NEW DELHI, Dec. 29 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for collective action by the Centre and states to make India "Aatmanirbhar, empower the poor and realise our dream of a Viksit Bharat". In a series of posts on X after chairing the fifth National Conference of Chief Secretaries on the concluding day, Modi said: "Shared my thoughts on how we can collectively work to make India Aatmanirbhar, empower the poor and realise our dream of a Viksit Bharat." "This conference... has taken place at a time when India is witnessing next-generation reforms. India has boarded the Reform Express and the primary engine of this Reform Express is India's youth, our demography. That is why, it is our endeavour to empower this demographic." The three-day conference on the theme 'Human Capital for Viksit Bharat' began on Friday and aimed at strengthening the Centre-state partnership through structured and sustained dialogue on national development priorities. In another post on X, the PM said: "Let's work towards making the label 'Made in India' synonymous with quality and strengthening our commitment to 'Zero Effect, Zero Defect'," he added. Sharing highlights from the meeting, Modi said he "called upon states to encourage manufacturing, boost 'Ease of Doing Business' and strengthen the services sector". "Let us aim to make India a Global Services Giant." "India has the potential to become the world's food basket. We must move towards high-value agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries. This is how India can become a major food exporter." Officials said the deliberations marked a shift in policy thinking, moving beyond viewing population as a demographic dividend to treating citizens as skilled and productive human capital. "Discussions focused on early childhood education, reforms in school and higher education, skill development, and the role of sports and co-curricular activities, with an emphasis on linking learning outcomes to employability, productivity and innovation," said one of the officials, asking not to be named. Another official, who attended the conference, said the human capital push is especially critical for regions facing persistent gaps in education and employment....