Narendra Modi’s 23 years in public office | Latest India News

Modi’s journey from a three-year term as Gujarat chief minister to a two-year term as India’s prime minister (he is now in his third term) has been marked by bold initiatives, technological leaps and a rethinking of India’s place on the international stage.

Insiders in his method of governance say that Modi saw citizen engagement as the key to progress, an approach expressed by the prime minister as Jan Bhagidari – involving citizens in the governance process – so that development initiatives turn into mass movements, or Jan Andolan.

It was this fundamental principle that helped Modi first bring about sweeping changes in many areas of Gujarat, which before 2001 had been struggling with severe water and electricity shortages while its economy stagnated, and later across India, which was caught in the middle. a technological revolution sweeping the world and a global order turned upside down by conflict, pandemic and trade disruptions.

Modi’s rise to national leadership was based on his tenure in Gujarat, where he introduced a series of reforms that became known as the “Gujarat model”. This approach, focusing on infrastructure development, investor-friendly policies and effective governance, became the blueprint for his national agenda.

One of the cornerstones of Modi’s legacy in Gujarat was the Sujalam Sufalam Yojana, a comprehensive water management project that transformed a water-scarce state into a water-surplus state. This initiative laid the foundation for the national Jal Jeevan Mission, which aims to provide piped water connections to all rural households in rural areas by 2024.

Read more: Narendra Modi celebrates 23 years of leadership with focus on ‘John Bhagidari’

Similarly, the Jyotigram Yojana, which provided 24/7 power supply to all 18,000 villages in Gujarat, became a model for the national Saubhagya program that aims for universal household electrification.

As Prime Minister Modi, who turned 74 last month, has placed a strong emphasis on digital transformation and technological progress, efforts to increase production and self-reliance (or Aatmanirbharta), have focused on India’s villages and the well-being of farmers, placed a heavy emphasis on water conservation and initiatives to improve public health and sanitation.

Significant economic reforms included the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in 2017. The “one nation, one tax” system simplified India’s complex tax structure, although its implementation was not without challenges.

The ‘Make in India’ initiative, launched in 2014, aimed to transform India into a global manufacturing hub. While the program has produced mixed results, it has contributed to increased foreign direct investment (FDI) and improved ease of doing business rankings.

In response to the economic challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, Modi launched the Atmanirbhar Bharat (Reliant India) campaign in 2020. This initiative, coupled with production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes for 14 key sectors, aims to boost domestic manufacturing and reduce import dependence.

To support these goals, the government has launched production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes for 14 key sectors by investing ₹1.97 lakh crore. These efforts are believed to have contributed to India’s economic growth, with the country’s GDP increasing and foreign direct investment reaching new levels.

For example, the Digital India Mission has increased internet access and digital skills across the country. The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has revolutionized digital transactions, positioning India as a leader in real-time payments and offering a payment method for several countries in the Global South without having to rely on international payment aggregators.

Digital India also played a key role in the government’s financial inclusion efforts, which improved with the opening of 533 million bank accounts by the Prime Minister Jan Dhan Yojana. India’s poverty rate has fallen from 55.1% in 2005 to 16.4% in 2021, lifting 415 million people out of poverty.

The digital push also includes StartUp India, which has created a vibrant startup ecosystem with over 140,000 entities recognized as startups, creating over 1.5 million direct jobs.

Another key area of ​​concern for Modi was the issue of sanitation. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, a nationwide cleanliness drive, draws inspiration from the Nirmal Gujarat initiative. The nationwide campaign reportedly led to the construction of over 116.8 million household toilets, and the government declared all Indian villages defecation-free.

Rural development has seen significant progress, with Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi supporting 110 million farmers and the Jal Jeevan Mission providing tap water to almost 78% of rural homes.

Modi’s governance philosophy, based on “Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi” (development and heritage), aimed to balance cultural preservation with modern development. Projects such as the renovation of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor and the construction of the Ram Mandir, as well as the over 640 artifacts returned to India during Modi’s tenure, exemplify the administration’s focus on these areas,

When it comes to environmental protection, initiatives like Van Mahotsav and Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam promote tree planting and environmental protection. The Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign has led to the plantation of 800 million saplings across the country.

Internationally, Modi launched the Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) movement at COP26, encouraging individuals and communities to adopt sustainable practices to combat climate change.

Jan Bhagidari’s approach has been a constant in Modi’s plans and the Prime Minister has come up with several slogans to motivate people in his last ten years as Prime Minister.

For example, the Prime Minister often advocated “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Aur Sabka Prayas (Support of all, Development of all, Confidence of all and Effort of all), he believes that there should be “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance” that the administration must “reform, implement and transform” and India should “Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (One India, Greater India).

Governance reforms included eliminating more than 1,200 outdated regulations and reducing 39,000 regulations to streamline administration.

The earliest of these slogans included “Swachh Bharat (Clean India)” and “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” (Save the girl child, educate the girl child).

Today, Modi uses another key slogan – ‘Viksit Bharat’ – to express a vision for the country’s future with long-term goals of development and improving its position in the world.

This vision assumes that India will complete 100 years as an independent country in 2047, by which time it is hoped that the country will achieve the status of a developed nation.