PM Modi's 20 years in Government: 20 landmark initiatives of Transformative Governance

PM Narendra Modi on Thursday completed 20 years as the head of a government, including 13 years as the Chief Minister of Gujarat & seven as the Prime Minister of India. During his tenure as the head of the government, not only did Prime Minister Narendra Modi strive hard to undo the errors of the past by abrogating Article 370 but also to chalk out a brighter future for the country by bringing about several policies, starting from Swachh Bharat Abhiyan to the National Education Policy, and Jal Jeevan Mission to the GST, that have had a demonstrable effect on how Indians live. Not just that, the government under PM Modi also hasn't shirked in aiming and aspiring for accomplishments of a global nature and scale, and sometimes even beyond that, navigating an ever-evolving set of challenges in doing so.

On the occasion of the completion of 20 years of PM Modi as the head of government, here are the 20 areas where his focus and determined approach is making a mark in changing the fortunes of a country as large, diverse, and politically active as India.

Dawn of a Naya Kashmir under PM Modi's leadership

The Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the landmark step of abrogating Article 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution on August 5, 2019. The pair of articles had granted the erstwhile state a 'special status' that had the reverse effect of driving a wedge between the people of Jammu and Kashmir and those in the rest of India in a variety of social and economic ways.  

Article 370 had ensured that the laws passed by the Indian Parliament are not automatically applicable to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, because of which the law and order situation was deteriorating with each passing day. On the other hand, Article 35A ensured that no Indian (from outside of Jammu & Kashmir) or foreign entity can own property in the state. This provision essentially stopped all outside investment in J&K. The two laws together embodied an undercurrent of legal separatism but with their abrogation, Jammu and Kashmir has become integrated with India.

Khelo India, literally & figuratively: India powers ahead in the realm of Sports

Under Prime Minister Modi the field of sports has witnessed a tectonic shift, especially in the way that the government supports athletes and the infrastructure that is provided to them; something that has been seen bearing fruit with the Indians bringing home the highest laurels in a range of sports. While as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, PM Modi had launched the one-of-a-kind 'Khel Mahakumbh' in 2010, after he took charge as the Prime Minister, his government took up a number of initiatives not only to push sportspersons to greater heights - such as instituting the Khelo India games to foster a spirit of competitiveness and high-performance at the inter-state level - but also to drive home a greater focus on sports and fitness for Indians in general via campaigns such as #FitIndia.

The Khelo India games have also been held at various age-specific levels, ensuring that there is a renewal of India's sports prowess at various levels, with upcoming athletes getting access to a higher level of infrastructure ad competition. The Prime Minister's personal touch in encouraging athletes, as was witnessed when he interacted with India's Olympic contingent before and after the Tokyo Olympics, was also widely appreciated. 

Fastest-growing major economy emerges from COVID with potential to power global growth  

Narendra Modi has never been one to shirk from taking up big and bold economic reforms. Having come into office after 13 years that saw the complete transformation of the state of Gujarat, with the much-touted 'Gujarat model' the buzz country-wide, he undertook a series of reforms that have resulted in India's Ease of Business Ranking improving markedly. The country rebounded from the uncertain days of the end of the UPA 2 when India had come to be considered one of the 'Fragile 5' economies, and witnessed a period when it was considered the world's fastest-growing major economy, even outpacing China. 

Perhaps the biggest economic reform under the Modi government so far has been the rollout of the GST, which made India 'one market' for goods and services by subsuming over a dozen different taxes and cesses charged by a variety of authorities and brought them all under one regime. When GST was implemented on July 1, 2017, such a common tax had not been rolled out at this scale at one time anywhere in the world, and over the proceeding years, the government has held numerous consultations with the states to further streamline GST. 

The Modi government also took the battle to the black money industry with its unprecedented step of demonetisation, which, when coupled with the 'JAM trinity' of Jan Dhan Yojana, Aadhaar and the proliferation of mobile phones, has resulted in a thriving fintech economy, which has gone a long way towards helping Indians sustain during the dark days of the COVID-imposed lockdown. 

