Study India’s ‘Aspirational Dist’ devpt model: PM to G20 nations

Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday asked the G20 member countries to study India’s ‘Aspirational District’ model of development while also calling for efforts to find solutions to address the debt risks faced by many countries.
“We have made efforts to improve people’s lives in more than a hundred ‘Aspirational Districts’, which were pockets of under-development. These Aspirational Districts have now emerged as the catalysts of growth in the country,” Modi said while addressing the inaugural session of the G20 development ministers meeting at Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Trade Facilitation Centre through video message on Monday morning. He urged the G20 development ministers to study this model of development.
“It may be relevant as you work towards accelerating Agenda 2030,” he added.
“Development is a core issue for the Global South,” he said, pointing out that the countries of the Global South were severely impacted by the disruptions created due to the global Covid pandemic while geo-political tensions were responsible for food, fuel, and fertilizer crises. “In such circumstances,” he continued, “the decisions you make are significant for humanity as a whole.” Modi emphasized that it is the collective responsibility of the people to not let the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) fall behind. He further added that the Global South must send a strong message to the world about the action plan required to achieve this.
Modi said, “Our efforts must be comprehensive, inclusive, fair and sustainable, and attempts should be made to increase investment in fulfilling the SDGs and finding solutions to address the debt risks faced by many countries.”