From the ramparts of the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has articulated his grand vision of a long-lasting golden era of progress and prosperity for India, as Maa Bharti bounces back confidently after a thousand years of slavery, subjugation, and impoverishment. Prime Minister Modi, India’s first PM, who was born after independence, is optimistic about the country’s future. His confidence stems from tangible progress after more than nine years of relentless work to decisively uplift each member of the family of 140 crore Indians in every part of the country, irrespective of their religion, region, gender, caste, age, or ethnic identity. Every policy of the Modi government reflects his mantra of ‘reform, perform, and transform’, which is delivering results, particularly for the poor and the underprivileged. This has helped India make the quantum jump from being the world’s tenth largest economy to the fifth rank in nine years, and it is on track to become the third biggest during PM Modi’s third term. This ascent has been propelled by sound economic policies, a determined clampdown on corruption, the plugging of leakages in government expenditure, increased efficiency and transparency in governance, and generous welfare schemes. WOMEN-LED DEVELOPMENT A key part of the transformation is India’s women-led development. As the PM said, India has more women pilots than any other country, and they are at the forefront of high-tech programmes like the moon missions. It is a matter of pride that more girls are taking up science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) than boys. The PM aims to create 2 crore lakhpati didis in villages and involve women in operating and repairing drones. In this transformational journey, the Modi government is liberating the poor from their lifelong struggle for roti, kapda, aur makaan. It has provided direct benefit transfers, free foodgrains to about 80 crore people, countrywide validity of ration cards, toilets that protect the dignity of women, electricity in every village, cooking gas, good roads, health insurance, and affordable internet. Schemes to provide houses and piped drinking water to every household are progressing rapidly. The Modi government has managed inflation much better than other countries or compared with previous regimes, but as the PM said, the government is not complacent. More steps will be taken to minimise the burden of inflation on our countrymen. The PM’s caring and compassionate policies have helped 13.5 crore people move out of poverty and join the ranks of the middle class in five years, until 2021. After a millennium of misery, New India is emerging as a hub of hope, aspiration, and ambition. The country is blessed with rising youth power, women’s power, hardworking workers and farmers, talented artisans and weavers, and a rich cultural tradition that is making global waves. The aspirational youth of India are generating demand and entrepreneurial energy. With the Modi government providing housing, healthcare, and food to the masses and crores of people moving out of the shackles of poverty, demand for various products is rising. This creates new opportunities for our small businesses and traders. It is encouraging talented young men and women to create start-ups, which is converting job seekers into job creators. Under the Modi government’s MUDRA loan scheme, Rs 23 lakh crore has been disbursed to create 8 crore new entrepreneurs. About 70 percent of them are women entrepreneurs, and 51 percent of the beneficiaries are from the SC/ST or OBC categories. India’s transformation, based on the strength and aspirations of its 140 crore people, is visible to the world. Today, India is globally applauded as a bright spot in a turbulent world, despite the twin shocks of the pandemic and the Ukraine crisis.
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