Chennai: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said the contribution of southern states is crucial to India’s overall development. He was speaking at a conference of southern state chief ministers held in Kovalam.
Shah said the growth story of the southern states rests on three pillars—higher literacy, a trained workforce, and technological expertise in harnessing deep-sea resources. These strengths, he noted, have made the region a major contributor to the country’s progress.
He added that people and governments in the South have set new benchmarks in innovation and revenue generation, and that the rest of the country should learn from the region’s experience. Shah also listed the South’s role across sectors such as literature, research and development, space, information technology, artificial intelligence, industry and agriculture, and said this has helped attract significant foreign investment.
On inter-state river issues, Shah said disputes in northern India had been resolved amicably and argued that water-sharing problems among southern states should also be addressed with a fresh approach. He called for coordinated discussions involving the Jal Shakti Ministry, the Home Ministry and state-level committees, and said protecting state interests should not hinder fair water sharing.
Shah also said ensuring a “drug-free India” is a responsibility of state governments and society, and noted that the Centre has prepared a three-year roadmap for the initiative. He stressed that the goal cannot be achieved without coordination across departments.
