100 Days of Modi 2.0 Government
The BJP-led NDA government has completed 100 days in its second term, and tall claims of success and achievements are flourishing all around. PM Modi himself highlighted the success story of the first 100 days of his government on Sunday, September 8, 2019, at Rohtak in Haryana in three words – development, trust and big changes. ‘Modi hai to mumkin hai‘, this slogan has been echoing perfectly across the country till now. After 2019 general elections, opposition has remained toothless, and not in a position to challenge the government’s majority.
Modi recites development
Addressing the BJP’s ‘Vijay Sankalp’ rally in Rohtak in Haryana on Sunday, PM Modi said the BJP government has taken several important decisions during this period, on matters ranging from the farm sector to the national security. “Whatever big decisions were taken in the past 100 days, inspiration behind them were 130 crore people of the country,” he said.
Historic decisions in Modi 2.0 era
Action and its reaction are a legacy between the ruling and the opposition parties, while criticism of the ruling party is a healthy sign of democracy. Likewise, sometimes muted murmurs are heard from the Congress to prove that democracy is still alive in the country. The grand old party criticised Modi 2.0 government’s 100 days in three words: tyranny, chaos and anarchy. However, despite the hide and seek game, the Modi government has indeed taken some historic decisions in its second tenure till date. In the first Budget session after the newly elected Modi government took charge. Lok Sabha worked for 281 hours, which is 135 percent of the scheduled hours. The parliament in its first session passed bills such as scrapping of Article 370, Triple Talaq Bill and the new Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill. In fact, this session of parliament passed the maximum number of bills, breaking last 67 years’ record.
Triple Talaq Bill to unchain Muslim women
Triple Talaq Bill was a contentious issue in the parliament since December 2017. The Supreme Court also cleared the air that that instant triple talaq means uttering talaq three times in one sitting would be illegal. Modi government took the initiative and passed the bill in the budget session without any hue and cry. The aim behind passing this bill is to ensure safety and security of the Muslim women.
Scrapping of Article 370
The sudden constitutional changes on Jammu and Kashmir announced by the Modi government on August 5, 2019, ended the speculation and uncertainty buzzing for a long time. Parliament scrapped the Article 370, which had given special powers to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. With the nullification of Article 370, and Article 35A, the state has been split into two Union Territories (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Hence, with effect from October 31, 2019, India will have 28 states instead of 29, and 9 UTs instead of 7 at present.
Read More: Jammu and Kashmir: The Unfolding Situation
Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill
Passing of Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill was another hurdle which was crossed by the Modi government. This bill was first introduced in 2016; in the end it was executed in the first budget session of the 17th Lok Sabha in 2019. The aim behind the bill is to safeguard the life and property of the people. Stiffer penalties for traffic rule violations such as over-speeding, zig zag driving, drunk driving, and driving without helmet or license are expected to bring safety on Indian roads. Accidents are common in India due to the indiscipline of drivers. However, after initial protests over the steep fines, people are slowly falling in line, and ready to embrace discipline.
Merger of banks
On August 30, 2019, the Modi 2.0 government announced the merger of 10 public sector banks to create 4 big banks in an effort aimed at consolidation in the banking space. This will lead to a total of 12 public sector banks after consolidation, which will then be given a capital infusion of almost Rs 55,000 crore. The move is expected to revamp the balance sheets of banks, rationalise the branch network, and improve credit flow to the industrial and farm sectors.
National infrastructure pipeline in the offing
With a view to combat recession, the Finance Ministry has set up a task force to plan a ‘national infrastructure pipeline’ for projects from 2019-20 to 2024-25 for Rs 100 trillion. As per the finance ministry: “Availability of quality infrastructure is a pre-requisite to achieve broad-based and inclusive growth on a sustainable basis. Investment in infrastructure is also necessary for sustaining the high growth rate of India. To achieve the GDP of $5 trillion by 2024-25, India needs to spend about $1.4 trillion (Rs. 100 lakh crore) over these years on infrastructure.” To turbo-charge the economy, the task force has been asked to submit its report of technically and economically feasible projects for this financial year by October 31, 2019.
Ujjwala scheme scripts a success
Cooking without spreading pollution is an integral and most important part of our lives. Modi government is adamant to provide LPG in each household, especially those that are dependent on wood or cow dung for cooking needs. On Saturday, September 7, 2019, PM Modi gave away the 8th crore free cooking gas (LPG) connection to Ayesha Shaikh of Aurangabad in Maharashtra under the scheme of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY). This scheme was first launched on May 1, 2016, and the initial target was to give 5 crore connections to poor women below the poverty line. But seeing its importance and need, the target was later revised to 8 crores, which has now been fulfilled before time.
Chandrayaan-2 mission suffers setback
India’s efforts towards soft landing on the lunar surface at the south pole of the Moon came a cropper when the contact with the lander Vikram, carrying rover Pragyan, was lost at a crucial moment just 2 km away from the lunar surface. In fact, PM Modi was personally present at the ISRO command centre in Bengaluru to witness the landing. However, the mission received worldwide praise and support for the Indian space scientists, despite this important glitch. Meanwhile, news trickled that the orbiter is in place, and will keep taking photographs of the Moon for the next one year and beyond. As a recognition of Indian talent, even NASA has offered joint exploration of the solar system. Hence, even Chandrayaan-2 mission, and Modi’s role in leading the nation to personally console and applaud the scientists, was also a crucial milestone in 100 days of Modi 2.0 government.
Read More: Chandrayaan 2 Mission Suffers Setback, PM Modi Lifts Spirit To Go Ahead
Slump in economy a sign of recession?
Nevertheless, the opposition is trying to convince the countrymen that everything is not smooth in Modi 2.0 government. On the economic front, India’s position is badly hit. Performance of some sectors is declining, and growth rate of 8 core sectors has reached below 2 percent. Moreover, a big driver of the economy, automobile sector, is badly hit. Its sales have dipped almost 29 percent in recent months, and hundreds of thousands have been laid off. Our economy seems to be in a free fall. The opposition is also claiming that economic slump may take the country towards a recession.
A steep fall in the GDP growth as compared to last year is a direct result of the government’s ignorance and “gross mismanagement” of economy, the Congress alleged in a series of tweets. However, in spite of the economic crisis in the country, the Modi government has countered by claiming that “our economy is doing better than the US and China”. It seems only time will tell how successful the measures taken by Modi 2.0 in the first 100 days will be in putting the economy, and the society, on the path to progress.
