A packed auditorium in Dehradun, a Chief Minister on the dais, and a question on every intellectual's lips: what does a 'developed Uttarakhand' actually look like by 2047? Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami answered that at the 'Raibar Uttarakhand @26: Mission 2047' programme held at the IRDT Auditorium, Dehradun on Sunday, 15 November 2026, engaging a room full of academics, entrepreneurs, social workers, and citizens in a wide-ranging dialogue on the state's development blueprint.

Development that reaches the last person in line

Dhami opened with a framing that sets the tone for everything his government is building toward: development cannot stop at GDP. 'The goal of a developed Uttarakhand is not limited to economic progress alone,' he said, listing social justice, women's empowerment, youth opportunity, better education and healthcare, strong infrastructure, environmental conservation, and a strengthened local economy as equally non-negotiable pillars. The model, he stressed, must be tailored to Uttarakhand's unique geography, culture, and social conditions — and its benefits must reach, in his words, the last person in society (समाज के अंतिम व्यक्ति). The framing directly echoes India's national Viksit Bharat 2047 framework, which sets the centenary of independence as a horizon for inclusive, high-quality growth.

UCC: What Uttarakhand's historic first actually means on the ground

Uttarakhand made national history when its Assembly passed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill in February 2024 — the first Indian state to enact such a law after independence. At Raibar, Dhami walked the audience through how the legislation was built: consultations with legal experts, stakeholder groups, social organisations, and ordinary citizens before a draft was finalised and the full legislative process completed. The UCC's core purpose, he said, is to guarantee equal rights and an equal legal framework for every citizen regardless of religion or personal law.

Practically, the code introduces streamlined registration of marriages and divorces, a ban on polygamy, and strengthened protections for women's rights. Dhami described it as 'an important step toward strengthening women's honour, dignity, and self-reliance' — a signal that the government frames the reform as a gender-equity measure at least as much as a legal-uniformity one.

House of Himalayas: Putting Uttarakhand's forests and fields on the global shelf

The Chief Minister highlighted the House of Himalayas brand — launched around 2023 — as the state's bid to turn local produce into a globally recognised identity. The initiative consolidates production, quality standards, packaging, marketing, and market access for products from self-help groups (SHGs), farmers, women entrepreneurs, and local producers under a single umbrella brand. Dhami said the platform is generating new employment and self-employment in rural areas while giving producers a better price for their goods — a direct answer to the decades-old problem of middlemen eroding hill farmers' margins.

38th National Games and the new sports policy

Uttarakhand's hosting of the 38th National Games earned a prominent mention as evidence of the state's rising organisational and infrastructure muscle. The CM called it 'a great achievement that displayed the state's sports capabilities, infrastructure, and organisational efficiency at the national level.' A new sports policy is now directing investment toward playgrounds, stadiums, and training centres across the state. Notably, athletes who win medals at national and international competitions will now be eligible for government service positions — a concrete incentive designed to keep talented young athletes from leaving the state.

Apple Mission and the horticulture bet

Rounding out the development picture, Dhami spoke about agriculture and horticulture — sectors where the mountains are an asset, not an obstacle. Uttarakhand's terrain is naturally suited to high-value fruits, medicinal plants, and aromatic crops. The state's Apple Mission is specifically promoting modern apple cultivation techniques to lift farmer incomes beyond what traditional crops allow. The government is actively steering farmers toward higher-yield, higher-income alternatives while preserving traditional practices.

Raibar 2047 was not a press conference — it was a public intellectual reckoning with what the next two decades must deliver. The harder test, as always, lies in converting auditorium commitments into hill-district realities.