Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, and MoS in the Prime Minister’s Office, chaired a high-level review meeting in Wokha, Nagaand on 17 June. The meeting brought together heads of central science and technology institutions operating in the Northeast along with key departments of the Nagaland state government.
Dr Singh emphasized the Northeast’s growing importance in India’s development roadmap, crediting recent scientific and technological advances to a conducive ecosystem fostered by the Government’s proactive policies. He stressed the need to decentralize scientific progress and ensure peripheral and remote regions like the Northeast benefit fully.
Identifying agriculture, tourism, and film production as pivotal sectors, Dr. Singh highlighted the region’s biodiversity and the economic potential of local initiatives. He praised Wokha district’s success in the ODOP scheme through banana cultivation, saying, “This model can be scaled to a larger commercial level, boosting the local economy while showcasing the region’s unique strengths.”
Announcing a 15-day nationwide saturation campaign for flagship schemes, Dr Singh pointed to recent transformations, such as youth from Nagaland and Manipur entering the aviation and hospitality sectors. “In fact, the recent tragic air crash in Ahmedabad included two young girls from Manipur — a solemn reminder of how far the region has come,” he said.
He lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to the Northeast, stating, “His goal was to break both mental and physical barriers that distanced the region from the mainstream,” and noted the PM’s more than 70 visits since 2014.
Calling on youth and women to step into leadership, he said, “In the Northeast, women have always led — from managing fish markets to running households… Now is the time to form self-help groups, generate livelihood, and build confidence.”
Concluding, Dr Singh said the Northeast will be a major contributor to India’s ascent among the top three global economies, aligning with the vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
(With inputs from PIB)