PM Modi's impact on India
On the 73rd birth anniversary of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, let's have a look at the impact he had on India.
PM Modi’s influence is beyond mere numbers or policies. The numbers that result from good policies and implementation –infrastructure build-up, financial inclusion etc. are stupendous. These are being leveraged into engendering a long-term re-benchmarking of Bharat.
The first change is his laser focus on prudent financial management. Whether it was dealing with a once-in-a-century event like COVID or launching welfare schemes – no “perpetual free lunch” is offered. He understands the unfairness of leaving future generations with heavy liabilities. His objective is to create capability and opportunity for people to become economically self-sufficient.
The dream is to create a Bharat where the number of people needing assistance is reduced while strengthening the government’s fiscal position. Another transformation is the “International Trust” that we have got. In the past, we were not always seen as sincere and relevant arbiters on global decisions driven by rich countries.
Modiji has built up credibility and trust, meaning India can play a material and differentiating role in international initiatives. Agendas that we espouse are now taken seriously. Whether it is the Solar Alliance, the Middle Eastern Corridor initiative, Yoga, or having the Indo-Pacific accepted as a geopolitical framework, each has been possible because there is global trust in PM Modi.
Finally, the genuine empathy that PM Modi feels for the poor comes through in making poverty alleviation the centrepiece of his development agenda. Having suffered in poverty while growing up, Modiji understands their pain. The poor are not a vote-bank to be given handouts at each election.
Through Jan Dhan, Mudra, Modicare etc., each scheme and policy seeks to include our poor in the development process and in fact makes them stakeholders in India’s progress. Under PM Modi, the nation is metamorphing into a fairer, developed nation with a real voice in global affairs.
The author of this article is Saket Misra, Member of Legislative Council, Uttar Pradesh.
(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own and do not reflect those of DNA.)