Narendra Modi as Prime Minister of India took charge of his position in the year 2014. Since then, he has proved to be an influential figure in Indian democracy. Nothing could ever stop him from his mission of making India go a step forward towards development and growth. Criticism and backlash from the opposition could never lower his determination. Whether it is about the major reforms by Modi Government or the important schemes by Modi Government, their determination is always high. This article will share a list of Modi Government schemes along with some controversial reforms. Read here about the contributions of Narendra Modi as prime Minister of India.
Narendra Modi As Prime Minister Of India – Major Reforms By Modi Government
Narendra Modi has been an influential figure in the Indian democracy since he came into power in 2014. September 17, 1950 – The birth anniversary of Narendra Modi, an Indian politician serving as the 14th and current Prime Minister of India. September 17 observes the birthday of this great democratic figure. On the occasion of his birth anniversary, let us dive back in time and take a short glimpse into the major reforms by Modi Government.
Important Schemes By Modi Government
1. PM Jan Dhan Yojana
Launched in August 2014 by Narendra Modi as Prime Minister of India, the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana was aimed at providing banking facilities and credit services to the poor and the needy.
Under the PMJDY, zero balance bank accounts can be opened by any individual, who is an Indian citizen. This scheme also provides other financial services to all individuals such as a basic bank account for each family, insurance scheme, pensions, etc.
2. Production Linked Incentive – PLI Scheme
To fuel the growth and reach of the Atma Nirbhar campaign by Narendra Modi as Prime Minister of India, the Production Linked scheme (or the PLI) was launched in India in the year 2020 to aid in the exponential growth of the Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing sector. But, towards the end of the same year, the PLI scheme was expanded to include other sectors as well!
According to the Modi government scheme, companies are entitled to receive incentives based on incremental sales of products which are manufactured domestically. The scheme also invites foreign companies to set up their bid on Indian soil.
3. United Payments Interface (UPI)
One of the important schemes by Modi government, the Unified Payments Interface or UPI was launched in the year 2016 by Raghuram G Rajan, the governor of RBI. This scheme was introduced in India in line with the mission of Modi to make India cashless and go all digital.
Under this scheme, transferring money from one bank account to another bank account through the use of mobile phones has become very easy. One can perform transactions at any time of the day and this led to the huge success of the UPI scheme launched by Narendra Modi as Prime Minister of India.
4. Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan
Another important Modi government scheme which made India a better place to live was the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, which was launched on October 2014 as a nationwide campaign to remove dirt and filth from Indian soil. Modi urged Indians to take an active part in this campaign to fulfil the life-long dream of Gandhiji and make India a more hygienic and clean country.
5. GST
GST, also known as the Goods and Service Tax, is an indirect tax which was introduced in India in July 2017 under the Modi government scheme. To put it simply, GST is an indirect tax which is levied on the supply of goods and services. GST falls under the list of important schemes by Modi government, as this scheme rules out the existence of other multiple taxes like VAT, excise duty, service taxes, etc.
GST aims to bring all the taxes under one roof and substitute itself in place of the other multiple taxes levied before. It is to be noted that the concept of GST was not new to India. In the year of 2002, Vallabhbhai Patel introduced the scheme which finally came into effect in 2017, under the leadership of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister of India.
Also Read- The 47th GST Council Meet – 28% GST On Online Games
6. Make In India
One of the major reforms by Modi Government, the Make In India, as the name suggests, was introduced in the year of 2014 to boost the manufacturing sector of our country. Besides aiding in the growth and development of the manufacturing sector of India, the Make in India campaign also aims to encourage foreign businesses to invest in India, thereby improving its rank of India in the ‘ Ease of Doing Business’ list.
Under the Make in India campaign, several important schemes by Modi government were launched to transform India into a manufacturing hub and generate more employment and income in the country. Some of the key schemes launched under the Make in India campaign are:- Skill India Mission, Startup India, Digital India, PMJDY, Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, etc.
