world on the country. Modi, along with his entire cabinet and top policy makers, were patient listeners.

Those who attended the lecture were quite impressed, not only by the outstanding exposition of Shanmugaratnam but also by his profound understanding of India’s social and economic complexities.

For instance, Shanmugaratnam pointed out that India had been expending its energy more on over-regulation and less on building a stronger society. He took cues from Modi’s speech, who emphasised that a strong society was a sine qua non for a strong country.

But what was particularly interesting in the lecture was that Modi requested the guest to not hold back on his punches while making critical references to India’s policies. Shanmugaratnam did exactly that; in a friendly atmosphere with 1400-odd top policy makers of thecountry, listening attentively in the spirit of learning.

Impressed by the experience, the prime minister directed the Niti Aayog to organise at least four such lectures in a year, to expose the Indian policy honchos to outsiders’ perspective on India.

“It was a unique experience to see the prime minister sitting with everyone, like a student in the session,” said one of the participants.

Only a day after India’s top political executives, along with the bureaucrats, learnt a lesson or two about globalisation and its benefits, Modi addressed a meeting of chief ministers of the BJP-ruled states on 27 August, and encouraged them to share the best practices initiated by each of the governments.

Curiously enough, Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar and his officials gave a PowerPoint presentation on the institutionalised mechanisms