Prime Minister Narendra Modi turns 75 this year. This birthday is a significant milestone. It is an opportunity to look back on his career. This period is often called the “Modi years”. We will explore the important milestones of the Modi years that shaped modern India. These events cover politics, economy, national security and social welfare.
Who is Narendra Modi? A short journey
Before becoming Prime Minister, Narendra Modi had a long political career. He started as a full-time worker or ‘pracharak’ for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist organisation. His early work was in social service. For example, he worked in relief work during the Morbi dam disaster in Gujarat in 1979.
In the 1980s, he officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He helped the party grow in his home state of Gujarat.
In 2001, Modi became the Chief Minister of Gujarat. He held the post for over 12 years until 2014. His time as Chief Minister was known for two main things. The first was the “Gujarat Model” of development. This model focused on building infrastructure, attracting businesses and improving administrative efficiency. The second was the Gujarat riots of 2002, a period of widespread violence. This is a controversial part of his legacy. However, his leadership in Gujarat made him a prominent national figure in the BJP.
Milestone 1 : 2014 Elections – A Political Shift
The 2014 general election was a turning point in Indian history. Previously, India had coalition governments for 30 years. That meant no one party had a majority to rule the country. They used to form alliances with small parties. That slowed decision-making.
Narendra Modi took the BJP on a strong campaign. He vowed development, good government and corruption-free India. History was made in the outcome. The BJP secured a decisive majority in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian parliament.
For the first time after 1984, one party secured a clear majority. This was a change in Indian politics. This was the turning of the country from coalition government to single-party government. This majority gave Prime Minister Modi the authority to make large, decisive decisions.
In 2019, he returned with another win for the BJP. The party, this time, had more seats. This second win confirmed his political supremacy. This demonstrated that his leadership and policies were still popular in much of the country.
Milestone 2: Major Economic and Structural Reforms
Modi’s tenure was perhaps best known for its major economic reforms. The government aimed to formalize and digitize the Indian economy.
Demonetization (2016)
This was one of the most abrupt and shocking steps. On November 8, 2016, the government announced that all 500 and 1000 rupee notes were no longer legal tender. This happened with a few hours’ notice. 86% of the cash in India was made up of these two notes.
The aim was to fight black money, stop counterfeit currency and eliminate terrorist funding. The move was very disruptive. People had to stand in long queues at banks to exchange their old notes. This led to a short-term cash crunch and affected many small businesses. This is one of the most controversial phases of the Modi years.
Goods and Services Tax (GST) (2017)
This was a major structural reform. Before GST, India had a complex tax system. Each state had its own taxes, such as VAT, cess and service tax. This made it difficult to do business across states. Every time a truck crossed a state border, it was like crossing a new country.
The government rolled out GST on July 1, 2017. GST replaced 17 different central and state taxes. This created a single, unified tax for the entire country. The idea was “one nation, one tax”. This reform made it much easier to transport and sell goods across India. This brought more businesses into the formal tax system.
The JAM Trinity (Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Mobile)
This was not a single event but a fundamental strategy. The government tried to connect three things for every Indian:
Jan Dhan: A basic, no-frills bank account for every citizen.
Aadhaar: A unique 12-digit biometric identification number.
Mobile: A mobile phone.
This JAM Trinity created a digital framework for the entire country. This allowed the government to identify people and send them money directly.
Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)
The JAM Trinity made DBT possible. Earlier, the government gave subsidies (like for food or gas) through intermediaries. This system had a lot of “leakage” in it, i.e. corruption. Most of the money never reached the poor.
Through DBT, the government now transfers subsidy money directly to an individual’s Jan Dhan bank account. This system uses Aadhaar to identify the individual. This has saved the government billions of dollars by reducing corruption.
Unified Payments Interface (UPI)
Based on this digital push, the government launched UPI. UPI is a real-time payment system. It allows you to send money from your bank account to someone else’s account instantly, just using a mobile app.
Today, UPI has been a huge success. From big malls to small tea shops, millions of Indians use it every day. It has made digital payments easy, free and secure.
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) (2016)
This was a major reform for banks and big businesses. Before IBC, if a large company failed to repay its bank loans (called “bad loans” or NPAs), it was very difficult for banks to recover their money. The legal process took years.
IBC created a new, time-bound process. If a company cannot repay its loans, this law helps in the early sale of the company or its assets. This allows banks to recover their money faster. This has helped in cleaning up the banking system.