Weeks before completing his 20th year as a head of government, the Prime Minister also chaired a crucial meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs which took huge decisions that have the effect of reforming the Telecom sector which has seen a boom in recent years. The same cabinet meeting also paved the way towards India becoming a hub for new and emerging technologies such as drones. On October 5, global investors service Moody's raised its outlook on India on the back of the economy witnessing 20% GDP growth in Q1 2021, after a COVID-impacted 2020, praising the diversity of the Indian economy and its ability to withstand shocks and risks. It also flagged that foreign exchange reserves were at an all-time high, while India's exports for the year till September 21, 2021, stood at a massive $185 billion.

PM Modi govt's 'water for all' mission, each home to get tap water by 2024

Water has for years been a key agenda for Narendra Modi, right since his days as Gujarat CM. He endeavoured to boost the state's water table at a time when its rivers used to be empty for large parts of the year, taking up massive projects such as the Sardar Sarovar Dam and ensuring that there was a free flow and availabilty of water year-round. This same focus on water has been evident during his time at the Centre as well, with his prioritisation of the clean-up of the Ganga and other rivers, as well as the historic establishment of the Jal Shakti Ministry a testament to this.

His government launched the Jal Jeevan Mission under the Jal Shakti Ministry which aims to provide adequate and safe drinking water to each household in rural India via tap connections by 2024, and sets an example for transparency in delivering on its promises by operating a real-time dashboard on the number of household tap-water connections and offering a range of data in this regard.

Others schemes such as the groundwater-targeted Atal Bhujal Yojana aim to raise the water table in multiple states, whereas allied schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana incentivise investment aimed at improving irrigation systems.

PM Modi govt's vision of sparking a 'digital revolution' in India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has had a razor focus on driving the digital revolution in India through the clinical and systematic implementation of “Digital India”. From making digital payments the norm to achieving internet connectivity for all to the recent announcement of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission initiative, PM Modi has ensured that electronic and digital services of government, and beyond, are available to citizens across the country. In the last 20 years, at the Centre and state level, PM Modi has ensured that Indians— no matter which part of the country are— are digitally empowered. In that, PM Modi has used technology to strengthen Indian democracy by directly empowering each citizen.

Modi govt's efforts to beat COVID-19 pandemic 

Prime Minister Modi led from the front in ensuring India took monumental steps to swiftly enhance healthcare in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The PM’s personal intervention, supervision and leadership at each stage of the Pandemic was visible to the world with his constant interaction with Covid warriors, healthcare workers, scientists and vaccine developers. The vaccination rate in India is at a record high and as of today, India’s COVAXIN is being exported to other countries, with different variants in the works, including in the form factor of a nasal spray.

READ | PM Modi Hails Doctors, Scientists: 'India Holding World's Largest COVID Vaccine Drive'

PM Modi's 'Electricity For All' mission: Launched in Gujarat, implemented across India 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Electricity For All' mission was launched in Gujarat. In 2017, during his first term as Prime Minister, PM Modi had announced a historic scheme on the birth anniversary celebrations of Deendayal Upadhyay. Pegged then at an approximate Rs. 16320 crore, the scheme was envisioned to provide free electricity for more than 4 crore households. On 28 April 2018, the PM tweeted about the fulfilment of his promise. 

PM Modi govt's 'UDAN' initiative eyes air travel for all; targets 400 airports

PM Modi had flagged off the scheme, which put the focus on regional air connectivity, in 2017. The UDAN initiative aims to provide affordable air travel to all, encapsulated by the Prime Minister's assurance that 'those wearing hawai chappal will also fly aboard hawai jahaz'. The initiative has set a target to connect tier 2 and 3 cities by air, and to construct 400 airports. The UDAN scheme has its own characteristic moniker - Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik - and has a deeper economic motive, of turning India's smaller cities and towns into growth engines while catering to the aspirations of the people of India.

From Ujjwala to Ayushman scheme: PM Modi’s transformative governance puts focus on health and social security for all

The Modi government has launched a number of schemes and reforms that are directly or indirectly targeted at raising the overall health and well-being of Indians. The biggest scheme to directly focus on health is the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, which is a national health insurance fund that provides free health insurance coverage to the needy - the largest of its kind in the world. 

