Modi's first year challenges and accomplishments

[sangom]

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The BACK Benchers with Priyanka Nimse and 46 others

Since last few days, I have seen quite a few jokes on Narendra Modi i's foreign visits.... and all people are curious why Narendra Modi visits so many countries..., and what is India achieving from it. .

Narendra Modi is no greenhorn in politics and statecraft. . . He has already achieved more for Gujarat in his tenure as CM there than any Indian state ever had. . . Few hidden (because the main stream media will purposely ignore them) achievements are given below: . .

1. BJP Govt. convinced Saudi Arabia not to charge “On-Time Delivery Premium charges" on Crude Oil – Young Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan & External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj sealed the deal. Saved the country thousands of crores... . .

2. India will build 4 Hydroelectric power stations + Dams in Bhutan (India will get lion's share in Green energy that will be produced in future from these projects) . .

3. India will build Biggest ever dam of Nepal (China was trying hard to get that) – India will get 83% Green energy produce from that hydro power station for free – in future. . . . .

4. Increased relationship with Japan and they agreed to invest $ 30 Billion in DMIC (Delhi – Mumbai Investment Corridor). That's Rs 200,000 crores by today's exchange rates..... . .

5. Increased strategic relationship with Vietnam and Vietnam has now agreed to give contract of Oil exploration to ONGC-Videsh (UPA was not ready to take this at all because they were worried about China – and getting into a conflict of interests on south China sea). The UPA had always been on the backfoot about every aspect of foreign policy. . .

6. Increase Oil Imports from Iran, despite the ban by USA. . Iran agreed to sell in Indian Rupees and it saved our Forex, not just for now, but protected India from future currency fluctuations. India also gets to build “Chabahar” port of Iran, encircling Pakistan. Because we well have exclusive access for our Naval ships in this port. . .

7. India – Australia (NaMo is first PM to visit Australia after 28 yrs), despite Australia being a major supplier of Coal & Uranium. . . NaMo was able to convince Tony Abbott and now Australia will supply Uranium for our energy production. . . .

8. China leaning President Rajapakse lost elections in Sri Lanka – Remember UPA lost “Hambantota” port development – read latest
report of CIA, where they mention RAW has played a major role in power shift of Sri Lanka. Now Modi has confirmed he is visiting Sri Lanka in April. And Sri Lanka has backed out of Chinese contract and shifted to Indian project managers. . .


9. With China, as Trade Deficit was increasing, NaMo forced their hand. Anti-Dumping will come soon so China will invest heavily into India. – China has already committed $ 20 billion Investment in India. That's nearly ₹140,000 crores. . . .

10. On Security – I think adding Ajit Doval to his team is the best decision by NaMo. See the recent tie-up with Pentagon, Israel & Japan. . . Remember I. K. Gujaral as PM stopped RAW’s offensive operations in foreign countries. . Now see how we stopped the Terror Boat and listen to his words … “Any Mumbai like attack from Pakistan and Pakistan will lose Baluchistan!" That's the language of deterrence that I want to hear as an Indian. We won't hit first, but if you do, we surely won't turn the other cheek.... . . .

11. India approved the border road in the NorthEast and around India- China border – Remember just because of China’s opposition, the ADB (Asian Development Bank) didn’t give us funds during UPA regime and UPA held that file under “Environment Ministry control – Remember the infamous “JAYANTHI TAX "? No one bothered about the disastrous effect on our armed forces. . . .

12. India managed to bring back 4,500+ Indians from War zone in Yemen and also brought foreign nationals of 41 different countries, which put India’s name onto the highest platform globally in conducting that rescue mission – PM Narendra Modi specially talked to the new Saudi Arabian king Salman and told him to allow Indian Airforce planes to fly – as Saudi Arabia was attacking on Yemen and Yemen skies was declared NO-FLY Zone: thanks to this we got an assured clear window of a few hours and guys guess who coordinated this? Ajit Doval, Sushama Swaraj and Gen V K Singh. All in person.... When was the last time you ever heard of ministers involved personally in such efforts that didn't fetch thousands of crores?? Guess the religion of those rescued?? But it isn't secular to mention that most of those rescued from Yemen or earlier from Iraq weren't Hindus at all.. . .

13. India’s Air defense was getting weaker by the day, UPA was very happy to let it happen despite repeated specific inputs from the armed forces, NaMo renegotiated Rafale fighter Jets deal with France personally and bought 36 Jets on ASAP basis. At better than rack rates. No middlemen, no commissions... . . .

