OUR PRIME MINISTER :- Sri Narendra Damodardas Modi

Opinion
      17/03/2018
                 1170

Minimum Government and Maximum Governanace

1. Economic policies : -

* Modi with other BRICS leaders in 2016.

The economic policies of Modi's government focused on privatisation and liberalisation of the economy, based on a neoliberal framework. Modi liberalised India's foreign direct investment policies, allowing more foreign investment in several industries, including in defence and the railways. Other reforms included removing many of the country's labour laws, to make it harder for workers to form unions and easier for employers to hire and fire them. These reforms met with support from institutions such as the World Bank, but opposition from scholars within the country. The labour laws also drew strong opposition from unions: on 2 September 2015, eleven of the country's largest unions went on strike, including one affiliated with the BJP. The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, a constituent of the Sangh Parivar, stated that the reforms would hurt labourers by making it easier for corporations to exploit them. In his first budget, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley promised to gradually reduce the budgetary deficit from 4.1 percent to 3 percent over two years, and to divest from shares in public banks. Over Modi's first year in office, the Indian GDP grew at a rate of 7.5 percent, making it the world's fastest-growing large economy.

The funds dedicated to poverty reduction programmes and social welfare measures were greatly decreased by the Modi administration. The money spent on social programmes declined from 14.6% of GDP during the Congress government to 12.6% during Modi's first year in office. Spending on health and family welfare declined by 15%, and on primary and secondary education by 16%. The budgetary allocation for the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, or the "education for all" programme, declined by 22%. The government also lowered corporate taxes, abolished the wealth tax, and reduced customs duties on gold, jewelry, and increased sales taxes. In October 2014, the Modi government deregulated diesel prices, and later increased taxes on diesel and petrol.

* Modi at the launch of the Make in India programme.

In September 2014, Modi introduced the Make in India initiative to encourage foreign companies to manufacture products in India, with the goal of turning the country into a global manufacturing hub. Supporters of economic liberalisation supported the initiative, while critics argued it would allow foreign corporations to capture a greater share of the Indian market. In order to enable the construction of private industrial corridors, the Modi administration passed a land-reform bill that allowed it to acquire private agricultural land without conducting a social impact assessment, and without the consent of the farmers who owned it. Under the previous bill, the government had required the consent of 80% of the owners of a piece of property before acquiring it for a private project: this requirement was waived. The bill was passed via an executive order after it faced opposition in parliament, but was eventually allowed to lapse. Modi's government put in place the Goods and Services Tax, the biggest tax reform in the country since independence. It subsumed around 17 different taxes and became effective from 1 July 2017.

On 25 June 2015, Modi launched a programme intended to develop 100 smart cities. The "Smart Cities" programme is expected to bring Information Technology companies an extra benefit of ₹20 billion (US$310 million). In June 2015, Modi launched the "Housing for All By 2022" project, which intends to eliminate slums in India by building about 20 million affordable homes for India's urban poor.

* Modi and British Prime Minister Theresa May at the India-UK Tech Summit in New Delhi

In his first cabinet decision, Modi set up a team to investigate black money. On 9 November 2016, the government demonetised ₹500 and ₹1000 banknotes, with the stated intention of curbing corruption, black money, the use of counterfeit currency, and terrorism. The move led to widespread protests throughout the country, including one by opposition parties, which stalled the winter session of parliament. In the days following the demonetisation, banks across the country faced severe cash shortages, which had detrimental effects on a number of small businesses, on agriculture, and on transportation. People seeking to exchange their notes had lengthy waits, and several deaths were linked to the rush to exchange cash. Following Modi's announcement, the Indian stock indices BSE SENSEX and NIFTY 50 declined steeply. There has been a steep increase in digital payments and transactions in the country since the day demonetization was announced. Post the demonetisation, the quantum of income tax returns filed for individuals jumped by 25% indicating the widened tax net. Further, the advance tax collections rose by 42% and Self-assessment tax collections rose by 34.25%.

2. Health and sanitation policies :-

In his first year as prime minister, Modi reduced the amount of money spent by the government on healthcare. The Modi government launched a "New Health Policy" in January 2015, although this did not increase the government's spending on healthcare, instead emphasizing the role of private healthcare organisations. This represented a shift away from the policy of the previous Congress government, which had supported programmes to assist public health goals, including reducing child and maternal mortality rates. The National Health Mission, which included public health programmes targeted at these indices received nearly 25% less funds in 2015 than in the previous year. 15 national health programmes, including those aimed at controlling tobacco use and supporting healthcare for the elderly, were merged with the National Health Mission, and received less funds than in previous years. Modi initially appointed Harsh Vardhan, a doctor and an advocate of tobacco control, as minister of health. However, Vardhan was removed in November 2015. The government introduced stricter packaging laws for tobacco which requires 85% of the packet size to be covered by pictorial warnings. In its budget for the second year after it took office, the Modi government reduced healthcare spending by 15%. Modi has generally emphasised his government's efforts at sanitation as a means of ensuring good health. An article in the medical journal Lancet stated that the country "might have taken a few steps back in public health" under Modi.