There are other marquee schemes as well that hold incredible relevance to the health of citizens, such as the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, which apart from fostering a societal spirit of cleanliness also aims to end open defecation and construct toilets in every home, while the Jal Jeevan Mission targets the provision of safe and clean drinking water and the Ujjwala Yojana aims to provide homes with gas cylinders to spare the women of the house the danger of inhaling smoke from wood-fires.

Through his 20 uninterrupted years in Government, PM Modi has continually put the focus on social welfare and democratising healthcare for all. From 2014 to 2018 alone, the social security cover of Indians increased approximately 10 times to reach 50 crore Indians.

India's foreign policy places it at a focal point in global affairs

India's foreign policy has witnessed major successes under PM Modi's government. From becoming the first Prime Minister of India to visit Israel to forging close ties with a number of key allies including three successive US Presidents, Narendra Modi has emerged as a cornerstone of global diplomacy in an ever-evolving landscape, managing to keep India unaligned while maintaining its position as moral leader internationally. This was abundantly the case in September 2021 during his 4th address to the UNGA when he spoke astutely about the plight of the Afghan people, of Pakistan's terrorism and China's Expansionism, and of the need for the UN to take action to ensure its own relevance.

From swarming crowds at Madison Square Garden to keeping the momentum at the Howdy Modi event in Houston, from his historic event at Wembley Arena in London to his groundbreaking visits to Russia and Central Asia — PM Modi has ensured that India hass an equal voice at every forum and meeting. His personal connect with world leaders along with his uncompromising nature when it comes to India’s interests has ensured that PM Modi has changed the way foreign policy has evolved in India. Strategically, through forums like G-7 and BRICS, PM Modi has consistently ensured that the world listens to the roaring voice of India as the emerging superpower.

PM Modi govt's mega infrastructure push: An enabler & driver of economic growth

The Modi government's policy on infrastructure being an enabler as well as a driver of economic growth & employment cannot be overlooked. Since 2014, initiatives and developmental works have been taken up at a war footing, in existing domains such as the construction of roads and bridges and the generation of clean power, and also in burgeoning areas such as waterways, smart cities and others.

Connectivity has been a prime focus for the Modi government, with extreme engineering projects being taken up to build bridges, tunnels, expressways, bypasses, airports, monorails, railways, multi-modal terminals. There are examples of each of these, such as the Atal Tunnel that connects Leh and Himachal Pradesh, the Bogibeel Rail bridge which is India's longest and goes a long way to improving connectivity in the North-East, that boggle the mind for their scale. A number of these were undertakings of previous dispensations, often stuck in limbo for years before being renewed under the Modi government. 

Other mega projects are also on the anvil, such as the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet train, while the cycle of initiating and commissioning smaller yet meaningful projects continues apace. One of the key recent initiatives of the Modi government towards infrastructure is the National Monetisation Pipeline, which aims at private sector participation in revitalising public sector entities, which could have a massive impact in raising the standards and operability of India's infrastructure via structural reform going forward.

PM Modi’s Focus on Education Sector: Big reform, long overdue

One of the landmark reforms of the Modi government towards education has been the implementation of the National Education Policy. The NEP revised a policy that had prevailed for over three decades - an aeon in when one considers the digital revolution and globalisation the world has witnessed in that timeframe. The NEP reforms school education into a more global format, eschewing the rigid 10+2 model Indians are familiar with in favour of a more structured 5+3+3+4 model, where there is more scope for a multi-disciplinary approach and less pressure on children to perform in all-important board exams. 

Similarly, for higher education, the NEP envisions a common SAT-like test, a preference for 4-year Bachelors degree, greated autonomy to colleges, and an opening up of the industry for glocalisation, wherein global institutions come to India and top Indian institutions are encouraged to branch out abroad. During his Independence Day address of 2021, PM Modi from the ramparts of the Red Fort said, “ I consider the new National Education Policy a means to fight against poverty. Today, the country has a new National Education Policy to meet the needs of the 21st century.” 

Apart from this, the Prime Minister has made it a focus area to more effectively democratise education and access to it, flagging off the expansion of India's most prestigious institutions, such as IITs and AIIMS, to even more parts of the country.

