On April 1, 2023, the Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe met the Director General of National Centre of Good Governance (NCGG), Bharat Lal and the Indian delegation with an aim to seek India’s help in establishing policy reforms, governance, capacity building, digitisation, institution building, public service delivery and good governance as per the statement released by India’s Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
During the two-day visit of the Indian delegation, several senior civil servants of Sri Lanka were present and everyone is keen to know that how Narendra Modi has given a new governance model to eradicate poverty, ensure high quality services, assured public search delivery, environmental protection, inclusion and equity, transparency, accountability and high economic growth.
They believed that this would aid Sri Lanka in strengthening its institutions and that the country is eager to learn and utilise India’s successful model to achieve high economic growth.
The Indian delegation emphasised the positive impact of digital technology in promoting transparency, equity, inclusion and accountability.
The DG also stressed the critical role of PM Narendra Modi’s leadership and vision as well as his emphasis on good governance in ensuring, efficient, effective and technology driven public service delivery. The discussions centred on NCGG support for Sri Lanka in policy reforms, utilisation of digital technology capacity building, good governance and institution building.
During the series of meetings, set up by the President’s office, top civil servants expressed their appreciation of for the sustained increase that India has provided during Lankan Economic Crisis.
The DG also spoke about PM mantra of neighbourhood first and highlighted the special relationship India-Sri Lanka have, the statement read.
According to a press release, President Wickremesinghe in the meeting with Bharat Lal shared his vision for Sri Lanka, a strategy to address the recent economic challenges, and put the country on a path of high economic growth. He additionally urged the NCGG to help in establishing a University of Governance and Public Policy in Sri Lanka.
The president has admired the way India has managed socio-economic development and has ensured high economic growth.
Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s crisis management skills during the 2001 riot as Chief Minister, the director general said that “upon assuming the role as a Chief Minister of Gujarat amid a slew of crisis, and negative economic growth was able to put the state on the path of high economic growth and sustained prosperity through its vision, strategy and progressive policies.
Consequently, he Gujarat has experienced double digit economic growth over the past two decades”
“Thereafter since 2014 as a prime minister, he has introduced a new culture of citizen centric policies and good governance, as a result India is witnessing higher economic growth, assured public service delivery and fast improving the quality of its citizens”, the statement quoted him as saying.”
To reinforce Prime Minister Modi’s vision for good governance which focuses on transparency accountability and inclusiveness, India is massively using digital technology and planning, execution and monitoring mechanisms for time bound implementation.
In line with Prime Minister’s philosophy of Vasudaiva Kutumbakam, the NCGG in partnership with Ministry of External Affairs (MEA-India) is dedicated to promoting collaboration and learning among civil servants of India and neighbourhood countries.
