Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the first national conference of chief secretaries at Dharamshala on Thursday and Friday to prepare a common development agenda for higher economic growth, ahead of the Governing Council Meeting of Niti Aayog later in the year.

The conference of chief secretaries will be held at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association stadium with more than 200 people in attendance, representing the central government, all states/Union Territories and domain experts.

“Working as Team India, the conference will lay the ground for collaborative action for higher growth with sustainability, creation of jobs, education, ease of living and aatmanirbharta in agriculture. It will emphasise evolution and implementation of a common development agenda and blueprint for cohesive action to achieve the aspirations of the people,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement.

Three themes have been identified for detailed deliberations in the conference: implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP), urban governance, and crop diversification and achieving self-sufficiency in oilseeds, pulses and other agri-commodities. Under NEP, both school and higher education would be deliberated upon. Best practices from states/ UTs under each of the themes shall be presented at the conference for mutual learning.

A session on aspirational districts programme would discuss the achievements made so far, with successful case studies including on data based governance, presented by the young collectors in specific districts.

The outcomes of the conference will be discussed in the Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog, where Chief Ministers and Administrators of all States and Union Territories will be present, the PMO said.