Social media a tool for effective governance, says Modi

An avid user of social media, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said platforms like Facebook could be used as a critical element for effective governance and to bring more tourists to India.

In a meeting with Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, Modi also sought the social media platform’s help in commemorating Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary year with special focus on cleanliness.

Terming his meeting with Sandberg “very fruitful”, Modi wrote on Facebook that its officials told him that India is a “very important country”, considering the high number of active users.

 “Being an avid user of social media myself, I talked about ways through which a platform such as Facebook can be used for governance and better interaction between the people and governments. I also talked about how Facebook can be used to bring more tourists to India,” he said.

Sandberg said Modi told her how he believes that direct communication with people all over the world is critical to effective governance.

“Digital diplomacy can change national and international dialogues and that is why Modi plans to champion the free and open Internet on the world stage,” Sandberg wrote in her post.

Sandberg is on a five-day visit to India and met Modi along with Facebook’s Global Public Policy vice-president Marne Levine and India Head of Public Policy Ankhi Das.