Decisiveness backed by clarity of purpose has been the hallmark of the Narendra Modi government’s first year in office.
The Philosophy of PM Narendra Modi Government is ‘Subka Saath Subka Vikas’ which essentially means ‘Together with all, Progress for all’ and with the very steps of this particular motto is to take everybody together and move towards inclusive growth. Several schemes as part of its ‘Saba Saath, Sabka Visas Initiative’ include, Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojna, Swatchh Bharat Abhiyaan, Namaami Gange, Deendayal Upadhyay Gramin Kaushal Scheme, Deendayal Gram Jyoti Yojna and Digital India. With all of that the government has taken one more step towards, ‘Ek Bharat, shresht Bharat’
Here’s some visionary steps of Good Governance by PM Narendra Modi Government :
1. Putting the Indian Economy on a fast track
From a period of low growth, high inflation and shrinking production, the NDA Government has not only strengthened macro-economic fundamentals, but has also propelled the economy to a higher growth trajectory. India’s GDP Growth rocketed to 7.4%, which is the fastest among all the large economies of the world. Various rating agencies and think tanks have predicted that India’s growth would accelerate sharply in the next few years under the NDA Government. Banking on the strong fundamentals & reforms being undertaken by the NDA Government, Mody’s upgraded India’s rating from ‘stable’ to ‘positive’ recently.
When BRICS was launched, a lot of people felt that the “I” (India) does not belong to the league and India was seen with skepticism. Now, it is India which is perceived to be powering the BRICS as its growth engine. With the Government’s thrust on manufacturing, Index of Industrial Production grew at 2.1% this year after the negative growth last year. Inflation (WPI) has seen a steady decline, from 5.55% in April 2014 to -2.65% in April 2015. FDI Inflows are increasing at a historic pace. The FDI Equity Inflows shot up by 40% to reach Rs. 1,75,886 crore from Rs. 1,25,960 last year. The Fiscal Deficit is in a state of steady decline. India’s current account deficit reduced from 4.7% of GDP last year to 1.7% of GDP this year. India’s Foreign Exchange Reserves have increased significantly, from $ 311.8 Billion to $ 352.1 Billion. This will provide insulation to India in the event of any global shocks.
2. From Jan Dhan to Jan Suraksha
India creates world records: For opening maximum number of bank accounts and for the largest cash transfer scheme 67 years after Independence, India still had a large part of the population who had no access to banking services. This meant, they had no avenues for Savings, nor any opportunity to get institutional credit. PM Modi launched the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana on 28th August to address this fundamental issue. Within a matter of months, this scheme has radically transformed lives and futures of millions of Indians. In a matter of months, 15 crore bank accounts were opened. 13.5 crore Rupay cards have been issued so far. There have been deposits worth Rs 15,798 crores. A record 1,25,697 Bank Mitras (Bank Correspondents) have also been deployed. It also set the Guinness World Record for most bank accounts opened in one week -1,80,96,130.
Once the basic banking facilities for people were in place, the NDA Government embarked on a historic move of providing an insurance & pension cover to the citizens. Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana provides accident insurance worth Rs 2 Lakh at just Rs 12 per year. Pradhan Mantri Jivan Jyoti Bima Yojana provides life insurance at just Rs 330 per year. Atal Pension Yojana provides a pension of uptoRs 5000 a month depending on the contribution. Within a couple of days of the launch, around 7.22 (as on 16/5/2015) crore people had enrolled in these schemes. In addition, the Govt also launched Sukanya Samridhi Yojana to give a boost to saving for & educating the girl child.
For more details visit: http://www.pmjdy.gov.in/
3. Make in India
India is on its way to become a Manufacturing Giant. The ‘Make in India’ initiative is based on four pillars to boost entrepreneurship in India, not only in manufacturing but also in other sectors.
New Processes: ‘Make in India’ recognizes ‘ease of doing business’ as the single most important factor to promote entrepreneurship. A number of initiatives have already been undertaken to ease business environment. The aim is to de- license and de-regulate the industry during the entire life cycle of a business.
New Infrastructure: Availability of modern and facilitating infrastructure is a very important requirement for the growth of industry. Government intends to develop industrial corridors and smart cities to provide infrastructure based on state-of-the-art technology with modern high-speed communication and integrated logistic arrangements. Existing infrastructure to be strengthened through upgradation of infrastructure in industrial clusters.
