Sonal Goyal, a 2008 batch IAS officer of Tripura cadre, was invited to London Metropolitan University to share her views on the topic ‘The Art and Science of Project Management: Lessons from India and Beyond’. She shared with international students the nuances of successfully implementing government schemes in India, a country with challenging geographical and social conditions. ‘Digital India Mission changed old challenges’ Sonal Goyal began her talk with the old challenges of India, when according to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, only 15 paise out of one rupee reached the beneficiaries. She explained how the Digital India Mission, launched in 2014 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, completely changed this situation. Giving the example of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, she said that under this initiative, the foundation of direct benefit transfer was laid by connecting more than 50 crore citizens with banking facilities. This enabled the benefits of government subsidies and schemes to reach the needy directly without any middlemen. Large Scale Social Welfare Projects Sonal also discussed Aadhaar, UPI, Smart Cities Mission, PM Jal Jeevan Mission in the context of India’s large scale social welfare projects. She explained how these schemes are not limited to social welfare only, but are empowering every section of the society and are proving to be decisive in the goal of making India developed by 2047. Sonal (IAS Sonal Goel) explained to the European and British students how due to the effective implementation of the Public-Private Partnership model, the road network in India increased from 91,287 km in 2014 to 1,46,145 km by December 2023. She also underlined the role of communication in implementing campaigns like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao. ‘Land data online with blockchain technology’ Sonal explained how the government has made the data of agricultural land in the states online by using technology like blockchain in the Bhulekh project. Digitising land records has not only increased transparency and administrative efficiency in the system but has also reduced the number of land disputes to a great extent and has reduced the burden on lower courts.
Citing a United Nations report, Sonal further said that India has lifted 415 million people out of poverty in the last decade. She called it a proof of India’s transformative schemes and effective policies. Sonal said that this model of India is a source of inspiration for other countries as well.
