The Narendra Modi government, which has completed 12 years in office, will see a landmark on 10 June – on this day, PM Modi will surpass Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s record of 4398 consecutive days in office as PM on 10 June. PM took the oath as PM on 26 May 2014.
On 12 years of governance, PM said on Twitter on Monday: “Over the last 12 years, India has witnessed many transformations and at the core of these changes is the welfare of the poor and downtrodden. We have always been inspired by Antyodaya and our effort has always been to ensure that the benefits of development reach those who were left behind for decades. From Jan Dhan accounts and Direct Benefit Transfer to Swachh Bharat, PM Awas Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission, Ayushman Bharat and more, every initiative has been driven by a simple objective of ensuring people have dignity and opportunity.”
“It is also gladdening that technology has played a vital role in ensuring a better quality of life for the poor. Through Direct Benefit Transfer and digital platforms, support is reaching people directly and transparently. This has reduced leakages, improved efficiency and strengthened trust in governance. This is how the journey of furthering Garib Kalyan has become a collective movement towards human empowerment and realising our dream of a Viksit Bharat.”
PM Modi’s tenure has also been described as more of a change with continuity, rather than continuity with change, when compared to the Nehruvian years. Many well-informed pundits, however, say that it’s a complete break from the Nehruvian years, and that it marked an era that completely transformed India.
In the last twelve years, in the policy framework, there’s been a sea-change around entrepreneurship. In contrast to a licence-quote-permit mindset, the startup spirit has unleashed the entrepreneurial spirit of India. If every state today positions itself as the most-preferred destination for enterprises and startups, it’s Startup India, launched a decade ago, that gets the credit for bringing about a socio-cultural shift. Even tier two, tier three youth today also think about being job creators.
It’s said that “Antyodaya” defines a host of pro-poor welfare measures during the regime. Technology is being harnessed in governance -- like through direct benefit transfers.
The two mantras that are often invoked during the Modi years are “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas”, and “Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi”. It’s a call to take pride in the civilisational ethos, along with the forward march. Another slogan repeatedly invoked is “Ek Bharat, Sheshtha Bharat”. This is visible in a number of ways, including in policy pronouncements.
The abrogation of Article 370 and the Ram Temple at Ayodhya are among the most visible achievements of the government in the last one decade.
Economically speaking, a thrust on “aatmanirbharta”, or self-reliance, on the one hand, and a drive for FTAs, on the other hand, have been the hallmarks of economic governance of the last decade. This is particularly significant, given how fractured and tumultuous the world order is.
On the internal security front, moves are afoot to ensure that no stretch of the international border is porous any longer.
In international affairs, India has been positioned as a “vishwabandhu”, which can talk to warring sides. The G20 consensus under India’s leadership is often cited as an example of its success.
“Viskit Bharat”, an idea that was first enunciated in PM Modi's 2022 Independence Day speech, has shaped and influenced the policy framework in recent years, with many states aligning their vision documents with this long-term goal. |
