Modi’s work ethic and unflinching commitment to nation-building are the catalysts for transforming India

That Prime Minister Narendra Modi works 18 to 20 hours everyday is a fact that needs no reiteration. He has inspired every right-thinking Indian to follow suit. In a short time of three years, the PM, through this emphasis on hard work, has brought about a transformation in the nation’s work culture.

When he led the NDA to a sweeping victory in 2014, he inherited a nation that was demotivated and wary of its leadership, where corruption was endemic and had devoured higher echelons of governance. Scams were the norm of the day and people had lost trust in the leadership of the country.

But, with his indefatigable work ethic and an unflinching commitment to Rashtra Nirman (nation building), the Pradhan Sevak of India has transformed the nation.

He opened an informal channel of communication for the people through Mann Ki Baat where he interacts regularly with the country not as a Prime Minister, but as an elder family member. He has made the world realise the uniqueness of India’s cultural heritage through his focus on enhanced international cultural exchanges and celebration of International Yoga Day. The PM made the most of his foreign visits by improving bilateral relations not only through official engagements, but also by extensively reaching out to the Indian diaspora in these nations. His efforts have boosted the morale and confidence of Indians worldwide, who, are now extremely proud about their roots — the rich Indian culture, language, tradition and customs. Bilateral ties have improved, foreign investments have increased and the reverse brain drain has kicked in. The recent decisions, to undertake surgical strikes in the enemy territory, and, to take Pakistan to International Court of Justice to save the life of a hostage fellow Indian, have boosted the confidence further.

The vision of Prime Minister is to reach people at the bottom of the pyramid — the poor, the destitute and the infirm. These people constitute the foundation of any country and if their lot is not improved, the country can never progress. He is aware that the biggest hurdle in improving their lot is corruption.

Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had famously remarked that of every 1 rupee spent by the Government, only 15 paisa reached the beneficiary. All previous governments lamented this fact, but fell short of making concrete and sincere efforts. This lack of empathy by the ruling elite inspired Narendra Modi to strengthen the Direct Benefit Transfer mechanism which has resulted in savings of around Rs 50,000 crore by eliminating ghost beneficiaries, and the number is expected to rise even further. This coupled with the drive against benami property transactions, enforcement of Prevention of Corruption Act and demonetisation give insights into the steely resolve of the person.

The entire exercise of demonetization and remonetisation and the boost it gave to digital payments further provided a generous glimpse into his statesmanship. While the general public could understand his vision and intention, political parties and intelligentsia were critical of his efforts. A strong message has been sent about the primacy of the Constitution of India and the rule of law as well as about the genuineness and transparency in decision-making at higher levels. The public gave its verdict in the form of a thunderous mandate to BJP in the recently concluded elections. 

Technology is another tool which can be a game changer in increasing accessibility of the have-nots to public schemes and services. The dream of a Digital India has been seen by many governments in the past. However, it is Narendra Modi who laid out a road map to transform India into a Digital economy worth $1 trillion by 2024. With only 358 km of Optical Fibre Network (OFN) laid till June, 2014, in the last three years, more than 2 lakh km has been laid connecting nearly 91,000 gram panchayats. Remaining gram panchayats are targeted to be connected by December 2018.

Initiatives such as Jan Dhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Swachh Bharat have been successful not because they are great initiatives, but because there is an intention and strong will. This is even visible with the implementation of long-pending initiatives such as GST, strengthening  the mechanism to prohibit Benami Property transactions and One Rank One Pension,  to name a few. This government is also committed to doubling the income of farmers who have been used as vote banks by previous governments. But, knowing him, he won’t be satisfied till all his dreams about India are fulfilled.

The author is Minister of State for Law & Justice