14. For the first time after 42 yrs Indian Prime Minister visited Canada not to attend some meeting but as a specific state visit, in a Bilateral deal, India was able convince to Canada to supply Uranium for India’s Nuclear reactors for next 5 years. It will be of great help to resolve India’s Power problems. . . .

15. Canada approves visa on arrival for all Indian tourists. . . .

16. Till recently we were exclusively buying Nuclear Reactors from Russia or USA and it was much like beggar kind of situation because they were worried about usage of Nuclear reactor for some other use. So only what they opted to give us, we could get. . Now Narendra Modi was able to convince France and now France will make Nuclear reactors with the latest technology in India. On MAKE IN INDIA efforts.. with collaboration with an Indian company as a partner. . .

17. During 26th Jan. visit of Barack Obama, NaMo convinced USA to drop rule of Nuclear fuel tracking and sorted out Liabilities rules which now open the gates for next 16 Nuclear power plant projects. . . . Isn't this good enough to improve the lot of India?? . .
The paid media # Presstitutes will ensure you never get to hear this... . . Spread the word. It's worth the trouble.

Source: face book

Dear Shri Balasubramani,

All the achievements are great! But, to me, as an ordinary Indian I would say that any government in Delhi should be more actively working on the pressing problems of our country, like poverty, unemployment, corruption at all levels of the government machinery, and so on, so that the ordinary Indian gets to live a better life. While it is true that the GOI or its ministers have not come under any cloud of corrupton (like the 2G, coalmines scam, etc.) the corruption at the lower levels, even in the Delhi bureaucracy, continues unchanged, I am told.

Secondly, there is always "the other end" of the rope to many of the achievements listed above, such as— an adequate power distribution system and network within the country. Charity begins at home, the saying goes. It is a good karma indeed to save so many humans from the Yemeni war zone, but the Modi government has been unable to save even one of the Indian peasants who committed suicide.

It is my view that the Modi government, like some children, is more interested in getting applauded by other countries and lacks the skill to improve the lives of the poor in India.

 

[prasad1]

[h=1]The one-man show[/h] Anita Joshua

[h=2]The Prime Minister is mostly absent in Parliament. When present, he is scornful of the system.[/h]
According to Shaktisinh Gohil, former Leader of the Opposition in the Gujarat Assembly, Mr. Modi is trying to replicate the much-talked-about Gujarat model in Parliament. “He once got 12 laws passed in 17 minutes in 2009 after getting the Opposition suspended from the House. Under him, the Assembly would be convened once every six months just to meet the constitutional requirement.” The Congress insists that Mr. Modi “never addressed the legislature — not even during the motion of thanks to the Governor's address — nor responded to questions pertaining to ministries under his watch.” Further, a third of the starred questions asked by the Opposition would never even reach the Assembly, where it had become a norm to suspend Opposition members every Session. And the Gujarat Assembly never met for more than 23 days in a year through his years as Chief Minister.
..................................
Mr. Modi himself rarely puts in an appearance — unless absolutely unavoidable — and even missed the crucial vote on the Constitution Amendment to introduce the Goods and Services Tax regime. He made amends the following day when the Constitution Amendment for the land swap agreement with Bangladesh was put to vote and, in a rare show of bipartisanship, even thanked the Opposition for its passage.
...............................
Let alone the Opposition, he seldom engages with his own party legislators — or ministers — when he does attend the Lok Sabha. Few BJP members dare to approach him, even though he is the Leader of the House. His interventions have been few and far between, and he does not brook counter-questions. After ceaselessly calling his predecessor ‘Maun (silent) Mohan Singh’, Mr. Modi’s silence in Parliament speaks volumes. Even the mandatory statement presented in both Houses after an overseas visit is left to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
The one-man show - The Hindu

 

[Iyyarooraan]

Usually the worms come to light when the rock is dislodged. One has to wait, and cannot defeat the purpose of the voters. They have not voted him in full confidence. Technically he has been catapulted. Whether he loves India and Indians or not, we will allow him to run the term. The rocks of politics are still settling down after the electoral earthquake. We all know India is a resilient country not in economics only but also in politics.

 

[Jaykay767]

Folks – please take my post in the right spirit !!

First off, this govt came on the singular promise of “development for all”, repeated in every election rally for 2 yrs into the run up of the elections. Huge hype was built about the development agenda!

