Dharampur, Nov 28 (IANS) The second day of Gujarat’s 12th Chintan Shivir at Shrimad Rajchandra Ashram saw an intensive round of group discussions led by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, cabinet ministers and senior bureaucrats.

The three-day retreat, set in the tribal heartland of Dharampur, is centred on the idea that collective reflection strengthens collective development. The morning sessions brought together ministers, secretaries, district collectors and development officers to deliberate on five focus areas — capacity building, public health and nutrition, green energy and environment, public safety, and the expansion of the services sector.

All discussions were anchored in the larger national vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047, with Gujarat positioning itself to lead that transformation.

In the capacity-building track, ministers and senior officials examined restructuring of cadres, continuous training frameworks, performance evaluation and the creation of platforms to prepare a future-ready workforce.

The deliberations emphasised preparing Gujarat’s human capital for emerging technologies and the next decade of development, leading up to the state’s 75th year in 2035.

The public health and nutrition group reviewed Gujarat’s progress and challenges on key indicators such as maternal and infant mortality, anaemia, and malnutrition — including wasting, underweight and stunting among children.

Discussions highlighted the need for stronger infrastructure, technology-driven interventions and a tighter focus on the most vulnerable communities to accelerate improvements.

Green energy and climate governance emerged as another major theme. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s targets of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel energy by 2030 and net-zero by 2070, officials brainstormed pathways for energy self-reliance, environmental resilience, circular economy initiatives and expanding the use of green power in governance and public systems.

Public safety discussions centred on strengthening critical infrastructure such as roads, bridges, public buildings, water supply and drainage systems. Delegates also examined fire safety, emergency response, traffic management and the role of technology, transparency and collective responsibility in ensuring citizen safety.

The services-sector group examined employment-rich segments, including IT and ITeS, Global Capability Centres, financial services, logistics, port-linked services, gig and care economy opportunities, and emerging green services.

Officials presented current initiatives and plans aimed at positioning Gujarat as a leading services-driven economy.

With each session feeding into the state’s long-term roadmap, the Chintan Shivir aims to translate Prime Minister Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047 into a concrete, Gujarat-led development model.

According to senior officials, the intense discussions on day two have injected new momentum into that mission.

–IANS

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