On 2 October 2014, Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan ("Clean India") campaign. The stated goals of the campaign included eliminating open defecation and manual scavenging. The plan was to achieve these aims in five years. As part of the programme, the Indian government began constructing millions of toilets in rural areas and encouraging people to use them. The government also announced plans to build new sewage treatment plants. The administration plans to construct 60 million toilets by 2019. The construction projects have faced allegations of corruption, and have faced severe difficulty in getting people to use the toilets constructed for them.

3. Sanatana Dharmam  and education policy :-

During the 2014 election campaign, the BJP sought to identify itself with political leaders known to have opposed Hindu nationalism, including B. R. Ambedkar, Subhas Chandra Bose, and Ram Manohar Lohia. The campaign also saw the use of rhetoric based on stupidity, however, by BJP leaders in certain states. Communal tensions were played upon especially in Uttar Pradesh and the states of Northeast India. A proposal for the controversial Uniform Civil Code was a part of the BJP's election manifesto.

Several state governments headed by the BJP have enacted policies aligned with Sanatana Dharmam after the election of Modi as prime minister. The government of Maharashtra banned the killing of cows in 2014. The Modi administration has generally avoided directly supporting policies related to a Hindutva agenda. There has been an increase in the activities of a number of other Hindu  organisations, sometimes with the support of the government. The incidents included a Hindu religious conversion programme, a campaign against the alleged Islamic practice of "Love Jihad", and attempts to celebrate Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, by members of the right wing Hindu Mahasabha. The attempts at religious conversion have been described by the VHP and other organisations involved with them as attempts at "reconversion" from Islam or Christianity. There have been a number of reports of intimidation or coercion of the subjects during these attempts. Officials in the government, including the Home Minister, have defended the attempts. There were additional incidents of violence targeted at religious minorities by Hindu nationalists. Modi refused to remove a government minister from her position after a popular outcry resulted from her referring to religious minorities as "bastards." Commentators have suggested, however, that the violence was perpetrated by radical Hindu nationalists to undercut the authority of Modi.

The Modi administration appointed Yellapragada Sudershan Rao, who had previously been associated with the RSS, chairperson of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR). In reaction to his appointment, other historians and former members of the ICHR, including those sympathetic to the ruling party, questioned his credentials as a historian. Several stated that the appointment was part of an agenda of cultural nationalism.

The government began formulating a New Education Policy, or NEP, soon after its election. As of March 2016, this policy had yet to be implemented. This was the third education policy introduced by the Indian government, following those of 1968 and 1986. The policy was described as having overtones of Hindutva. The RSS had a role in its creation, and it did not explicitly mention the goals of "socialism, secularism and democracy" that had been mentioned in the first two policies. The policy emphasised the education of minority students, as well as those of economically backward groups, in particular on improving enrolment in schools among those groups. The policy proposed bringing religious educational institutions under the Right to Education Act. There was also a debate about removing caste-based reservation in favour of reservation based on income, a move supported by the RSS, but which was criticised as being discriminatory on the basis of caste.

4. Foreign policy :-

Foreign policy played a relatively small role in Modi's election campaign, and did not feature prominently in the BJP's election manifesto. Modi invited all the other leaders of SAARC countries to his swearing in ceremony as prime minister. He was the first Indian prime minister to do so.

Modi's foreign policy, similarly to that of the preceding INC government, focused on improving economic ties, security, and regional relations. Modi continued Manmohan Singh's policy of "multi-alignment."  The Modi administration tried to attract foreign investment in the Indian economy from several sources, especially in East Asia, with the use of slogans such as "Make in India" and "Digital India". As a part of this policy, the Modi government completed India's application to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which is led by China and Russia. (SCO). The government also tried to improve relations with Islamic nations in the Middle East, such as Bahrain, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as with Israel. Modi added five bilateral strategic partnerships to the 25 that had been agreed by his predecessors Singh and Vajpayee.