7. Aatmanirbhar Bharat
India was hit by the Covid 19 pandemic in the year 2020. The novel coronavirus left a long-lasting negative impact on the Indian economy. Cottage industries and small-scale businesses suffered the most. Local vendors and sellers were finding it hard to sustain themselves.
In the wake of the grim economic situation, Narendra Modi launched the Aatmanirbhar Bharat campaign which urged Indians to go ‘vocal for local’. According to this scheme, the Modi government urges all Indians to use local products whenever possible to help the growth of the domestic industries in India.
The Most Controversial Modi Government schemes
While Narendra Modi as Prime Minister of India has launched several important schemes for the betterment of our country, some of the major reforms by Modi government were severely criticised by the opposition parties and the general Indian public.
A few important schemes by Modi government such as the demonetization of 2016 have been a topic of debate since its launch. While some believe that it aided the overall growth and development of the Indian subcontinent, others argue that it worsened the socio-economic scenario of our country.
1. Demonetization In 2016
The demonetization scheme of 2016 tops the list of controversies of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister of India. Narendra Modi in the year of 2016 launched the demonetization scheme in India under which, phasing out of Rs.500 and Rs.1000 created a shortage of cash in the system which ultimately made space for panic and increased confusion among the general public.
Though the scheme was launched to push Indians to go all digital and rule out financial crimes in our system, the reality was very different from what it was anticipated to be. The scarcity of newly available notes created more room for confusion and panic.
Also Read- Evolution Of Indian Money And The History Of Indian Currency Notes
2. Abrogation Of Article 370
Though the abrogation of Article 370 was introduced to form a unified India which included Jammu and Kashmir, the results of this Modi government scheme were different from what was expected.
Under this scheme, the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir was taken away under the rule of Narendra Modi. Now, Jammu and Kashmir have no separate constitution and they are bound to obey the rules and regulations put forward by the Supreme Court of India.
While everyone thought that this would strengthen the relationship of India with J&K, the reverse happened. Kashmiri people felt that it is illegal to abolish article 370 in Kashmir. They protested against such major reforms by Modi government.
According to them, the decision was taken without involving political leaders from the J&K. Additionally, now the status of Jammu and Kashmir has been lowered from a state to a Union Territory which is unacceptable, as there is only a President ruling in this region now. The elected government is not liable to take any decision which is not at all democratic.
3. Farm Reforms
Another controversial scheme launched by the Modi government was the farm reforms of 2021. Though this reform was introduced in the country to liberate and provide more power to the farmers to sell their produce outside the local market and to seek help from SDM for disputes with the buyer, the farmers, especially from UP and Punjab, started protesting against it. They argued that this will reduce their demands in the local market.
Moreover, they feared that the MSP would be removed and ultimately they would be left to perish. Thus, India saw huge protests by the farmers in the year 2021 which ultimately led the Modi government to ban the three farm laws in the country.
Also Read- Farm Laws Repeal By The Modi Government Calls For Victory
4. Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)
The Citizenship Amendment Act, which was launched in India in the year of 2019 aims to provide Indian citizenship to migrants from other countries, who entered India on or before 2014. The migrants must only be from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan and should be either Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian.
But, this decision of the Modi government saw huge protests and criticisms by the opposition parties and critics. While some argued that this scheme excluded the Shia, Balochi and Ahmadiyya Muslims in Pakistan and Hazaras in Afghanistan, others argued that such a scheme promotes classification on the basis of religion which is contradictory to the Indian Constitution. Still, others said that other neighbouring countries such as Nepal etc. were not included in this rule which is unjust.
Also Read- Prime Minister Narendra Modi And His Controversies
Conclusion – Narendra Modi As Prime Minister Of India
Though he faces several criticisms on a daily basis, nothing could stop him from walking forward. He is a true inspiration to the youth. Throughout his years as the Prime Minister of India, Modi has clearly advocated that he is here not to gain or lose anything- but to aid in the overall growth and development of India. On his birth anniversary, we wish Narendra Modi a very happy birthday!
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