The world is passing through a period of uncertainty and instability, yet India continues to move forward on its growth trajectory with confidence and determination," he said.

Referring to India's recent free trade agreements with several countries, the Prime Minister said these pacts offer significant opportunities for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs)

"These agreements also present a significant opportunity for our MSMEs, enabling them to prepare for global markets by adhering to international standards and enhancing competitiveness," he added.

PM Modi emphasised that creating the right ecosystem for India's youth through quality education, demand-driven skilling and employment opportunities must remain a priority. He also described women-led development as a cornerstone of the vision of Viksit Bharat.

"From farming and startups to science and innovation, Nari Shakti is contributing across the domains," he said, adding that states should prioritise education, skilling, safety and empowerment of women to unlock their full potential and drive India's development journey.

The chief ministers who attended the meeting also shared their vision for their respective states, outlined development priorities and placed specific demands before the Centre.

- Ends