 "Modi gets first taste of transformative ideas")
Modi had constituted eight groups of secretaries and tasked them to come up with ideas to drive economic growth ahead of the Budget and beyond it. Each group had to make a presentation to the prime minister on action points. The first group's presentation, on Tuesday, was on energy conservation and efficiency.
An official statement after the meeting said Modi and other members in the audience - which included Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog Arvind Panagariya and all the secretaries of the Union government - asked questions and came up with suggestions, making the event interactive. "The prime minister appreciated the presentations and said that the secretaries completed their assignment in the same way he had envisaged," the statement added.
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The groups are accelerated growth; good governance; employment generation; farmer-centric initiatives; education and health; innovative budgeting and effective implementation; Swachh Bharat and Ganga rejuvenation with people's participation; and energy efficiency and conservation.
Modi had briefed secretaries on December 31 to focus on quick delivery of the Centre's programmes. He is expected to hold intensive half-day meetings with them on January 12, 15 and 16.