(THE NEWSMAN OF INDIA.COM) Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address on the occasion of Civil Service Day, underlined India’s significant progress in governance, asserting that the country is already a decade ahead of many others in terms of administrative efficiency. “We have eliminated delays and introduced streamlined processes. More than 40,000 compliances have been scrapped to enhance the ease of doing business,” he stated.

The Prime Minister recalled the initial resistance faced during the early phase of reforms, particularly concerning the reduction of regulatory compliances and the decriminalisation of minor business-related errors.

He emphasized that the groundwork laid over the last ten years has laid a robust path towards achieving the vision of *Viksit Bharat 2047*.

“We must not measure our progress by comparing ourselves with previous governments. Our benchmarks should be self-defined, based on how far we are from achieving the goal of a developed India by 2047. The phase of taking stock is behind us; now is the time to move ahead with renewed urgency,” he said.

Highlighting the responsibility that comes with being the world’s most populous nation, he said, “Universal access to basic amenities must now be our top priority.”

Reflecting on the developmental milestones of the last decade, the Prime Minister shared that 4 crore (40 million) pucca houses have been constructed for the poor, with an additional target of 3 crore homes set in motion. Over 12 crore households have been connected with tap water supply in the past five to six years, and efforts are underway to ensure 100% coverage. Furthermore, more than 11 crore toilets have been constructed, and the focus now shifts to achieving ambitious targets in waste management.

As part of the event, the Prime Minister also launched two e-books — *Holistic Development of Districts* and *Select Innovations* — and honoured districts excelling in flagship government schemes such as Ayushman Bharat Yojana, PM Vishwakarma Yojana, Har Ghar Jal, and PM Awas Yojana.

Award-winning districts included Rajkot (Gujarat), Gomti (Tripura), Tinsukia (Assam), Kupwara (Jammu & Kashmir), and Koraput (Odisha).

Recognised blocks under the Aspirational Block Programme featured Gamharia (Jharkhand), Parappa (Kerala), Narnoor (Telangana), Ganganagar (Tripura), and Rama (Madhya Pradesh).