New Delhi, July 22 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday directed secretaries to keep citizen welfare at the core of reforms and work in a coordinated manner to speed up India's transition to a developed nation. Modi issued the directions during a high-level review of the rural development, agriculture, social welfare and allied sectors.

Chairing a meeting of secretaries at his residence, Modi said reforms should be designed around people's needs and deliver measurable outcomes rather than merely improving government processes. He also called for a comprehensive mapping of emerging governance requirements across ministries to ensure policy frameworks remain responsive to a rapidly changing environment.

In the agriculture sector, ...