Bharat's Ascendance under Modi: A Decade of Progress leading up to our Amritkaal and the Path to 2047

It is with a profound sense of satisfaction that I reflect upon Bharat's remarkable journey over the past nine years under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji.

As we explore the transformative changes that have shaped our nation, we also set our sights on the future, envisioning the incredible potential that lies ahead as India charts its course towards 2047 – the centenary of our independence.

The period since 2014 has been marked by a series of bold initiatives, structural reforms, and a tireless commitment to inclusive development. Prime Minister Modi's leadership has propelled India onto the global stage, showcasing our nation's resilience, innovation, and determination to overcome challenges.

Let us explore the significant progress made in various sectors and lay the foundation for the exciting prospects that await us as we approach the centenary of our independence.

Economic Transformation:

We begin by acknowledging the monumental economic transformation India has witnessed. From a mere $1.04 Trillion GDP in 2014, we have catapulted to become the world's fifth-largest economy, boasting a GDP of $3.75 Trillion in 2023. We are the fastest-growing major economy in the world and well on the way to becoming the world's third-largest economy by 2027.

India's per capita income in nominal terms doubled to Rs 1,72,000 from Rs 86,647 in 2014-15. India has become the world's fifth largest stock market with a capitalization of $4

Trillion, Sensex at 72,000, and foreign exchange reserves crossed US$ 620 Billion. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) has created a unified and simplified tax structure, fostering transparency and efficiency in the economy with an average monthly tax collection of Rs. 1.6 lakh Cr. Additionally, initiatives like Make in India have bolstered India's manufacturing and technological capabilities. India has become the second-largest mobile phone manufacturing country after China.

Social Welfare and Inclusion:

Prime Minister Modi's governance has been characterized by a strong commitment to social welfare and inclusive development.

Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) has deposited more than Rs. 33 lakh Cr directly to beneficiaries' bank accounts (from 2014 till date) across more than 300 schemes.

The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, launched in 2014, has achieved the seemingly impossible, constructing over 11 Cr toilets. This is not just a statistic; it is a story of millions of girls empowered with dignity and safety.

Ujjwala Yojana has empowered nearly 10 Cr women by providing them with free LPG connections, liberating them from the drudgery and health risks of cooking over traditional fuels.

Jal Jeevan Mission under Har Ghar Jal has provided more than 13.28 Cr tap water connections.

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) has provided affordable housing, bringing the dream of a home within reach of millions, with over 4 Cr homes builtPradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) has brought over 50 Cr unbanked individuals into the formal banking system. While the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojna (PMMY) has sanctioned more than 4 Cr loans.

Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY): The 'Ayushman Bharat' scheme, the world's most extensive government-funded healthcare program, has been a game-changer, providing more than 50 Cr citizens with access to quality healthcare services.

The central government has provided food security to 80 Cr people under PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana. Over 220 Cr free COVID-19 vaccines were administered, and 13.5 Cr people moved out of multi-dimensional poverty.

The Prime Minister is now single-mindedly focused on ensuring the 100% saturation of all the schemes and benefits to ensure Antyodaya!

Infrastructure Development:

There has been a massive emphasis on infrastructure development, which accelerates economic activity, has a multiplier effect, and creates job opportunities, driving socio-economic progress nationwide.

Highways:

• Total highway length grew from 97,830 km in 2014 to 145,155 km by 2023.
• Highway construction speed tripled from 12 km/day in 2014-15 to 37 km/day in 2021- 22.
• Over 7.5 lakh km of rural roads have been constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.

Railways:

· Over 37,000 km of railway tracks have been electrified.

· Launch of high-speed Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat trains.

· Metro: 22 Cities, 851 km of operational network and 675 km under construction

Air Travel:

• 74 new airports have been built and operationalized since 2014, significantly expanding air connectivity.
  
  
• The Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) scheme has boosted regional air travel, making flying more affordable and accessible.
  
  
• UDAN has so far facilitated the travel of more than 1.3 Cr passengers.

PM Gati Shakti:

This national master plan was launched in October 2021 to develop a seamless, integrated, multimodal logistics network across India.

Budgetary support:

Rs 10 lakh Cr (3.3% of GDP) was allocated in the Budget 2023-24, an increase of three times from 2019. This is especially significant since capital expenditure has a multiplier effect of INR

2.45 in the immediate year and INR 3.14 in the following years.

Technological Triumph and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI):

Once the stuff of dreams, our space program has soared to new heights. Chandrayaan- 3's successful landing on the Lunar south pole and the upcoming Gaganyaan mission mark India's audacious foray into deep space exploration. These are not just scientific feats but symbols of India's unwavering spirit, thirst for knowledge, and ability to reach for the stars.

We have witnessed a digital revolution spearheaded by the visionary Digital India initiative which has connected over 2 lakh Gram Panchayats to BharatNet. Affordable internet access has reached the country's remotest corners, connecting over 800 million Indians to the world of information and opportunity.

The India Stack is a series of layers built upon this and is an unprecedented digital public infrastructure that is inclusive, democratized and at a population scale. It is an excellent example of combinatorial innovation; it is universal, low-cost, and has an open architecture. Aadhaar was foundational and the starting block that revolutionized identity verification, making government services more accessible and reducing leakages in welfare schemes.

Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is opening up and unbundling e-commerce, providing a level playing field and allowing everyone to participate, including small retailers. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 is also very forward-looking and is already being used as a template by many other countries.