Given the above expectations, the Govt performance is a complete failure. Lets me explain why…

No Big Reform Agenda – No large scale development, uplifting the poor, etc.. can happen without big ticket reform, & that too given our experience of the famous PV Narasimha Rao liberalization. So it is a terrible miss for this govt. No Infra reforms, No urban/rural sector reforms, No Tax reforms, No Market reforms, No finance reforms, No broad based FDI policy, No Social sector reforms – No social security, no universal healthcare, No IT sector reforms, No Manufacturing reforms given the Make in India campaign, No PSU reforms, No dis-investment plan, No minimum govt – No privatization agenda, etc…

Development for all – All communities came together under this slogan & voted for the Govt. what happens ? Right from ministers, allied parties, organizations etc… start talking continuously about communal issues leading to huge insecurity to the minorities. The atmosphere of the new govt has allowed the fringe elements to come to the center – this is where the Govt has failed to move decisively & voice its opposition to stop this.

Foreign Policy is extremely dangerous – people en-masse voted for development, so why are we focusing so much time on foreign policy?, Someone has taken a leaf out of Obama thinking he is a great success most definitely from one of our great NRIs – LOL !!, who became some great foreign policy hero when he was voted to set right the economy & create Jobs.. LOL !!

By this so called new foreign policy, we have created huge enemies in Pakistan & China that too unnecessarily. After the so called swearing in ceremony diplomacy, shawls were exchanged creating a huge bon-homie & then immediately we went into the “lets teach Pakistan a lesson” as a response to some “silly small arm firing at the border”. Pakistan was so upset with the dis-proportionate response, it is now campaigning continuously against us. They did not even bother about all the condolences & concerns showed by India on the 140 kids killed in Pakistan. They are on a war path against us.. so what kind of foreign policy starts with “love affair of exchanging shawls” to “war” ????

By openly saying Pakistan does not have the guts to start a war with India, we have effectively insulted the “generals of Pakistan” & any one of them can launch a nuke against us.. Astonishing lack of Statecraft..one should never insult an enemy.

What was the need to go to Japan & talk about China’s expansionist policy?. By going to the USA & calling Obama here, it has further alienated China & its troops are standing right in front of us in an eyeball to eyeball confrontation. When Obama was in India, China was so upset,Sushma Swaraj had to run to China to calm them down in the middle of Obama visit.. what is the need for this “ridiculous love affair” with USA????

By going to all countries surrounding china like Mongolia etc. & donating 1 Bil $ in a dangerous “circle china” policy we are inviting a direct war when 100s of millions of our people are dying in poverty.

Corruption – Now just coz there is no big noise like 2G scam, coal scam etc… does not mean corruption at high level has disappeared.Just coz the media is shouting on top of the voice does not mean in 1 yr, India has become heaven… LOL !!

Nothing has changed on the ground in terms of corruption,there is no anti-corruption law, the govt has not brought all the corrupt to book & brought back lakhs of crores to the coffer & distributed to the poor.

Black money is forgotten after saying we will give 15 lacs to every Indian. So lets not kid ourselves that Corruption has disappeared. If we continue this euphoria, then in another year, everyone will openly lie that there are NO poor in India & believe so.. LOL!!!

Govt has alienated all the political parties & we are in a “deadlock” in the parliament within 1 yr , & nothing moves. Déjà vu - like how Obama alienated the republicans from day 1 by pushing the healthcare reform & blamed the opposition for all his fault.. smart politics maybe, but the country is suffering.

Finally the govt seems to believe that all it needs is to“clear projects” by pushing the bureaucrats & get some commitment of a few billions from each country. Why will any one of this foreign company invest in BIMARU states instead of in South states ? so more investment will flow to south & more immigrants will flood here. that’s all will happen if you do not “create big impact by far reaching reforms & policies in the BIMARU states” !!!

In this regard, let me again repeat, the entire Gujarat development is a mega hype. None of the MNCs are in Gujarat – - No Microsoft,No Honda, No Hyundai, No GE, No Intel, No IBM, No Infosys, No TCS, No Cognizant, No Sonata, No Cisco, No Netapps, No Apple, No Toyota, No Volvo, No Coke,No Pepsi, etc... Even pharmas are mostly in Maharastra & Karnataka,Hyderabad even if they have their headquarters in Gujarat. Except for Reliance &Adani, there are hardly any companies there. By the way people migrating from Gujarat to Mumbai/South for Jobs year on year has not stopped!! so what model of development are we talking here ?

