September 26, 2024
📰 FEATURE STORY
100 days of Modi 3.0 – What’s the verdict?
Getting a report card is rarely a pleasant experience. For a government in charge, the first 100 days can say a lot about its priorities and what comes next. Policies, schemes, and development projects are the name of the game. Then, there are keeping promises made on the campaign trail.
Modi 3.0 is quite different. This time it’s a coalition government thanks to the resurgent opposition forces. Modi and the BJP don’t exactly have free reign. They have partners to take into consideration and keep happy at every turn. Have they successfully navigated these tricky waters, or has it been a dud?
Context
For many Indians, the most recent Lok Sabha elections were a surprise; some might even say shock. It was a repudiation of Modi, the BJP, and their Hindutva brand of politics. Perhaps not entirely, but to a certain extent. The party lost its parliamentary majority and had to take on coalition partners.
Losing the majority and having coalition governments are two things the BJP wouldn’t have wanted. Modi’s address to the country following the results was still triumphant. He said the country voted for ‘continuity’. In some ways, that has been reflected in some of his decisions. There were barely any cabinet changes, and Modi doubled down on pledges to turn India into a developed country by 2047.
Even on the campaign trail, Modi said the blueprint for the first 100 days of this third term was ready. He said the 100-day plan would begin on June 4 to avoid delays. The plan comprised three categories. Category A were of the utmost priority and be declared as soon as Modi entered office. Category B were to be announced by Union Ministers and Ministers of State within the first few days. Category C were long-term goals and targets, with a 2-3-year planned rollout.
It’s unclear if this blueprint stayed the same once Modi took the oath as Prime Minister for the third consecutive time. The party was weaker, with no absolute majority. The Janata Dal (United) and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) boarded as coalition partners. Much of the discussion at the time was how two parties that tout their secular ideologies would mesh with a Hindutva-forward party.
For its first 100 days, the government had a lot to do. From a narrative standpoint, it had to show that things were relatively normal. In some ways, Modi’s speeches reflected that. But the real question would be, what would the 100 days look like? Would the policies, schemes, and projects flow easily? Would the BJP and its partners constantly butt heads?
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said reforms would continue to provide macroeconomic stability. The government wasn’t going to waver on investing in large-scale infrastructure projects. How has it performed?
VIEW: Laid a strong foundation
For many, the first 100 days of Modi 3.0 have shown why Modi and the BJP, despite being numerically weakened, remain the best bet for India and its future. The previous decade saw India emerge as the world’s fastest-growing economy. The hopes and goals of the NDA government haven’t necessarily been diluted just because there’s a coalition at the centre. This is perhaps most evident with the government’s focus on physical infrastructure, with projects worth ₹3 lakh crore launched so far. The ₹76,000 crore all-weather deep water port in Maharashtra is a shining example.
India recovered relatively quickly from the pandemic and certainly better than most developing economies. The Modi 3.0 government showed no signs of slowing down with a capex budget outlay of 3.4% of GDP. Bold decisions haven’t taken a back seat. The government has brought citizens 70 and above under the Ayushman Bharat medical insurance scheme. It has also introduced the United Pension Scheme. 3 crore houses were approved under the PMAY, continuing its commitment toward affordable housing. This year’s budget brought tax relief to the middle class with revised slabs to reduce the tax burden.
There’s a clear intention to make India a manufacturing hub to compete with China. Things are already up and running with the recent announcement of 12 new Industrial Smart Cities. The Northeast has got plenty of attention thanks to several projects, including a Cancer Institute in Arunachal Pradesh and infrastructure improvement, benefitting villages in Assam, Sikkim, and Manipur. Overall, the governance model has remained consistent. The government has worked to distribute development resources on class lines, focusing on women, children, and the poor.
COUNTERVIEW: It’s not all rosy
The BJP has sought to project an image of strength even as voices of dissent register themselves. While Modi remains the top dog, the previously impregnable halo has disappeared. A couple of ways to look at the first 100 days – a resurgent opposition and the same strongman tendencies. The government hasn’t been able to steamroll through legislation. For example, it revoked the advertisement for lateral entry appointments, withdrew a draft of the Broadcast Bill, and restored the indexation benefit on long-term capital gains.
Right now, the coalition looks relatively stable thanks to infrastructure projects announced for the partners’ respective states. But there’s a possible point of contention – caste. The JD(U) and TDP have indicated they’re willing to join the chorus of support for a caste-based census. The BJP wants nothing to do with it. Parties can’t afford to ignore the demands of backward classes. There’s also pressure for a legal demand for a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers.
The first 100 days have shown no indication that the government will be able to create adequate formal jobs. There’s growing inequality, and the resurgent opposition has decided that redistribution and representation have electoral clout. The Supreme Court, often criticised for bowing to government pressure, has been more assertive in recent politically charged cases. It blocked three BJP-ruled states from mandating shops and eateries on a pilgrimage route to display their owners’ names. While none of these are disastrous for Modi, it has shown that Modi 3.0 won’t be an easy ride.
Reference Links:
- What does Modi 3.0 look like? – The Economist
- Consensus: A New Approach in Economic Reforms for Modi 3.0 – ORF
- Modi government’s 100-day celebrations in 2019 and 2024 show a changed focus in governance – The Print
- Report Card Of First 100 Days Of Modi 3.0 Reflects All-Round Successes And Path-Breaking Initiatives – Bizz Buzz
- 100 days of Modi 3.0: Transforming India along with North East – Organiser
- First 100 days of Modi 3.0 – A broad outlook – The Economic Times
- 100 days of Modi 3.0 vs Modi 2.0: Why C is for contrast – India Today
- Modi 3.0: Continuity in Policy and Prejudice – The Diplomat
What is your opinion on this?
(Only subscribers can participate in polls)
a) The first 100 days of Modi 3.0 have been successful.
b) The first 100 days of Modi 3.0 have been unsuccessful.
Previous poll’s results:
- The government’s data on forest cover is believable: 26.7%
- The government’s data on forest cover isn’t believable: 73.3% 🏆
🕵️ BEYOND ECHO CHAMBERS
For the Right:
Centre must pull Manipur back from the brink of ruin
For the Left:
Samsung test for TN when it’s rolling out the red carpet