A year of Pradhan Sevak!

One year is not enough time to deliver a verdict on the performance of any government. This, therefore, cannot be the right time to evaluate the Narendra Modi government. And yet, in an age of producing instant results, people are bound to assess the pluses and minuses of the NDA government in order to arrive at some conclusion on how the one-year-old government has fared. Viewed against the backdrop of a 10-year-long governance deficit as well as the intense and long unquenched thirst for development all around, one cannot really complain about the popular trend of evaluating the government. Yet, what needs to be remembered is that any discussion about “Modi-formance” may start with statistics. But, it certainly, cannot end with them. 

While putting the highlights of “Modi-formance” in a nutshell, certain key points just cannot be overlooked. In spite of the fact that the Opposition is not in a mood to rise above obstructionism, Parliament has enhanced its productivity level. For the first time in the last decade, both houses of Parliament have immensely enhanced their result-oriented quotient. Unlike in the past, financial inclusion has caught the imagination of the excluded classes, making Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana a remarkable success. Now that the Jan-Dhan success is being used as a foundation for a slew of social-security schemes, the benefits are more likely to reach all sections of the deprived classes. Also remarkable are the plans for promoting technological interventions in weeding out corruption and malpractices. To that end, the Modi government’s strategy of introducing e-tendering systems at every possible level and in all transactions — with emphasis on Direct Benefit Transfer into bank accounts — deserves full marks.

As endorsed by a recent survey conducted by a leading media outlet, the Swachh Bharat project is, perhaps, the most popular of the new initiatives undertaken by the Modi government. Although making India free of open defecation is the hardest challenge of making India clean, the way the government is dealing with the challenge, in a phased manner, deserves commendation. It has a reasonably credible plan to provide toilets for girls in every government school by August 15, 2015. 

For years, India has been notorious for its bureaucratic strangleholds and obstacles in business-development at every level. Under the Modi government, the business of imports — and more importantly exports — have become easier to transact. Besides, the process of applying for Industrial License (IL) and Industrial Entrepreneur Memorandum (IEM) has been made online, and this service is now available to entrepreneurs 24x7, at the eBiz website. This has eased the filing of applications and online payment of service charges. Also, the initial validity period of Industrial License has been increased to three years from two years. 

Rejecting the confrontationist discourse of environment vs development, the environment ministry — too — has taken significant steps to bring ease to the process of doing business. Accordingly, the ministry has facilitated online application for Environment and Forests clearances. Also, Environment Assessment Report is made essential only for building industrial sheds, schools, colleges, hostels, for education institutions with more than 20,000 sq mts and up to 150,000 square mts. Small and medium industries will obviously benefit from these measures.

Besides these measures, Digital India in collaboration with Google, has improved the IRCTC portal, making it passenger-friendly. Similarly, MyGov enables people to participate in the decisions of the government through the Internet. Also noteworthy is the fact that despite facing the wrath of a powerful section of central government employees during the Delhi assembly elections, the government has refused to budge and gone ahead with disciplinary measures like bio-metric-based attendance in offices. 

On the economic front, too, there have been bold decisions. One of them — obviously — is allocating more funds to the states. In a courageous move with far-reaching consequences, the Centre has accepted the recommendation of the 14th Finance Commission, and sown the seeds of a radical overhaul of the existing fiscal Centre-state relationship. It has proposed that the states’ share in central tax revenues be bumped up substantially to 42 per cent from the existing 32 per cent. Besides, the resoluteness with which Black Money and GST Bills have been introduced deserves special mention. 

Modi, clearly, is a great dreamer. And he has been selling some of his dreams to the people — adroitly as well as successfully. At the root of his success is his passion for the people and his commitment for the country! When Modi issues slogans like Namami Gange, Make in India, or Act East, they do not remain mere slogans. They carry a powerful message of national pride, concern for the people, displaying robust confidence with a clear ‘Can-Do’ approach! One doesn’t need rocket science to make soil-health a reality. You need genuine concern, huge imagination, creativity and a powerful sense of purpose. If one possesses these traits, one can learn the art of thinking out-of-the-box, even without going to a management institute! 

Looking back, the Narendra Modi government’s most significant achievement is its success in arresting the all-pervading cynicism. With Modi in the saddle, the atmosphere of gloom started diminishing fast. At the end of his one-year rule, Indians are a happier lot, looking forward to even better governance in the near future. 

Modi is restoring the primacy of India as a principal player in world affairs. Some of the key initiatives include, freeing at least the higher level governance from scams, aggressively initiating the process of linking education to employability through skill-building, pushing for infrastructure development, overcoming digital divide, pro-actively working for developing the North-East region through the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DONER), and giving centrality to innovation in administrative thinking, approaches and mechanisms.

However, what makes Prime Minister Narendra Modi taller than others is his ability to move decisively and with requisite clarity of vision — with an overwhelming sense of purpose. Such leadership qualities are always in short supply, and hence Narendra Modi stands out head and shoulders above most others. But the characteristic that makes him almost unique is that doubts are rarely raised about his intentions. Attributing selfish motives to his actions and hence casting aspersions on him, is impossible. Modi’s ability to work hard, motivate others, try to do the best in the given circumstances, and more importantly, not miss targets distinguishes him from the rest. 

Jawaharlal Nehru was fond of the  poet Robert Frost! He was in love with the poet’s lines “...But I have promises to keep/ And miles to go before I sleep,/ And miles to go before I sleep.” Although a firm believer in the concept of continuity with change, Narendra Modi — unapologetically — is throwing away the burden of outdated Nehruvian ideas. But Narendrabhai is living — practically every day — by the poem Nehru loved!  

The author is Vice President of the BJP and Director of Delhi-based Public Policy Research Centre (PPRC). 
Starting today, dna will carry a series of articles appraising Modi government’s performance