During the first few months after the election, Modi made trips to a number of different countries to further the goals of his policy, and attended the BRICS, ASEAN, and G20 summits. One of Modi's first visits as prime minister was to Nepal, during which he promised a billion USD in aid. Modi also made several overtures to the United States, including multiple visits to that country. While this was described as an unexpected development, due to the US having previously denied Modi a travel visa over his role during the 2002 Gujarat riots, it was also expected to strengthen diplomatic and trade relations between the two countries.

In 2015, the Indian parliament ratified a land exchange deal with Bangladesh about the India–Bangladesh enclaves, which had been initiated by the government of Manmohan Singh. Modi's administration gave renewed attention to India's "Look East Policy", instituted in 1991. The policy was renamed the "Act East Policy", and involved directing Indian foreign policy towards East Asia and Southeast Asia. The government signed agreements to improve land connectivity with Myanmar, through the state of Manipur. This represented a break with India's historic engagement with Myanmar, which prioritised border security over trade. As of July 2016, Modi had made 51 trips to 42 countries with the intent of strengthening diplomatic relations.

5. Defence policy :-

The BJP election manifesto had also promised to deal with illegal immigration into India in the Northeast, as well as to be more firm in its handling of insurgent groups. During the election campaign, Modi said that he would be willing to accommodate Hindu migrants who were being persecuted in Bangladesh, but those that came with "political objectives" would have to be sent back. The Modi government issued a notification allowing Hindu, Sikh, and Buddhist illegal immigrants from Pakistan and Bangladesh to legalise their residency in India. The government described the measure as being taken for humanitarian reasons but it drew criticism from several Assamese organisations.

Modi continued the previous INC administration's policy of increasing military spending every year, announcing an increase of 11% in the military budget in 2015. This increase was larger than the average growth under the Congress.

The Modi administration negotiated a peace agreement with the largest faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCM), which was announced in August 2015. The Naga insurgency in northwest India had begun in the 1950s. The NSCM and the government had agreed to a ceasefire in 1997, but a peace accord had not previously been signed. In 2015 the government abrogated a 15-year ceasefire with the Khaplang faction of the NSCM (NSCM-K). The NSCM-K responded with a series of attacks, which killed 18 people. The Modi government carried out a raid across the border with Myanmar as a result, and labelled the NSCM-K a terrorist organisation.

Modi has repeatedly stated that Pakistan was an exporter of terrorism. On 29 September 2016, the Indian Army stated that it had conducted a surgical strike on terror launchpads in Azad Kashmir, although Pakistan denied the claim, and the details of the confrontation are still in dispute.

6. Environmental policies :-

* Modi (right) at CoP21 Climate Conference, in Paris, announcing the founding of an International Solar Alliance (ISA). November 2015.

In naming his cabinet, Modi renamed the "Ministry of Environment and Forests" the "Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change." In the first budget of the government, the money allotted to this ministry was reduced by more than 50%. The new ministry also removed or diluted a number of laws related to environmental protection. These included no longer requiring clearance from the National Board for Wildlife for projects close to protected areas, and allowing certain projects to proceed before environmental clearance was received. The government also tried to reconstitute the Wildlife board such that it no longer had representatives from non-governmental organisations: however, this move was prevented by the Supreme Court.

Modi also relaxed or abolished a number of other environmental regulations, particularly those related to industrial activity. A government committee stated that the existing system only served to create corruption, and that the government should instead rely on the owners of industries to voluntarily inform the government about the pollution they were creating. Other changes included reducing ministry oversight on small mining projects, and no longer requiring approval from tribal councils for projects inside forested areas. In addition, Modi lifted a moratorium on new industrial activity in the most polluted areas in the countries. The changes were welcomed by businesspeople, but criticised by environmentalists.

Under the UPA government that preceded Modi's administration, field trials of Genetically Modified (GM) crops had essentially been put on hold, after protests from farmers fearing for their livelihoods. Under the Modi government these restrictions were gradually lifted. The government received some criticism for freezing the bank accounts of environmental group Greenpeace, citing financial irregularities, although a leaked government report said that the freeze had to do with Greenpeace's opposition to GM crops.

7. Governance and other initiatives :-

Modi's first year as prime minister saw significant centralisation of power relative to previous administrations. Modi's efforts at centralisation have been linked to an increase in the number of senior administration officials resigning their positions. Although the government has a majority of seats in the Lok Sabha, it does not have one in the Rajya Sabha, which led to its policies frequently being stymied there. Thus, Modi resorted to passing a number of ordinances to enact his policies, leading to further centralisation of power. The government also passed a bill increasing the control that it had over the appointment of judges, and reducing that of the judiciary.