New Sectors: ‘Make in India’ has identified 25 sectors in manufacturing, infrastructure and service activities and detailed information is being shared through interactive web-portal and professionally developed brochures.
New Mindset: Industry is accustomed to see Government as a regulator. ‘Make in India’ intends to change this by bringing a paradigm shift in how Government interacts with industry. The Government will partner with industry in the economic development of the country. Our approach will be that of a facilitator and not that of a regulator.
For more details visit: http://www.makeinindia.com/
4. Empowering Farmers for a Prosperous India
Multiple steps taken to give a major boost to Agriculture. Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana will give a boost to productivity by ensuring irrigation facilities. The Vision is to ensure access to some means of protective Irrigation to all agricultural farms. Farmers are being educated about modern irrigation methods to give ‘Per Drop More Crop’.
Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana has been launched to motivate groups of farmers to take up organic farming. A special scheme has also been launched in North-Eastern Region for promotion of organic farming and export of organic produce.
Soil Health cards have been introduced to enhance productivity of specific crops in a sustainable manner &shall be issued to all 14 crore holdings in the country. About 248 lakh samples are to be analyzed in 3 years’ cycle.
Gram Jyoti Yojana will provide uninterrupted electricity supply by separation of feeders. This will not only boost production, but will also have a huge impact on the overall lives of the farmers, including cottage industries, education, etc.
In the wake of the recent unseasonal rains, the NDA Govt pro-actively announced that the farmers will be eligible for input subsidy if 33 percent or more of their crop is damaged. Earlier, farmer would be eligible for subsidy only when the crop damage was 50 percent or more. The existing quantum of financial assistance is also enhanced by 50% in case of crop losses.
Know how farmers are being empowered: farmer.gov.in
5. Ushering in Unprecedented Transparency
Transparent & Corruption-Free Governance reap huge benefits for the nation. While the past decade has seen many tales of arbitrary decision making, corruption and discretion rather than policy indictating crucial decisions, the past year has been a welcome change.
After the Supreme Court Order cancelled the coal block allocations, Govt acted with unparalleled swiftness to ensure transparent & timely auctions. Auction and Allotment proceeds from 67 coal blocks have touched 3.35 lakh crores over the life of the mine.
In an innovative step to ensure transparency, Environment Ministry has started process of online submission of applications for Environment approvals. It is no longer needed to come to Ministry for approvals. Applications can be tracked online. GIS based Decision Support System (DSS) to facilitate informed, transparent, expeditious and predictable decisions on forest approval applications.
On the Black Money front, SIT was constituted on the first day of office. Government is working in coordination with Swiss Government & getting information of cases investigated by IT Department. The Government approved the Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets (Imposition of Tax) Bill 2015. Provisions of the Bill include severe penalties & punishment for undisclosed foreign income and assets. It is also mandatory to quote PAN for purchase /sale of above Rs. 1 lakh.
6. Towards a Bright Future
NDA Government gives massive push to education & skill development. Various unique measures have been taken to augment the quality and reach of education. A fully IT based Financial Aid Authority to administer & monitor all education loans and scholarships through Pradhan Mantri Vidyalakshmi Karyakram. Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya Mission for Teacher Training has been launched to enhance the quality of teaching.
Global Initiative of Academic Network (GIAN) has been initiated to invite eminent faculty, scientists, and entrepreneurs from premier educational and scientific institutions across the world to teach in the higher educational institutions in the country during summer and winter breaks with a view to give international exposure to Indian students. SWAYAM will leverage Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) to enable online education. National e-Library will facilitate universal access to educational material and knowledge sources. ShalaDarpan is a mobile technology to ensure that parents are connected to schools, enabling them to monitor the progress of their children.
UDAAN is dedicated to the development of girl child education, so as to promote the admission of girl students. Ishaan Vikaas seeks to bring selected school children and students of Engineering College from the North-Eastern states into close contact with IITs, NITs and IISERs during their vacation.USTTAD has been approved to upgrade the Skills and Training in Traditional Arts/ crafts. The scheme aims to build capacity of traditional artisans/craftsmen, standardization of the traditional arts/crafts, their documentation and establishing market linkages.
The Government created a dedicated ministry of Skill Development immediately to empower our youth. 76 lakh youth have been provided skill training so far under various programs. Skill certifications have been given academic equivalence under ‘School to Skill’ programme. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana with anoutlay of Rs. 1,500 crores has been approved. Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushal Yojana will train 10 lakh rural youth in 3 years.Amendments to Apprenticeship Act is paving way for more opportunities for on-the-job training.
