Ever since Mr. Narendra Modi assumed office as India’s Prime Minister three years back, he has been stressing almost every day about the need for rapid economic and industrial development of the country. He has also laid emphasis on several other issues of great importance such as promoting Yoga culture, cleanliness in public places, etc. He has also stressed on several occasions about the need for respecting all religions, though his critics suspect that he has been encouraging extreme stand by some Hindu outfits by not silencing them with the force that is required
With his clear-cut targets, Mr. Modi has been moving at breakneck speed, introducing several new regulations and drastic steps of which the most important ones are his demonetization decision and successful implementation of GST. Apart from this, he has also ensured that the government of India under him would not be tainted by corruption charges and he has brought about a particular element of transparency in the administration directly under him.
Mr. Modi has continued to emphasize the need to eradicate corruption in government machinery and public life, so as to deliver the welfare measures to the poor and downtrodden directly. Even in this task, he has succeeded to a little extent but certainly nowhere near the extent that people want.
While the opposition parties have been accusing Modi government on several counts, it is more than evident that, by and large, people’s confidence in Modi’s government remains high. Apparently, the opposition parties have run out of ideas and are in disarray. Mr. Modi’s popularity is evident by results of the number of state and local body elections in recent times that has led to massive vote in Mr.Modi’s favor.
At the same time, it is also a fact that even the ardent admirer of Mr. Modi, who has no political affiliations, think that Mr. Modi’s government has still not made a significant impact in the anti-corruption drive and in creating jobs and fair distribution of wealth in the country. While such feelings are there, the fact is that people continue to believe that Mr.Modi is capable of rooting out corruption and meeting the aspirations of the youth with regard to job opportunities. Many people all over India are discussing as to why Mr. Modi has not been able to make a significant impact on these vital questions. All over the country, there are animated discussions among concerned citizens and thinking population as to what Mr. Modi should do in the next two years before the next national election when his governance would be under trial and test.
As far as the level of corruption in the country is concerned, while Mr. Modi has brought down the corruption in the central government to a considerable extent, this has not happened at the state government level. In the day to day life, people come in contact more with the state government administration than that of the central government and the level of nepotism in the state government machinery from top to bottom is causing hardships to the people.
However, people think that Mr. Modi is the be all and end all of the governance all over India and blame him even if there would be corruption at local body level. Critics point out that there are several state governments which are ruled by the same party to which Mr. Modi belongs, and the degree of corruption in such BJP led governments have also not come down.
About joblessness, this is a severe and grave issue, which has to be tackled by Mr. Modi. No doubt, he has taken several steps like start up India, make in India and others to promote small-scale enterprises and boost employment growth but they are not giving results.
Three areas which can support massive employment namely the infrastructure and housing sector, road construction projects and agricultural sector.
Agriculture operations are increasingly getting mechanized, reducing the need for agricultural workers at the field level. This is inevitable, and Mr. Modi has to find jobs for surplus agricultural workers in infrastructure and construction sector as well as road projects.
Unfortunately, until recently, the construction industry, often termed as real estate, have been mostly operated by black money which has inevitably increased the construction costs and making housing beyond the reach of the poor. Mr. Modi attempted to solve the problem by initiating demonetization step and by introducing anti became law. However, the positive results are yet to be seen.
Another area of grave concern for the people is the education facilities that are becoming beyond the reach of poor and downtrodden.
As government at both state and central level have virtually stopped investing in building more schools and colleges and left it to the private sector, corrupt elements and business houses have got into the field and have made education a costly affair.
The inadequate performance of state governments and the level of corruption in the state administration are undoing the good work being done by Modi government. It remains to be seen as to how Mr. Modi would tackle this.
In any case, the next two years will be the period when Mr. Modi has to find solutions for the problems of joblessness and corruption. The whole country is watching him with great anxiety and of course, with hope.
I agree with the views of Shri. Venkataraman. He has rightly said that Mr. Modi should do more. Definitely he will do more and people have given him time and within two more years of his tenure, he would definitely change the perception. He is working hard and one of the hardest working Prime Minister of the world. If the leader is corrupt free, those who work under him , would definitely follow him and it is also natural that those who are used to "greasing hands" would oppose him. We are living in democracy and power is the ultimate goal of all politicians and they would do anything to dislodge him. It is very difficult to dislodge the power brokers, who have earned beyond their means for more than six decades under the Congress party and its supporters rule. The corruption was stinking everywhere. Nothing can work without mamool or corruption. Every foreign deal has a "cut" and every local deal is tagged with "mamool". It is very difficult to dislodge overnight. If you arrest a corrupt, he has legal means to file a case and go upto supreme court and this may go on and on. It is not that much easy to punish the corrupt. If corrupt politicians is charged and enquiry is done, he cries and his slogan is "political vendetta". Because India is not China. So the greatest achievement of Modi is to change the perception of the country of the corrupt. politicians and systems. When you clean the table and punish the corrupt, many would oppose and all those who swindled money would cry and organise bandhs and agitations, support anti-national elements, organise violence against the government and even would go to the extend of getting support from other border as well. So Modi’s success in changing the perception of the country and the nation is the greatest achievement.
He has already archived many laws. The Congress party and its allies paralysed the government and they never allowed the government to function and pass laws. That is not an excuse. But that is the way the democracy works. But no one can question the integrity of Modi and his government. Again India is not China.
The Goods and Services Tax implementation is the greatest achievement and credit should go to Modi and his government for implementing the same. You cannot change through undemocratic means, even if opposition parties follow undemocratic means to dislodge and paralyse the functioning of Parliament and the government.
The government is using technology to innovate and improvise in all aspects of economic activities. There is a great change in power sector. The corrupt ridden infrastructure is being dismantled and are warned to execute, else to exit. The infrastructure industry is definitely improved and each project is being monitored to cut cost-over run and control escalation of cost. The railway ministry is doing an excellent job and there is a great change of perception about its service and still there is a great opportunity to improve and create employment opportunities.
No one can deny that Make in India has not generated more employment opportunities But the steps are being taken in the right direction. The various incentives given by the government through credit mechanism would generate more employment opportunities for becoming entrepreneurs
The efforts are in right direction but not effective. What is the deficit? All politicians goal is power. The ruling party fellows are?
In this India the people who really choose their rulers are poor. They see to feel & then they decide the fate of those politicians. The issue of poverty can’t be solved by schemes only but proper actions. The implementors need to be watched.
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