The world is in awe of what the India Stack has achieved in less than a decade. Consider this: A World Bank report from September 2023 has hailed the success of India's DPI to enhance financial inclusion and delivery of public goods and services.

Highlights:

• Aadhar authentications @8 Cr/day
• Unified Payment Transactions (UPI) @ 11B transactions/month in Nov 2023 with a value of Rs. 17.39 Lakh Cr
• Digi Locker has 22.8 Cr registered users with over 6.28 B issued documents

Defence and National Security:

India has made substantial strides in strengthening its defence capabilities and securing its borders. The surgical strikes in 2016 and the Balakot air strikes in 2019 against terrorist targets have sent a strong message about India's resolve to protect its sovereignty and interests.

Securing the nation's borders and ensuring the safety of its citizens will remain a top priority for India. Modernizing the armed forces, investments in defence capabilities, and strategic alliances with like-minded nations will contribute to a strong and secure India.India's defence production crossed Rs 1 lakh crore for the first time, with exports reaching an unprecedented level of Rs

16,000 crore, positioning India as a significant global player. India has also built 601 km of border roads, 10 tunnels, and 22 bridges to secure our borders.

Domestically, the new criminal laws- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Act, will replace the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act. While replying to the debate in Parliament, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the new bills focus on delivering justice instead of handing down punishment.

Social Harmony and Equity:

One of the most significant achievements of ensuring social harmony and equity wasthe abrogation of Article 370 based upon the guiding principle of one nation, one constitution; recently upheld by the judgement of the Hon. Supreme Court. J&K is also on the track of peace and development.

North East India has also seen an unprecedented and game-changing development. There has been a sweeping transformation of our North Eastern states with seamless connectivity, massive infrastructure development, peace, stability and inclusiveness since 2014. PM Modi saw immense potential for growth in the North Eastern states and embarked upon his ambitious Act East Policy embodying 4C's: Culture, Commerce, Connectivity and Capacity building

The central government has recently signed a peace deal with UNLF and ULFA, marking the end of decades-long armed movements.

No government has done as much to support and boost women empowerment or Nari Shakti as the Modi government. These efforts will further bolster as women take a more significant role in governing our country with the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. This ushers in a new era of inclusive governance and reserves one-third of the seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women.

Prime Minister Modi has emphatically stated that the most significant four castes today are the poor, youth, women and farmers; GYAN means G for Garib, Y for Yuva, A for Annadata, and N for Narishakti. His priority is to respect and empower the poor and deprived. This defines the government's commitment and direction to ensure equity and inclusivity and eliminate past appeasements, divisions and rifts.

Youth:

Education will play a pivotal role in empowering the youth, and initiatives like the National Education Policy will focus on providing a holistic and skill-centric education system.

The government has focused on rapidly expanding national-level institutes in all corners of the country, and we presently have 23 IITs and 20 IIMs, with one built each year since 2014.

Startup India provides impetus to entrepreneurship and innovation and has created the 3rd largest startup ecosystem globally, with over 1,12,000 recognized startups. As of October 2023, India is also home to 111 unicorns with a total valuation of $ 349.67 B.

The government is also working hard to enhance the Ease of doing business to unshackle and unleash the animal spirits of entrepreneurship. Archaic laws and compliances are being eliminated and decriminalized, and a good beginning was made with the Jan Vishwas Act.

Civilizational Revival:

Bharat's civilizational foundation is of pluralism and one of assimilation and not imposition. As we enter a new year and await the historic consecration ceremony of the Shri Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, it is symbolic of a rising and resplendent Bharat, where in the words of the Prime Minister, there is: "Virasat Bhi, Vikas Bhi."

The symbols of Bharat are now everywhere and serve not only as beacons for our citizens but also as hallmarks for our ancient culture and modern mighty nation e.g. New Parliament, National War Memorial, Bharat Mandapam, Diamond Bourse, GIFT City, Statue of Unity, Shri Ram Mandir, Kashi Vishwanath corridor, Kedarnath Dham, Ujjain Mahakal, Ma Kamakhya Devi, etc.

Foreign Policy and Global Standing:

India has shed its mantle of diffidence on the world stage and emerged as a leader. Prime Minister Modi's proactive diplomacy has earned India a seat at the high table of global decision- making.

The principles of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – the world is one family – will guide India's foreign policy, emphasizing the importance of collaborative efforts in addressing global challenges.

Looking back on G20, the biggest takeaway of the New Delhi Leaders' declaration was passed unanimously with a 100% consensus.

India gained further global respect and recognition due to its COVID Vaccine Maitri by supplying 310 million vaccines to over 100 countries.

Recently, India's relentless diplomatic efforts ensured that Qatar commuted the death sentence of 8 Indian Navy veterans.

The Path to a Viksit Bharat of 2047:

The journey to Viksit Bharat 2047 offers limitless opportunities to fulfil our dreams and aspirations and those of our children and grandchildren. This is also reflected in the following daring aspirations set by PM Modi:

1. Astronauts in Space by 2025

2. Space Station by 2035

3. Olympic Hosting by 2036

4. Man on the Moon by 2040

5. Developed Nation by 2047

India is making irreversible, non-linear, and step changes and upgrading to an online, cashless, high-performance formal economy. India is creating a new model of growth: technology-led, collaborative, equitable, and democratized. This will propel India to a $26 Trillion economy by 2047, with a per capita income exceeding $15,000.