Folks – pray tell me, how can you bring radical reforms when you have ministers who are all “just ordinary politicians & totally ill-qualified to do the job” (being very charitable here.. LOL), just coz people voted in large nos. does not make them geniuses.. LOL !!

I will be more than happy to change my opinion if one can show “large scale development” impacting millions of people anywhere in this country due to the New Govt policies which unfortunately is not the case, nord o we see any reform direction in this regard.

 

[a-TB]

India & Prime Minister is fortunate not to have advisers with warped and negative thinking (like those shown in post such as numbers 78 & 79).

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Dear Shri Balasubramani,

All the achievements are great! But, to me, as an ordinary Indian I would say that any government in Delhi should be more actively working on the pressing problems of our country, like poverty, unemployment, corruption at all levels of the government machinery, and so on, so that the ordinary Indian gets to live a better life. While it is true that the GOI or its ministers have not come under any cloud of corrupton (like the 2G, coalmines scam, etc.) the corruption at the lower levels, even in the Delhi bureaucracy, continues unchanged, I am told.

Secondly, there is always "the other end" of the rope to many of the achievements listed above, such as— an adequate power distribution system and network within the country. Charity begins at home, the saying goes. It is a good karma indeed to save so many humans from the Yemeni war zone, but the Modi government has been unable to save even one of the Indian peasants who committed suicide.

It is my view that the Modi government, like some children, is more interested in getting applauded by other countries and lacks the skill to improve the lives of the poor in India.

Shri Sangom Ji,

Governments are elected to rule for a full term of five years. And once a new Government assume charge either at the Centre or at State, they plan various schemes for uplifting the lives of poor and to implement the Election manifesto, I mean the promises made to lure the general public.

They do draw a road map to achieve Plans, Schemes, programmers, etc welfare measures.

Some of the programme are successful and achieved as expected, but few fail for various reasons.

In fact it is a ‘ Decay of a Decade’ and that requires more time to change the mind set of the people in eradicating corruption at lower level with stringent laws and effective enforcement.

I feel it is too short period to assess/evaluate the performance of a Government.

So, let us wait by giving the ruling Government sufficient time to implement the schemes and see that the desirable results are achieved one by one during the tenure.

And if they are unable to deliver the goods, public themselves will go for a change.

This review is just to discuss as to where do we stand now.

And thanks for your opinion.

Now. you can just go through this one more list, provided if you have time, as this one is straight from the horse’s mouth!!!

"Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on One Year of Narendra Modi Government: Highlights

New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today addressed the media on first anniversary of the Narendra Modi government where he said that the quick decision-making in the face of obstructionism was a hallmark of his government.

Here are the highlights of Mr Jaitley's press conference:

This 1 year shows the direction in which this government is working under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi
·
Not only in India, but in the entire world, the respect for India and the PM Modi has increased
·
The PM has visited 18 countries and India has been able to achieve a unique place
·
In Iraq, Maldives and Nepal when there was trouble, India left its mark through its diplomacy and foreign policy
·
India has occupied a pre-eminent place in the global arena
·
Initiatives undertaken in sectors such as power, coal and mining are noteworthy; they show a transparent model for reforms
·
There was a general environment of gloom a year ago. That has been replaced by hope and excitement.
·
The restlessness is to grow even faster which is the real potential of India
·
Decisiveness, even in the face of obstructionism, has been a hallmark of this government
·
Expansion of space in Jammu and Kashmir for mainstream political parties is a major achievement for the nation
·
Decisions are being taken in the direction which augment growth and promote development
·
There must be transparency in governance
·
Governance should be on the basis of principles and not personalities
·
People felt that the decision making process of government of India was so controversial and discretionary that even investors were prosecuted. That air has been cleared by the transparency

Read more at: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on One Year of Narendra Modi Government: Highlights

 

[Brahmanyan]

At the outset I must admit , as one who has spent most part of his professional life with leading media house, I do not give much credance to the opinion of the writers in media, neither of the statistics thrown to us in the media.

