Mumbai: As the Narendra Modi government completes one year in power, here is the chronology of events that highlights the successes and failure of the NDA government.
Rise to Power: The 2014 General Elections took a decisive turn on May 16. The resounding victory of NDA saw the fall of Nehru-Gandhi dynasty. The seismic political shift illustrated that people believed in NAMO and the BJP.
Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) created history by winning 282 seats, an achievement that was hugely attributed to Modi’s persona and appeal to the common man. On 26th of May Narendra Modi was sworn in as the 15th Prime Minister of India along with his cabinet at a ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Modi-Sharif Meet: On the very first day in office, PM Modi met Pakistan's leader Nawaz Sharif. Since the rupture in Indo-Pak relations from 2008, this was the first time that an Indian PM had invited a Pakistani leader for an official meeting in the capital. The iconic ‘handshake’ made headlines and smiling pictures of both leaders flooded newspapers.
Golden Day in Indian Navy History: This day was registered as the golden chapter of India's maritime security, when PM Modi launched INS Vikramaditya, India's largest warship and made a pitch for making India self-reliant on manufacturing and developing defence equipment.
Modi's foreign visits:
Bhutan- PM Modi visited Bhutan on his first visit abroad as the country’s Prime Minister. Modi laid the founding stone of Kholonghu Hydroelectric project and recalled the free trade agreement between the two nations for expansion of bilateral trade.
BRICS Summit- PM Modi addressed the five nations Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICs) at the BRICS summit and discussed zero tolerance against terrorism with other countries.
Nepal- His second visit to India's neighbour- Nepal, exemplified his focus on SAARC countries for the development of foreign policies. On his next visit to Kathmandu for SAARC summit, he addressed the issue of terrorism in the presence of Pakistani leader Nawaz Sharif.
US- Modi's US visit marked a new development in strengthening Indo-US relations. Modi invited foreign investment for development by his pet project ‘Make in India’. Modi highlighted that US was an integral part of ‘Look East, Link West Policy' and pitched to reform United Nation Security Council by this year.
Three Nation Tour: The three-nation tour by the PM was marked by several high points, India signed a deal with France for supply of 36-Rafale jets, Canada signed a deal to supply uranium to India and PM promoted the ‘Make in India' project in Germany.
China- India and China signed 24 agreements such as cooperation in field of tourism, agreement between Doordarshan and CCTV, space cooperation outline, cooperation between the foreign ministry and Central Committee of Communist Party in China, establishment of sister cities between Karnataka and Sichuan, etc. The agreements are estimated to be worth around 10 billion dollars.
Mongolia & South Korea- Recently, PM Modi visited Mongolia and professed it as a vital part of India's ‘Act East Policy’. In his last visit to South Korea, Modi signed seven agreements formulating national security of the two nations.
Modi media savvy: Prime Minister Narendra Modi clearly seems to follow the popular photo culture. A selfie with Chinese Premier Li keqiang, a tight bear hug enveloping US President barrack Obama, posing with broom to highlight the ‘Clean India Campaign’, were trending all over social media. Each and every major moment of Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister of India has been documented and well promoted.
Modi is one of India's most social media-savvy politicians and understand the power and potential of a good photograph.
Modi’s roadmap for development:
Clean Ganga Project: The Water Resources Ministry last year took up ‘The Clean Ganga Project' and promised the nation to deliver a pollution-free river. The department also assured that it would regenerate the biodiversity of the water body. Rs 20,000 crores was allotted for the project, but the project seems to be progressing at snail's pace. If this project turns out to be fruitful, it will be one of biggest achievements of the Modi government.
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: 'The Clean India Movement' was announced by PM Modi, with a vision to ensure sanitation and cleanliness on Indian streets. Taking a cue from the viral Ice Bucket challenge, Modi nominated celebrities to become a part of the initiative. Though the intent seemed clear at first, the project came under criticism for not dealing with the basic problem at hand-changing the mindset of the common man. The Opposition heavily critiqued the Modi govt for using the initiative as a ‘photo-op’ opportunity.
Assembly Elections: 2014 was a highly successful year for BJP with a landslide win in the state elections of Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir (post poll alliance with the PDP), Haryana, Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. However, Aam Aadmi Party defeated BJP in the national capital with a humongous margin, forcing the party to self-introspect and deal with Arvind Kejriwal’s rising popularity.
Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao: In order to end child discrimination across the country, PM Modi launched Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao programme. The programme focused on putting an end to female foeticide and promote education among girls. The government of India supports the girl child financially by paying money on the installment basis to the family for her upliftment and education. The whole process is under the supervision of the tehsil supervisor.
Even after the programme was launched, the families in remote areas of India are not aware of the programme and many girls are still deprived of this initiative. Villages Patalkot and Dhodhakhapa in the state of Madhya Pradesh are such examples.
Rail Budget: The railway budget allocated money to pending projects for speedy completion. A higher amount was allocated for the cleanliness of trains and platforms. It also introduced few amenities for the passengers such as e-catering, a mobile app for booking. The government also encouraged Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the railway sector and decided to build bullet trains and other modern facilities for safety and convenience of the passenger.
Though all these promises were made not much is done for the development of the Railway sector. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu still needs to deliver on promises made by the Modi government.
Jaitley's first Union Budget: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's Budget had both ups and downs. The budget abolished wealth tax and there was an increase in service tax. Jaitley introduced a national craft programme called "Ustaad" for the minority community, though many schemes in the budget are believed to be adapted from the former regime.
Land Acquisition Bill: The Modi's version of Land Acquisition Bill has been in controversy for a very long time. Changes in the bill have been criticized by the Opposition, especially the Congress. On several occasions, Rahul Gandhi has dubbed the bull as ‘industry friendly’ and ‘anti-farmer’.
Indo-Bangladesh Land Boundary Bill: The Parliament passed the Land Boundary Bill and praised Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj. The agreement allows the exchange of lands, which are enclave in each other's territory and redraw borders. This bill is also a step towards improving the ties between the two nations.
PM Modi completes a year today, with approval from some quarters and criticism from some, for his leadership and his government. The NDA government has still got four years to improve and work towards the betterment of the nation and fulfil their promises to the nation.