Self-reliant India (Swavalamban Bharat)
The government started this dream during the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal is to make India a self-reliant nation. This means producing more of our own goods, from electronics to military equipment.
A key part of this is the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. This scheme rewards companies (both Indian and foreign) that set up factories in India and increase their production.
Milestone 3: National Security and Foreign Policy
The Modi government has also taken a more assertive approach to national security and foreign policy.
Article 370 abrogation (2019)
This was a major domestic political move. Article 370 of the Constitution granted special autonomous status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
In August 2019, the government revoked this special status. It divided the state into two new union territories: Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The move fulfilled a long-standing promise of the BJP. It fully integrated the region into the Indian Union. The move was welcomed by many but strongly criticized by others.
New stance on terrorism
There was a clear shift in the government’s response to terrorism. Following the Uri terror attack in 2016, the Indian Army carried out “surgical strikes” across the Line of Control in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Again, following the Pulwama terror attack in 2019, the Indian Air Force carried out airstrikes on a terrorist training camp in Balakot, inside Pakistan. These actions signal a new “aggressive defense” policy.
G20 Presidency (2023)
India held the presidency of the G20, a grouping of the world’s 20 largest economies. The government held meetings across the country throughout the year. The G20 Leaders’ Summit held in New Delhi in September 2023 was the main event.
The event was projected as India’s “maturity” on the global stage. The “New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration” was a major achievement. All members, including Russia, China and Western countries, agreed to this joint statement.
“Vaccine Friendship” (Vaccine Friendship)
During the Covid-19 pandemic, India used its large vaccine-making capacity. Under the “Vaccine Friendship” initiative, India sent millions of free and subsidized COVID-19 vaccines to over 100 countries. This action enhanced India’s reputation as a “friend of the world”.
Milestone 4: Major Welfare Schemes
A key part of the milestones in the Modi year is a new model of welfare. This model focuses on providing basic necessities directly to households.
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission) (2014)
The Prime Minister launched this campaign on his first Independence Day. The main goal was to make India “Open Defecation Free” (ODF) by 2019.
The campaign led to the construction of over 10 crore toilets in rural India. It was a major campaign to improve sanitation and hygiene.
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (2016)
This scheme targets poor households, especially in rural areas. It provides free LPG (cooking gas) connections to women in these households.
Earlier, many women used to cook on wood stoves. This led to air pollution and serious health problems in the home. The objective of Ujjwala Yojana was to improve the health of women and protect the environment.
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (2020)
The government launched this scheme during the COVID-19 lockdown. It is a major food security programme. It provides 5 kg of free food grains (wheat or rice) to over 80 crore poor people every month. This is in addition to their regular subsidized food ration. The scheme helped prevent widespread hunger during the economic lockdown.
COVID-19 Management
Managing the pandemic was a major challenge. There were two main phases of the government’s response. The first was a strict nationwide lockdown in March 2020. This was done to reduce the spread of the virus and increase health capacity.
The second was a large-scale vaccination campaign. India carried out one of the largest and fastest vaccination programs in the world. It administered over 2 billion doses to its citizens.
5th Milestone: Cultural and Infrastructure Milestones
Finally, there has been a strong focus on infrastructure and cultural projects during Modi’s tenure.
Ram Temple in Ayodhya (2024)
The inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya in January 2024 was a defining cultural event. The temple was built on a site that had been the subject of a long and complex dispute. For the BJP and its supporters, the programme was the fulfilment of a key ideological promise.
A massive infrastructure boost
The government has spent record amounts on capital expenditure. This means building hard assets like roads, bridges and ports.
We have seen rapid construction of new national highways and expressways. The Vande Bharat Express, a new semi-high-speed train, is modernising the railways. New airports are being built in smaller cities to improve connectivity. The drive aims to create jobs and make India a more competitive economy.
A look back and forward
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi turns 75, India looks back on a decade of rapid change. The milestones of Modi’s tenure are significant and varied. They include deep economic reforms like GST and UPI that have transformed the way India does business. It include bold national security and foreign policy moves. They also include a new welfare model that delivers basic needs directly to the poor.
These changes have transformed India’s economy and its place in the world. They have also sparked intense debate. But one thing is clear: these milestones have profoundly shaped the story of India in the 21st century.
