Need to change laws, speed up processes to transform India: PM

New Delhi, Aug 26 (PTI) Enunciating his vision to rapidlytransform India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today saidthere is a need to change laws, eliminate unnecessaryprocedures and speed up processes to go beyond "mereincremental progress". "If India is to meet the challenge of change, mereincremental progress is not enough. A metamorphosis is needed.That is why my vision for India is rapid transformation, notgradual evolution," he said at the first ‘Transforming India’Lecture organised by the NITI Aayog here. Stressing on the need to bring changes throughtransformation of governance, Modi said it cannot happen withan administrative system of the 19th century. "A transformation of governance cannot happen without atransformation in mindset and a transformation in mindsetcannot happen without transformative ideas," he added. "We have to change laws, eliminate unnecessaryprocedures, speed up processes and adopt technology. We cannotmarch through the 21st century with the administrativesystems of the 19th century," he said. With his entire Cabinet in attendance, Modi said thechange has to be for both external and internal reasons. Each country, he said, has its own experiences, resourcesand strengths. "Thirty years ago, a country might have been able to lookinward and find its own solutions. Today, countries areinter-dependent and inter-connected. No country can afford anylonger to develop in isolation. Every country has to benchmarkits activities to global standards, or else fall behind," hesaid. Stating that change is also necessary for internalreasons, he said the younger generation is thinking andaspiring so differently that the government can no longerafford to remain rooted in the past. The Prime Minister further said that fundamental changesin administrative mindsets usually occur through sudden shocksor crisis. With a stable democratic polity in India, special effortswill have to be made to force transformative changes, headded. "As individuals, we may absorb new ideas by reading booksor articles. Books open the windows of our minds. However,unless we brainstorm collectively, ideas remain confined toindividual minds," he said. MORE PTI RNK KKS ANZMKJ