On 31 December 2014, Modi announced that the Planning Commission had been scrapped. It was replaced with a body called the National Institution for Transforming India, or NITI Aayog. The Planning Commission was a legacy of the Indian Independence movement, although critics said that it was slowing economic growth. The move had the effect of greatly centralising the power previously with the planning commission in the person of the prime minister. It also reduced the extent of control individual states had over their financial allocation from the union government, and unlike the planning commission, it does not have the power to allocate funds. The planning commission had received heavy criticism in previous years for creating inefficiency in the government, and of not filling its role of improving social welfare: however, since the economic liberalisation of the 1990s, it had been the major government body responsible for measures related to social justice.

The Modi government launched a crackdown against a number of civil society organisations. Several tens of thousands of organisations were investigated by the Intelligence Bureau in the first year of the administration, on the grounds that they were slowing economic growth. International humanitarian aid organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres was among the groups that were put under pressure. Other organisations affected included the Sierra Club and Avaaz. Cases of sedition were filed against individuals criticising the government. This led to discontent within the BJP regarding Modi's style of functioning and drew comparisons to the governing style of Indira Gandhi.

Modi repealed 1,200 obsolete laws in first three years as prime minister, against a total of 1,301 such laws repealed by previous governments over a span of 64 years. He started a monthly radio programme titled "Mann Ki Baat" on 3 October 2014. Modi also launched the Digital India programme, which has the goal of ensuring that government services are available electronically, building infrastructure to provide high-speed Internet access to rural areas, boosting manufacturing of electronic goods in the country, and promoting digital literacy.

8. NOTES & OPINION :-

1.
The grand alliance for 2019: Can so many unlike minds of the Opposition think alike?

2.
The Opposition is divided on how it could unite against the BJP ahead of the 2019 general elections
A mahagathbandhan could be the only way to thwart the BJP in the next Lok Sabha polls, but working out such an alliance will not be easy, with leaders very bad track records!

3.
Stunned by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s growing footprint in the country, a demoralised Opposition is in the midst of a heated debate on how best it can take on the saffron outfit, why you want this when the vehicle moves smoothly?

4.
The dilemma facing the Opposition parties is: should they form and unite under a national platform with the specific objective of stalling the BJP in the crucial 2019 Lok Sabha polls or should they instead opt for a tacit understanding?

5.
Coming together :- of ALL ASURAS, DURYODHANA AND HIS 99 BROTHERS, YOU KNOW MAHABHARATHAM, AND THE END;

6.
Many political watchers feel that failure of the Opposition to unite against the BJP government on various issues, the weakening of the Congress since its defeat in the 2014 general elections and the consequently, absence of a strong alternative to the saffron party has aided the BJP’s rise. YOU KNOW WHY CAN'T THESE UNFITS, BETTER WATCH THE GOOD GOVERNANCE AND LEARN;

7.
After the latest round of Assembly elections in February and March, the BJP is now in power in 15 states. Ever since the party’s outstanding performance this year, where it it swept two of five states that went to polls – Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand – and also formed the government in another two that saw a hung assembly, Goa and Manipur, there have been calls for the Opposition to come together to create a formidable front against the saffron party. MEDIA, AND OPPOSITION ABUSE SAFFRON COLOUR, THESE BUGGERS REALISE THAT SAFFRON STANDS  FOR SACRIFICE!

8.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar set the ball rolling earlier this month when he urged the Congress and the Left parties to take the lead in forming a mahagathbandhan or grand alliance of the kind that thwarted the BJP’s victory in Bihar in 2015. During a visit to the national capital, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee, also spoke in favour of Opposition unity in Monday. “I’ll be too happy if we all work together,” she told media persons. The Left parties have also come to the same conclusion after a series of meetings. THESE BUGGERS, COULDN'T SHOW RESULTS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE STATES, WHY YOU FOOLS OBSTRUCT A GOOD GOVERNANCE?

9.
Amid the growing clamour for a common platform, Congress President Sonia Gandhi held a high-level meeting with senior leaders of her party on Friday to discuss the way forward, while Vice-President Rahul Gandhi met Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yehcury and and CPI’s D Raja over the last week on the need need to form a broad coalition of secular and democratic forces against the BJP. YOU IDIOTS USE YOUR COMMON PLATFORM FOR THE PROGRESS OF THE NATION, BY PRODUCING RESULTS IN YOUR STATES, INSTEAD DEMONIC THOUGHTS!

