PM Narendra Modi Birthday: 5 bold decisions that laid the foundation for New India

Narendra Modi Birthday: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is celebrating his 72nd birthday today, September 17. Ever since Narendra Modi assumed the office of the Prime Minister of India, he has left no stone unturned to take India on the path of development and make Indians realise their true potential to make India a developed country. Modi, who is known for taking and implementing bold decisions without fearing anyone, has not only earned praise for his strong leadership from all over the world but also made India the fulcrum of the emerging world order.

On the occasion of PM Modi's 72nd birthday, let's take a quick look at 5 bold and big decisions that have impacted 135-crore Indians as a whole:

1. Demonetisation & UPI

It was November 8, 2016, when the country saw a big jerk! PM Modi at 8 PM in an address to the nation announced the ban of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes and introduced new Rs 500 and Rs 2000 notes. This decision was implemented with immediate effect. 

The demonetisation decision led to a massive increase in the use of digital transactions. Digital payments have since then grown and in the last two years of the pandemic, the rapid adoption of UPI for daily transactions hit a new milestone. PM Modi launched BHIM UPI (Bharat Interface for Money - Unified Payments Interface) App on December 31, 2016, and urged people to make digital payments a habit to transform the country into a cashless economy. UPI has since then become synonymous to digital payment which has seen an exponential growth trajectory.

PM Modi in his Independence Day speech this year said that India leads the world in real-time digital payments, accounting for around 40% of transactions.

2. Jan Dhan & JAM Trinity 

The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) was announced by PM Modi on August 1, 2014, and the scheme was launched on August 28 same year. The scheme is touted to be the biggest financial inclusion initiative in the world. The scheme has ensured access to various basic financial services like a savings bank account, insurance, pension and more for the poor who were deprived of such basic facilities for 70 years. The scheme's deep penetration with the effective use of technology helped the government to reach the poor directly while cutting the mediators.

All the Jan Dhan account holders are provided with a Rupay Debit card. Besides, they are also entitled to an accidental insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh. According to the official website of PMJDY, there are as many as 46.6 crore beneficiaries with Rs 172,617.47 crore balance in accounts.

PM Modi often talks about the JAM trinity. JAM stands for -- Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mobile. It has been instrumental in the implementation and the success of the government's welfare schemes. The government uses these three elements to transfer cash-based social assistance directly to the poor. This has also helped the government plug the leakages in the system. All the Jan Dhan accounts are eligible for direct bank transfers and other schemes.

The JAM trinity has invited praise from various quarters for the delivery of benefits of the schemes to the needy in an efficient and timely manner. 

During the pandemic-induced lockdown, that brought the wheels economy to a grinding halt, the JAM trinity allowed the government to reach the needy directly and transfer monetary aid. The success of the JAM trinity and some of the popular schemes like Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana; Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana; Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana; PM Mudra Yojana; Ayushman Bharat Yojana among others have brought positive changes in the living standards of the poor.

3. Make in India

The Make in India initiative was launched by PM Modi in 2014 to boost local manufacturing and reduce dependency on other countries. His dream to transform India into a manufacturing hub has not only given rise to economic activities and foreign fund inflows in the country but also significantly given a phenomenal rise in startups by building a robust ecosystem to encourage entrepreneurship and create jobs.

The Make in India was launched at a time when the country's growth rate was lowest in a decade. The initiative benefitted all -- from multinationals to startups as it seeks to facilitate investment and foster innovation.

Make in India initiative improved the economic situation and converted the disruption caused by Covid-19 into an opportunity for growth. Several announcements by the government like Aatmanirbhar packages, Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY), Startup India and many more brought transformational changes in society. 

4. Goods and Service Tax (GST)

Goods and Services Tax (GST) was first conceptualised by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. But it took more than a decade to implement the path-breaking measure. GST, touted to be India's biggest tax reform since Independence, was finally rolled out on the midnight of June 30 in 2017.

GST changed the way of taxation on goods and services right from the manufacturer to the consumer. GST not only improved the ease of doing business but also fulfilled the vision of 'One Nation, One Tax'.

5. Article 370

After the BJP's thumping victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the party pursued and finally realised its goal of the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35-A. It was August 5, 2019, when the Modi government revoked Jammu & Kashmir's special status by abrogating Articles 370 and Article 35-A. The saffron party termed it total integration and the decision was welcomed by 135 crore Indians. 

Many opposition parties' leaders even supported the move while a few including those from Congress predicted bloodshed. But they have been proved wrong in the last three years. 

People of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh (now 2 UTs) who were deprived of their rights before the abrogation of Articles 370 and Article 35-A are now witnessing an all-around development. The abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35-A commenced a new era of democracy in Jammu and Kashmir. The decision allowed the government to fully implement its policies and deepen public outreach.