5th National Conference of Chief Secretaries: PM Modi chaired the 2025 summit focusing on human capital development, governance reforms, and cooperative federalism for Viksit Bharat.
5th National Conference of Chief Secretaries Chaired by PM Modi in New Delhi
Prime Minister Leads Major Administrative Summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently chaired the fifth National Conference of Chief Secretaries in New Delhi, marking a significant milestone in India’s administrative calendar. The three-day event, held from December 26 to 28, 2025, brought together Chief Secretaries from all States and Union Territories, senior officials from the Centre, domain experts, and key stakeholders in governance and development.
The Conference was conducted under the overarching theme “Human Capital for Viksit Bharat”, which signals a shift towards a more people-centric model of growth and development. Prime Minister Modi highlighted the importance of cooperative federalism, strengthening Centre-State coordination, and creating a unified roadmap for India’s long-term national goals. These deliberations covered governance reforms, quality education, health improvements, and strategic deployment of human resources across sectors.
Focus on Human Capital Development
One of the key highlights of the conference was the Government’s renewed focus on harnessing India’s demographic dividend—with nearly 70% of the population in the working-age group—to accelerate economic growth and social progress.
Prime Minister Modi emphasized that human capital—comprising knowledge, skills, health, capabilities, and creativity—is the most vital asset for a modern, competitive nation. Under this theme, special sessions were organised to promote improvements in:
- Early Childhood Education and Schooling
- Skilling and Vocational Training
- Higher Education and Research
- Sports & Extracurricular Development
These areas were chosen to ensure future-ready talent creation aligned with India’s aspiration to be a global economic leader.
Deliberations on National Priorities and Strategic Reforms
The Conference structured multiple sessions to foster discussions on key national areas, including:
- Deregulation in States to simplify administrative processes
- Technology in Governance for transparency and efficiency
- AgriStack for Smart Supply Chain Linkages
- Tourism Development under “One State, One World-Class Tourist Destination”
- Atmanirbhar Bharat & Swadeshi Movement
- Post-Left Wing Extremism Strategies
These sessions combined the experience of State and Central officials to formulate actionable strategies that can be adapted by different regions.
Strengthening Cooperative Federalism
The National Conference of Chief Secretaries acts as a forum where Centre and States collaborate beyond traditional hierarchical structures. By encouraging sustained and structured dialogue, the Conference helps formulate policies that reflect diversified regional needs while adhering to a national development agenda.
Prime Minister Modi’s address repeatedly underscored that cooperative federalism must go hand-in-hand with collective decision-making, ensuring that every state can contribute meaningfully to India’s vision of Viksit Bharat.
In conclusion, the 5th National Conference set the tone for India’s future growth strategy by bringing together policy makers, administrators, and experts to chalk out a roadmap focused on human capital enhancement, governance reforms, and equitable development.
Why This News Is Important for Exam Aspirants
Relevance to Government Exams
Understanding the 5th National Conference of Chief Secretaries is crucial for students preparing for competitive government exams such as SSC, UPSC (including PSCS to IAS), State PCS, Banking, Railways, Defence, and Teaching posts because:
- Policy Understanding – This conference reflects India’s current governance priorities and administrative reforms, an important topic in General Studies and Current Affairs sections. It showcases how policies are shaped through Centre-State dialogue.
- Human Capital Focus – A recurring theme in national planning frameworks (e.g., National Education Policy, Skill India, Viksit Bharat vision), this meeting gives insights into government strategies for education, skilling, healthcare, and workforce development—common areas of questions.
- Cooperative Federalism – Understanding Centre-State relations is essential for exams like UPSC/State PCS, especially in Indian Polity and Governance. This conference is a real-time example of cooperative federalism in action.
- Administrative Priorities – If asked to explain administrative priorities or reform initiatives pursued by the Government of India, this Conference serves as a very recent and relevant case study.
- Exam Applications – Insights from this conference can be applied to essays, interviews, and paper questions, especially those involving public policy, governance, socio-economic challenges, cooperative federalism, and planning for human capital development.
Historical Context of the National Conference of Chief Secretaries
Origin and Evolution
The National Conference of Chief Secretaries is a relatively recent administrative initiative in India, structured to strengthen inter-government coordination and provide a platform for collaborative governance between the Centre and States.
- The first Conference was held in June 2022 at Dharamshala under the theme of strengthening cooperative federalism and aligning policy priorities.
- Since then, it has been held annually, with subsequent editions conducted in New Delhi in January 2023, December 2023, and December 2024.
The recurrent focus on emerging national priorities reflects how governance thinking has evolved—from traditional administrative coordination to a future-oriented agenda that harnesses India’s demographic potential and seeks inclusive, sustainable development.
By design, the Conference emphasizes policy coherence, decentralized consultation, innovation in governance, and shared ownership of national development goals, making it a landmark event in India’s federal administrative calendar.
Key Takeaways from the 5th National Conference of Chief Secretaries
| S. No. | Key Takeaway |
|---|---|
| 1 | The 5th National Conference of Chief Secretaries was held from December 26 to 28, 2025 in New Delhi. |
| 2 | The overarching theme was “Human Capital for Viksit Bharat”, focusing on people-centric development. |
| 3 | The conference aimed to strengthen Centre-State cooperation and cooperative federalism. |
| 4 | Key discussion areas included education, skilling, deregulation, technology in governance, and tourism. |
| 5 | It featured policy-oriented sessions on smart agriculture chains, Atmanirbhar Bharat, and post-LWE strategies. |
FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the 5th National Conference of Chief Secretaries?
The 5th National Conference of Chief Secretaries is a three-day summit chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, bringing together Chief Secretaries from all States and Union Territories, along with senior officials, to discuss policy reforms, governance, and human capital development.
2. When and where was the 5th National Conference held?
The conference was held in New Delhi from December 26 to 28, 2025.
3. What was the main theme of the Conference?
The overarching theme was “Human Capital for Viksit Bharat”, emphasizing the development of skills, education, and overall human resource potential to strengthen India’s growth trajectory.
4. Why is this Conference important for governance and exams?
It highlights Centre-State coordination, cooperative federalism, policy priorities, and administrative reforms, all of which are crucial for UPSC, State PCS, SSC, Banking, Railways, Defence, and Teaching exams.
5. What were the key areas discussed in the Conference?
Key areas included:
- Human capital development (education, skills, health)
- Deregulation and administrative reforms
- Technology in governance
- Smart agriculture supply chains
- Tourism development and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives
6. How does it reflect cooperative federalism?
The Conference enables structured dialogue between the Centre and States, ensuring policies are formulated collaboratively while addressing regional priorities within a national framework.
7. Which government programs align with this Conference’s agenda?
Programs such as Skill India, National Education Policy, Atmanirbhar Bharat, and Viksit Bharat initiatives align directly with the discussions at this conference.
8. How can this news help students in exams?
It provides recent examples of policy-making, administrative coordination, and national priorities, which can be used in General Studies papers, essays, interviews, and current affairs sections.
9. Who participates in this Conference?
Chief Secretaries of all States and UTs, senior Central government officials, experts in governance, policy planners, and domain specialists participate in the Conference.
10. How does the Conference impact India’s future development?
By focusing on human capital, governance reforms, and cooperative federalism, the Conference creates a roadmap for equitable growth, skill development, and global competitiveness of India.
Some Important Current Affairs Links