Let us be more pragmatic in evaluating Mr Narendra Modi's first year of rule. In a federal setup of governance like ous, the results of reforms initiated by Central Government will take a long time to reach the people at large, provided the State Governments gearup the administration for implementing the same. Clearing the the muck and dirt left by the scam tainted previous regime is itself an insurmoutable job which will take enourmous time and effort. The people have been watching helplessly the obstructionist tactics of the electorally decimated Congress in the Parliament to stall the progressive policies of Mr Modi. Inspite of all these impediments the fledgling regime under Mr Modi has shown all round improvement in Governance in one year. Ofcourse there are a lot of areas which the present Government have to cover, towards which we hope Mr Modi will turn his attention during the rest of the years.

Mr Modi should take immediate efforts to tackle the spiralling price-rise of consumer essentials like food and vegetables. His Government should rethink on the personal taxation structure. He should reduce the Tax limits or do away the Service tax. Taxation on Petroleum products which is the main component of price of commodities should be reduced considerably. His idea of better Bharat should be based on improving the condition of poorest of the poor.

Let us offer our help in good governance, which will benefit all.

Brahmanyan,
Bangalore.

 

[sangom]

Shri Sangom Ji,

Governments are elected to rule for a full term of five years. And once a new Government assume charge either at the Centre or at State, they plan various schemes for uplifting the lives of poor and to implement the Election manifesto, I mean the promises made to lure the general public.

They do draw a road map to achieve Plans, Schemes, programmers, etc welfare measures.

Some of the programme are successful and achieved as expected, but few fail for various reasons.

In fact it is a ‘ Decay of a Decade’ and that requires more time to change the mind set of the people in eradicating corruption at lower level with stringent laws and effective enforcement.

I feel it is too short period to assess/evaluate the performance of a Government.

So, let us wait by giving the ruling Government sufficient time to implement the schemes and see that the desirable results are achieved one by one during the tenure.

And if they are unable to deliver the goods, public themselves will go for a change.

This review is just to discuss as to where do we stand now.

And thanks for your opinion.

Now. you can just go through this one more list, provided if you have time, as this one is straight from the horse’s mouth!!!

"Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on One Year of Narendra Modi Government: Highlights

New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today addressed the media on first anniversary of the Narendra Modi government where he said that the quick decision-making in the face of obstructionism was a hallmark of his government.

Here are the highlights of Mr Jaitley's press conference:

This 1 year shows the direction in which this government is working under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi
·
Not only in India, but in the entire world, the respect for India and the PM Modi has increased
·
The PM has visited 18 countries and India has been able to achieve a unique place
·
In Iraq, Maldives and Nepal when there was trouble, India left its mark through its diplomacy and foreign policy
·
India has occupied a pre-eminent place in the global arena
·
Initiatives undertaken in sectors such as power, coal and mining are noteworthy; they show a transparent model for reforms
·
There was a general environment of gloom a year ago. That has been replaced by hope and excitement.
·
The restlessness is to grow even faster which is the real potential of India
·
Decisiveness, even in the face of obstructionism, has been a hallmark of this government
·
Expansion of space in Jammu and Kashmir for mainstream political parties is a major achievement for the nation
·
Decisions are being taken in the direction which augment growth and promote development
·
There must be transparency in governance
·
Governance should be on the basis of principles and not personalities
·
People felt that the decision making process of government of India was so controversial and discretionary that even investors were prosecuted. That air has been cleared by the transparency

Read more at: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on One Year of Narendra Modi Government: Highlights

Shri Balasubramani ji,

Most of what Shri Jaitley claims are no more than personal views of himself and, perhaps, his partymen. But beyond that there lies the vast country (India) with its equally vast (large) and multi-cultured population, of which only 31% or so voted for BJP in 2014. Modi's one year rule has not done anything significant (in fact, it has not even brought down prices of essential commodities for the man at the lowest level) to improve the lives of the poor. At the same time, Modi's foreign trips seem to be rather unnecessary especially when India has diplomatic relations with most of the countries he visited and much work could have been got done through our embassies/consulates in those countries.

It is best to bear in mind that no country will act against its own self-interests (read, selfish interests) in today's world, despite any or all agreements/undertakings/contracts. For example, France has probably indicated or even agreed in writing to "build" atomic reactors for power generation in India, but whether it will supply the required fuel, we don't know. We also don't know whether the Uranium to be supplied by OZ will be suitable for the French built reactors! There are many such unknowns/imponderables in all the achievements claimed for Modi.

 

[Vaagmi]

I would have preferred to have a list of milestones that Modi promised to achieve in a timebound manner. Unfortunately we do not have that because Modi did not give us one. No politician would give us that because they are not sure themselves. And it is risky.

