Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called for bridging the divide between the government and Gen Z, asking Union secretaries to engage with students on campuses to gather fresh ideas for policymaking.Chairing a meeting with the Secretaries at his residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, Modi stressed the need for greater engagement among government departments, universities and young people to bring fresh perspectives to policymaking.“Wider engagement with universities and young people can bring new and unconventional ideas,” he said.The discussions focused on the future action agenda of ministries and departments dealing with infrastructure and connectivity, security and external affairs, and governance.The Prime Minister also called for breaking departmental silos and promoting informal interactions. He said long-term planning required freshness of ideas and emphasised that silos were not merely an organisational problem but also a “problem of mindset”.“Officials must take ownership of their responsibilities and work with a spirit of belongingness,” Modi said, citing the coordinated national response during the Covid-19 pandemic and the West Asia crisis when officials across departments worked together effectively.Modi also asked the Secretaries to make greater use of Artificial Intelligence while ensuring human intervention and judgement. He described data as a national asset and a resource for the future.“The full potential of data is not always realised because of departmental silos and fragmented systems. We must find solutions to the manner in which data is collected and managed for various purposes, and enable greater interoperability and effective use of data,” he said.The Prime Minister called for greater focus on research and innovation, including in the defence sector, and emphasised the need to further strengthen India’s defence and maritime industries and make them more competitive globally.He also stressed the importance of developing innovative defence courses and strengthening human resource development in the defence sector.