Atmanirbhar Push: Modi Government To Encourage Indian Made Public Digital And Social Media Platforms

The Indian government has issued sweeping directives to all ministries and departments following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interaction with government secretaries on 6th October. In a letter dated 9th October, the Cabinet Secretary outlined a comprehensive reform agenda spanning import reduction, digital infrastructure development, civic behaviour improvement and legal framework simplification.

Promoting Atmanirbharta emerged as a central directive from the high-level meeting. Ministries and departments have been instructed to interact with domestic manufacturers to identify products currently being imported that can be manufactured within India.

The Cabinet Secretary has emphasised that government bodies should handhold industries to facilitate efficient manufacturing of such identified products domestically, marking a significant push towards self-reliance in manufacturing.

The government has also directed the creation of an ecosystem for indigenous development of public digital and social media platforms. Youth are to be nurtured, trained and skilled specifically for developing social media platforms and digital infrastructure domestically, aligning with the broader Digital India initiative. The Prime Minister has additionally called for a campaign to improve civic sense and behaviour amongst citizens, aiming to instil a sense of ownership over public assets, transport infrastructure and public spaces.

Ministries and departments have been instructed to organise Chintan Shivirs—brainstorming sessions with officers and staff from respective state government departments. These deliberations must ensure participation of young officers and grassroots-level personnel, with state governments encouraged to focus on initiatives that facilitate public and private sector investment by overhauling bureaucratic systems, reducing multiple decision-making layers and framing specific policies and regulations. A mechanism for consultation with young officers at Deputy Secretary and Director level on policy matters is also being explored.

The Cabinet Secretary has directed ministries to overhaul their communication strategies, noting that plans are currently being prepared mechanically. Communication plans should be drawn up carefully, targeting specific stakeholder groups and appropriate media channels. In a significant move to reduce unnecessary litigation, the government is exploring a ceiling on the number of court cases each ministry or department may file. Departments have been told to analyse judgements to gain insights into reducing litigation, and to file court cases only after careful consideration based on analysis and research of similar past cases, aiming to conserve government resources and reduce avoidable litigation.