Prime Minister to Chair Fifth National Conference of Chief Secretaries in Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the Fifth National Conference of Chief Secretaries in New Delhi on December 27 and 28, 2025. The conference will be held under the overarching theme “Human Capital for Viksit Bharat” reflecting the government’s emphasis on transforming India’s population into a skilled productive and future-ready workforce. The event aims to deepen structured Centre–State collaboration on key development priorities critical to India’s long-term growth trajectory.

Theme: Human Capital for Viksit Bharat

• The central theme underscores a shift in policy thinking from viewing India’s population merely as a demographic dividend to developing citizens as human capital.
• The discussions will focus on creating systems that nurture skills, productivity, innovation and employability to support India’s aspiration of becoming a developed nation.
• The emphasis is on inclusive, sustainable and future-oriented growth driven by people-centric development.

Key Focus Areas

Under the main theme, deliberations will focus on five priority areas,

• Early Childhood Education – strengthening foundations for lifelong learning
• School Education – improving quality, access and learning outcomes
• Skilling – aligning skills with emerging economic needs
• Higher Education – fostering innovation, research and global competitiveness
• Sports and Extracurricular Activities – promoting holistic development
• These areas collectively aim to build a robust human capital ecosystem across States.

Special Policy Sessions

The conference will also include six special sessions on major governance and policy themes,

• Deregulation in States
• Technology in Governance: Opportunities, Risks and Mitigation
• AgriStack for smart supply chains and market linkages
• One State, One World-Class Tourist Destination
• Atmanirbhar Bharat and Swadeshi
• Roadmap for a post–Left Wing Extremism future

These sessions are intended to address structural reforms, digital governance and region-specific development strategies.

Informal and Thematic Discussions

In addition to formal sessions, focused informal deliberations will be held on,

• Heritage and Manuscript Preservation and Digitisation
• Ayush for All, with emphasis on integrating traditional knowledge systems into primary healthcare
• These discussions highlight the government’s approach of blending cultural heritage and traditional systems with modern governance.

Participation and Previous Editions

Chief Secretaries from all States and Union Territories, senior central officials and domain experts will participate in the conference.

Previous editions were held,

• Dharamshala – June 2022
• New Delhi – January 2023
• New Delhi – December 2023
• New Delhi – December 2024

The fifth edition continues this annual tradition of collaborative governance.

Key Takeaways

• PM Narendra Modi will chair the 5th National Conference of Chief Secretaries.
• Venue: New Delhi; Dates: December 27–28, 2025.
• Theme: Human Capital for Viksit Bharat.
• Focus areas include education, skilling, higher education and sports.
• Special sessions cover deregulation, technology in governance, AgriStack and Atmanirbhar Bharat.
• The conference promotes cooperative federalism and Centre–State coordination.

Question

Q. What is the central theme of the Fifth National Conference of Chief Secretaries?

A. Cooperative Federalism for New India
B. Inclusive Growth and Governance
C. Human Capital for Viksit Bharat
D. Technology for Good Governance