Madam Gandhi gave us a slogan Garibi hatao and we were wondering "in how many years and what are the metrics?"

Has garibi or a 50 % of it has been kicked out? Your guess is as good as mine.

Politicians speak in broad fuzzy terms. They can never be tied down to specifics.

Modi is not corrupt. Let us hope he kicks out corruption in at least another year's time. That will make it a two year project. We can wait. But if that time limit is not determined it will be just another Garibi hatao drama.

If I were Modi, I would give priority to the following:

a) Corruption will be completely abolished. I would bring necessary legislation to hang corrupt men in power after due enquiry and a fair trial. Time line 2 years.

b) I will release education to be a private enterprise. Only grants for salaries of teachers/ lecturers/ professors will be coming from Government. The rest of the infrastructure will have to come from private individuals. any one can start a school or a college anywhere and will have to meet a minimum set of requirements. At the 5th standard, 10th standard and then every year untill completion of PG there will be examinations conducted by a national authority. The syllabus will the same across the country. Thus a student who studied in a chennai school can sit for exam in a Delhi centre. And a student who studied in an Army school in Bomdila can sit for his examinations in Kanyakumari. Research Labs will be National Assets helping bright and interested scholars to pursue research. Time line 1 year.

c) Remember the good old warhorses-the industrial estates and planned development of industrial clusters of R.Venkatraman's time? Yes FDIs will be encouraged to invest in such clusters along the coast in the small port towns. The stress will be on capacity building and economy of scale. Thus there will be Fabs which produce the total requirement of components of the world for VLSs. If China can do that India can certainly do that and do it better. Time line 4 years.

And if I do not achieve any of these or many others which I will list along with the promised timeline, I promise I will not contest the next election.

 

[Vaagmi]

Shri Balasubramani ji,

Most of what Shri Jaitley claims are no more than personal views of himself and, perhaps, his partymen. But beyond that there lies the vast country (India) with its equally vast (large) and multi-cultured population, of which only 31% or so voted for BJP in 2014. Modi's one year rule has not done anything significant (in fact, it has not even brought down prices of essential commodities for the man at the lowest level) to improve the lives of the poor. At the same time, Modi's foreign trips seem to be rather unnecessary especially when India has diplomatic relations with most of the countries he visited and much work could have been got done through our embassies/consulates in those countries.

It is best to bear in mind that no country will act against its own self-interests (read, selfish interests) in today's world, despite any or all agreements/undertakings/contracts. For example, France has probably indicated or even agreed in writing to "build" atomic reactors for power generation in India, but whether it will supply the required fuel, we don't know. We also don't know whether the Uranium to be supplied by OZ will be suitable for the French built reactors! There are many such unknowns/imponderables in all the achievements claimed for Modi.

This whirlwind tour of Modi reminds me of Madam Gandhi's tour of countries just before the Bangladesh war. That was a brilliant move by Mrs. Gandhi. She personally represented to the world leaders who were all powerful men and women about the load on India due to the refugees pouring in and the possibility of a full scale war between India and Pakistan. She was given a cold shoulder by some and a lot of liberal advice against war by some others. She was even slighted and insulted by some powerful leaders of that time. But she had a good measure of the stuff with which these men were made and to what extent would they move against India when the chips are down. She came back from the tour and decided. That decision was a crucial and momentous decision. We all know what was the result.

I think Modi would have had a measure of the leaders of the nations today. and I am sure he would use that knowledge in taking some bold decisions on defence and economy. We will wait.

 

[mkrishna100]

I would have preferred to have a list of milestones that Modi promised to achieve in a timebound manner. Unfortunately we do not have that because Modi did not give us one. No politician would give us that because they are not sure themselves. And it is risky.

During elections to the 2014 Parliamentray Elections Modi told that he will give his report card in 2019 i.e before seeking re-election and told people that you gave 60 years to Congree and they have to give him at least 60 months ( i.e 5 years ) and hence we have to wait for Modi's report card only in 2019 . No idea what that report card will contain but at least he promised he will present his report card in 2019 .

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Shri Balasubramani ji,

But beyond that there lies the vast country (India) with its equally vast (large) and multi-cultured population, of which only 31% or so voted for BJP in 2014.