10.
As a follow-up, Rajya Sabha Opposition leader and Congress veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad hosted Opposition parties in his Parliament House office on Monday, where it was decided that parties would taken a united stand on the concerns over the tampering of Electronic Voting Machines. GULAM NABHI YOU ARE INCOMPETANT FOOL, YOU ARE A FAILURE IN YOUR STATE KASHMIR, SERVE BETTER IN KASHMIR, THAN TRY TO TOPPLE MODI GOVERNMENT!

11.
After results of the Assembly elections to five states were announced in March, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati and Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal alleged that EVMs had been tampered in some constituencies. This has sparked a debate on the vulnerability of these machines. On Monday, a delegation of Opposition parties submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission requested that until doubts over the possibility of EVM-tampering are cleared, elections should be conducted under the old paper ballot system.
KEJRIWAL YOU ARE SILLY, USELESS FOOL, YOU ARE A FRAUD, SHOW YOUR EFFICIANCY IN DELHI ADMINISTRATION, DON'T WASTE TIME IN FOOLS ALLIANCES!

12
Although a beginning of sorts has been made in forging Opposition unity, there is still no clarity on the path ahead. YOU WON'T BECAUSE YOU TRY TO PUSH A RUNNING TRAIN, DAMAGE IT!

13.
Parties increasingly feel that they need to set aside their differences and come together to put up a fight against the BJP but there are are apprehensions that such a move could end up strengthening the saffron outfit, particularly Prime Minister Modi.

14.
The proposed front, it is feared, may give Modi an opportunity to accuse the Opposition of naked opportunism aimed at cornering him, given the ideological differences and incompatibilities among many of these parties. Even in the recent Uttar Pradesh polls, a large section of voters perceived the Congress-Samajwadi Party alliance as a way to gang-up against Modi. This was among the various reasons voters cited for shunning this alliance.YOU ARE ALL THE KINGS OF PRINCELY STATES, WAR AMONG YOU, AND JUST CONSPIRE WITH ENEMIES TO DEFEAT YOUR OWN MOTHERLAND, BY TOPPLING GOOD GOVERNANCE!

15.
Even the details of such a front would be hard to work out. The Congress is currently the only pan-Indian national party and logically, it would lead the united Opposition platform. But the party’s face, Rahul Gandhi, lacks credibility. The Nehru-Gandhi scion has a long way to go before he is accepted by the people as a serious contender for the prime ministerial contender. Any attempt to project him as the leader of the grand alliance is bound to boomerang and work to the BJP’s advantage. THE ROTTEN DYNASTY IS UNDER THE HEAD OF A LUNATIC, JOIN THAT ASSYLAM;

16
The other option before the Opposition parties is to have a tactical understanding to work together, instead of a formal alliance. However, this arrangement also has its pitfalls. Regional forces like the Janata Dal (United), the Trinamool Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party, the Left parties and the DMK have pockets of strength but lack national presence and are, therefore, not viewed as a serious challenge to the BJP for the general elections. Also, the Opposition will have to necessarily project a prime ministerial candidate who can take on Modi. INSTEAD CONJOINING HANDS IN CONSPIRACY TO PULL DOWN MODI WHO RUNS THE GOVERNMENT IN RIGHT PATH, PRAY FOR THE LON LIFE FOR MODIJI;

The message :-

"RAHUL THE FOOL, DEMON, WITH MENTAL DISORDERS, DO NOT LINE-UP BEHIND HIM BLINDLY, HE WILL TAKE YOU ALL TO THE HELL!"

1.
The other issue confronting the BJP’s political rivals is about its political messaging.

2.
There is a growing realisation in the Congress that Rahul Gandhi’s personalised attacks against Modi have proved to be counter-productive. This is perhaps why the Opposition did not level any direct charges against the BJP while raising concerns over EVM tampering in the recent Uttar Pradesh polls. Instead, it urged the Election Commission to address their concerns in the interest of upholding the integrity of the electoral process.MORE YOU ABUSE MODIJI, HE SPARKS WITH VERY HIGH VOLTAGE!

Many in the Opposition now feel that instead of targetting Modi or the BJP for its apparent communal agenda, they should now put the government in the dock on people’s issues like the agrarian crisis in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and several other states and the slow job creation while also unveiling its own agenda. “The Opposition should not be all about BJP or Modi-bashing…we should tell the people what we have to offer to them,” said a former Congress minister. FOOLS, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DISTURB, NORMALCY, YOU WILL BE PUNISHED

WONDER : HOW THE FOOLS IN UP AND BIHAR VOTED CRIMINALS IN THE BYPOLLS!!!
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Thank you for reading
           JAIHIND.
VANDE MATHARAM