PM Modi's emphasis on 'Cooperative Federalism' redraws Centre-State ties

With the establishment of NITI Aayog as one of his landmark early moves since taking office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi replaced the bureaucratic-socialist pattern, where the Centre occupied a 'big brother' position with a team India model where states took initiative with the central government in an 'advisory' role. Chief Ministers were made heads of task forces which put forth to the Centre what they would want in their states.

Cooperative federalism has been evident through the multiple consultations of the GST Council, both before and after its rollout, with the Union Finance Minister regularly conferring with counterparts from across states which also has the effect of opening doors for deliberations on other economic matters. The same cooperative federalism was on show during the COVID pandemic, as the Centre was decisive with its lockdown policies and then allowed states to open up depending on the situation they witnessed on the ground, keeping in mind the need to keep the economy running while people stayed safe. When the second wave hit and India faced a vaccine crunch, the Centre once again took the lead, relieving the states of the task of securing vaccine supply and instead giving them free rein on disbursal.

The cooperation mandate was further bolstered with the appointment of Amit Shah as the first Minister of Cooperation, with the central government making a huge statement of intent and placing faith in its wheel-and-spoke model. Addressing a meeting of the NITI Aayog in February 2021, PM Modi said, "Foundation of India's development is that the Centre and States work together and head towards a certain direction and make cooperative federalism even more meaningful. Not only this, we have to try to bring competitive, cooperative federalism not only among states but also districts.”  

Reforms & Modernisation hallmarks of Defence Sector under PM Modi

The PM Narendra Modi-led government has remained steadfast and clear about India's precarious geo-strategic situation, with a hostile and belligerent Pakistan on one side and an expansionist and covetous China on the other. With the need to plan for a two-front scenario firmly in mind, the Modi government has taken up a set of reforms and embarked on a modernisation that will vastly strengthen India's defence position.

Reforms have included the OROP (One Rank One Pension), which had been a demand of retired servicemen for years but wasn't granted because no government before this appeared ready to bite the economic bullet, as well as the establishment of the post of the CDS (Chief of Defence Staff), which aims at greater interoperability and coordination between the three armed forces services.

The Armed Forces of India have also embarked upon an almost generational modernisation, with a focus on Aatmanirbharta and 'Make In India'. From guns and bullets to tanks and submarines, India's days as an importer of fully-built defence equipment are on the wane, and the time that it emerges as an exporter of high-tech defence equipment isn't far. The Navy, Army and Air Force are witnessing the induction of indigenous aircraft carriers like the INS Vikrant, submarines like the Kalvari and aircraft such as the HAL LCA 'Tejas', along with tanks and artillery. 

The Prime Minister has also led by example in terms of the most important facet of any defence force - morale. The two biggest instances of this are his insistence to spend each Diwali with the Jawans, and his momentous unannounced personal appearance at Eastern Ladakh after the Galwan clash, as he sent a message to China from what is very much India's territory, holding and defending the moral, physical and strategic higher ground.  

PM Modi & India the world's best bets against Climate Change?

With experience from Gujarat - the first state to establish a climate change department, PM Narendra Modi came to Delhi and initiated a transformation in the climate change-related departments like Power and Coal, Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy, Transport & others to gear them up for not only climate change, but climate action. The landmark moves by the Modi government, and the Prime Minister personally in this regard, have been the earmarking of a hard renewable energy target for India - initially 150 GW since raised to 450 GW - which has become a global talking point, to spearheading the signing of the Paris Climate Accord at COP21 by over 100 countries, setting a hard target for restricting temperature rise.

It is not a stretch to say that the Modi government's climate change initiatives have the world heaving a sigh of relief, as India's status as a developing nation with a very large population has the potential to completely turn the battle against climate change on its head, including in terms of climate change politics. However, with India leading the charge, nations in similar stages of development have one fewer argument - they can no longer pose the question 'Developed nations have burned plenty of fossil fuels, why not us?' Even from a technological standpoint, India is quickly becoming the setting for the largest solar plants in the world, showcasing how the greatest source of energy of them all can be more efficiently tapped. Smaller policies have also been adjusted to focus on the environment, such as the incentivisation of Electric Vehicles and research in domains like Hydrogen Fuel Cells. 