PM Narendra Modi at the launch of Teacher Training : http://www.narendramodi.in/pms-remarks-at-the-launch-of-madan-
mohan-malviya-national-mission-on-teachers-and-teaching
7. Connecting India like Never Before
Building the infrastructure for a resurgent India. Right from day one, NDA Government’s push to infrastructure has been evident. Be it Railways, Roads, or Shipping the Government is focusing on augmenting the infrastructure to aid in connectivity.
For the first time, the Railway budget focused on structural reforms and infrastructure changes. Announcement of new trains, which used to be an annual political gimmick has now become a routine activity.
A transformative project called Bharat Mala has been started for construction of roads along India’s borders & coastal areas. No of roads constructed through Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana has also registered a major increase.India is also taking rapid strides in the shipping sector under NDA Government. The Sagarmala Project will ensure comprehensive port–led development through development of vibrant coastal communities.
More about Technology in aid of Infrastructure : http://www.inampro.nic.in/
8. Empowering Different States Equally with boost to Federalism
Never before seen ‘Team India’ approach to work for India’s development. PM Modi has stressed on the need to leverage co-operative & competitive federalism to achieve all round growth. The NITI Aayog was formed to further empower and strengthen the states. An important evolutionary change from the past will be replacing a Union-to-State one-way flow of policy by a genuine and continuing partnership with the states. NITI Aayog will act with speed, to provide the strategic policy vision for the government as well as deal with contingent issues.
NITI Aayog will work to evolve a shared vision of national development priorities, sectors and strategies with the active involvement of the states in the light of national objectives. The vision of the NITI Aayog will then provide a framework for a ‘national agenda’ for the Prime Minister and the Chief Ministers to provide impetus to. It will also foster collaborative federalism through structured support initiatives and mechanisms with the states on a continuous basis, recognizing that strong states make a strong nation. It will develop mechanisms to formulate credible plans at the village level and aggregate these progressively at higher levels.
More about NITI Aayog : http://niti.gov.in/
9. Ushering in Reforms
Multiple Reforms introduced to ensure all round development. India is embarking on ushering in game-changing reforms through the use of Jan Dhan, Aadhar and Mobile (JAM), a unique combination of three to implement direct transfer of benefits. This innovative methodology will allow transfer of benefits in a leakage-proof, well-targeted and cashless manner. There would be cut in subsidy leakages but not in subsidy themselves.
NDA Government has built a national consensus and introduced a Bill to amend the Constitution to implement the Goods and Services Tax (GST). The GST will put in place a state-of-the-art indirect tax system by 1st April, 2016. This will create a unified and common domestic market by replacing a confusing array of taxes and preventing their cascading effects.
The Government has started a unique scheme called Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana, encourage MPs to take ownership of a village in their constituency and develop this as a model village. It motivates parliamentarians to ensure holistic development of their constituency rising above specific schemes.
More about JAM Trinity : http://indiabudget.nic.in/es2014-15/echapvol1-03.pdf
10. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
Towards a Cleaner India. “A clean India would be the best tribute India could pay to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150 birth anniversary in 2019,” said Shri Narendra Modi as he launched the Swachh Bharat Mission at Rajpath in New Delhi. On 2nd October 2014, Swachh Bharat Mission was launched throughout length and breadth of the country as a national movement.
While leading the mass movement for cleanliness, the Prime Minister exhorted people to fulfil Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of a clean and hygienic India. He gave the mantra of ‘Na gandagi karenge, Na karne denge.’ Shri Narendra Modi also invited nine people to join the cleanliness drive and requested each of them to draw nine more into the initiative.
By inviting people to participate in the drive, the Swachhta Abhiyan has turned into a National Movement. A sense of responsibility has been evoked among the people through the Clean India Movement. With citizens now becoming active participants in cleanliness activities across the nation, the dream of a ‘Clean India’ once seen by Mahatma Gandhi has begun to get a shape.
More on Prime Minister’s Swachh Bharat Mission: http://www.narendramodi.in/pm-launches-swachh-bharat-abhiyaan
And after reading this news piece with the source inputs of www.narendramodi.in , if you think Nothing has happened in one year, maybe you are wrong or biased or blind to believe that.The last year has been characterised by full transparency, quick reforms & strengthening of our Federal Structure.
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