Swachh Bharat Mission: PM Modi Govt's cleanliness campaign to combat challenges of rural & urban India 

"Kya humara desh swachh nahi ho sakta?" was the question PM Modi asked in his first speech from the ramparts of Red Fort as he announced that the Swachh Bharat Mission would be launched. Come October 2, 2014, on the day of the launch, as the country remembered Mahatma Gandhi, for the first time in the history of India a Prime Minister was seen cleaning the roads of the country with a broom in his hand.

Two-fold goals were aligned - an effort to bring in a social culture of cleanliness which can only really be fostered within individuals, and the setting up of initiatives to end open defecation by building toilets en-masse and methodologies to better manage solid waste. 

After massive achievements in tackling not just the mindset of Indians vis-a-vis cleanliness but also seeing on ground changes with India processing over 1 lakh tonnes of waste daily, which is 70 percent as opposed to 20 percent pre Swachh Bharat, PM Modi has now announced Swachh Bharat 2.0. The second phase of the initiative will focus on garbage-free cities. 

From Sarovar Dam to Central Vista: PM Modi's vision for grand projects 

It's not only about grand structures - it's about ecosystems & functionality. From the Sardar Sarovar Dam and the colossal Statue of Unity, to the upcoming Central Vista new Parliament complex in the heart of Delhi, certain projects led by the Narendra Modi government are likely to stand the test of time, becoming symbols of India as it surges forward. There is more than an element of aspiration to them - many appear as fantasy, and yet the teams working towards these soldier on, one challenge at a time, one breakthrough after another.

Two examples of unimaginably complex undertakings that are being worked on as we speak are the Gaganyaan mission - to send an Indian into space on an Indian mission and return safely back to Earth, and the Bullet Train Project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Along the way these projects are likely to see huge challenges, but recent successes in taking on the world's biggest challenges, whether they be building the world's biggest statue or launching the world's biggest vaccination drive, give Indians the opportunity to dream. 

'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao': PM Modi govt's exemplary vision for women's empowerment

Putting Indian women and the Indian girl child first has been at the top of PM Modi’s governance model. Whether his government’s vocal support for the abolition of triple talaq to PM Modi’s personal involvement in ensuring that the young girls in India get equal opportunity and education through various schemes— PM Modi has ensured that government policy is ensured to put India’s women first.

PM Modi's far-reaching thought for the education, health and all-around development of the daughters of India was seen in Gujarat when he was the Chief Minister, and continued to be seen as he took over the office of Prime Minister of India. Over the years, PM Modi who is a worshipper of Shakti has put the welfare of daughters on a priority in his policies, and 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' is a manifestation of this that tackles the problem at its core - the need for emancipation. 

PM Modi's 's 'Minimum Government, Maximum Governance': Over 1500 obsolete laws removed

'Minimum Government, Maximum Governance' has been the Modi Mantra in action. PM Modi before coming to power had promised that for every new law, 10 obsolete laws will be scrapped. In line with the promise, in the past seven years, the Modi government has eliminated over 1,500 obsolete laws, which led to the ease of living, the ease of doing business, and transformative reforms. 

Further on from the abolishment of obsolete laws, PM Modi has also championed the adoption of technology for the process of governance at a breakneck pace. Leveraging India's incredible mobile-phone penetration, a range of basic services are now available with minimal fuss via the Internet, with the masses incentivised and encouraged to adopt them. Whether it be the CoWIN platform for COVID vaccinations, or the Jan Dhan Yojana, or UPI, or the still in-development I-T platform, there is little doubt that Indians' lives are being made easier, they are becoming more computer literate, and scope for corruption in daily life is being lessened with each of these initiatives.

India's infra growth catalyzed under PM Modi through massive development push

The pace of India's development has been catalyzed under PM Modi's rapid infrastructural projects lined up one after the other. Some big projects that were moving at snail's space were fast-tracked by PM Modi such as the Zojila bridge, the Atal Tunnel and others. 

In August 2021, PM Modi had announced that his government would implement a whopping $1.35 trillion national infrastructure plan, which would come as a major boost to the Indian economy. It is a question of efficiency and structure