Sri Sangom Ji,

Can you just tell me why this 31% voted for BJP led NDA Government? It is just because these 31% are certainly not happy with the performance of then Government. Hence they sought change and ousted the Government which failed to deliver the goods and gave opportunity for the new Government to perform better.

You may be knowing the massive victory gained by the BJP led NDA during the last 2014 Lok Sabha Election, followed by victories in the Assembly Polls held at States viz. Haryana, J & K, Jharkand and Mahastra. In Maharastra, BJP was able to form Government. These are all facts.

While so, the very same BJP was unable to secure victory in Delhi Election, bcos the general public of Delhi preferred AAP for various reasons. It is mood of the general public, viz the poor who are the vote bank, more especially at the time of conduct of Election.

There are lot of programmes going on in many TV channels with discussions and debates on the burning issue ‘Whether BJP’s popularity is gaining or waning’.

My point is no Party can do wonders within a period of 365 days honestly speaking.

This Government which was hitherto enjoying its honeymoon has now geared up into action and the wheel of performance is in motion covering all fields by the respective Ministries. The Party has miles to go and dreams to fulfill and goods to deliver.

Let us wait.

 

[tbs]

hi

see the latest news on economy by CII....a clear picture....

???????? ??????? ????????? ????? ?????????? ??????? ?????: ???? - Dinamani - Tamil Daily News

 

[sarang]

Every sector and every group will have its own expectations and demands, and some may be contradictory. All cannot be satisfied as the chairman of HDFC ltd, who said sometime ago that the govt has not done anything for his sector, despite being a member of the advisory panel on economics. He was expecting total unshackling of banking sector. Views of industrialists, economists, institutions will be coloured by what they expected and what they got. To be taken with a pinch of salt.

We must go by what modi said in his rallies and what is in bjp manifesto. Indian economy cannot be driven by FDI, especially in those sectors which do not generate jobs or manufacturing capacity. Any day the investors may change their plans, and take back the money invested, like 'aaya ram, gaya ram'. There are studies to show that a small percentage of of such investment in micro and medium sectors will generate ten times more employment. It is not 'either' or 'or' but 'and'.

He has emphasized that the primary aim is to improve the lot of 'daridra narayan' by ensuring he gets the full subsidy he is entitled without leaks, gets education and skill training, and infrastructure (roads, communication, easy availability of finance), social security net, and the confidence to earn a decent living without migrating to perceived greener pastures leaving parents and family behind. Volatility of the market is seen every day, it is difficult to expect that 300 odd companies traded every day can decide the fate of our country.

Power generation has exceeded considerably, as most of the thermal power stations lying idle have been modernized and recommissioned. TV channels are not talking about power cuts in the capital.

In the rallies planned, perhaps modi will directly talk to the people with facts and figures what has been done so far.

He thinks differently and acts differently

 

[sangom]

Sri Sangom Ji,

Can you just tell me why this 31% voted for BJP led NDA Government? It is just because these 31% are certainly not happy with the performance of then Government. Hence they sought change and ousted the Government which failed to deliver the goods and gave opportunity for the new Government to perform better.

You may be knowing the massive victory gained by the BJP led NDA during the last 2014 Lok Sabha Election, followed by victories in the Assembly Polls held at States viz. Haryana, J & K, Jharkand and Mahastra. In Maharastra, BJP was able to form Government. These are all facts.

While so, the very same BJP was unable to secure victory in Delhi Election, bcos the general public of Delhi preferred AAP for various reasons. It is mood of the general public, viz the poor who are the vote bank, more especially at the time of conduct of Election.

There are lot of programmes going on in many TV channels with discussions and debates on the burning issue ‘Whether BJP’s popularity is gaining or waning’.

My point is no Party can do wonders within a period of 365 days honestly speaking.

This Government which was hitherto enjoying its honeymoon has now geared up into action and the wheel of performance is in motion covering all fields by the respective Ministries. The Party has miles to go and dreams to fulfill and goods to deliver.

Let us wait.

Shri Balasubramani ji,

I agree that we all have to wait and then come to a conclusion, at the end of five years. But you see, we do not take this "wait and see" attitude to judge our children when they are growing up, and, even when they are very small kids, we try to point out the undesirable aspects and goad them in the correct path, irrespective of whether the babies' actions are innocent or deliberate. In the same manner, I think people like me who really desire that the Modi government erases all the stains of the past and brings happiness to even the poorest of the poor in this country, do try to point out inadequacies so that the government can do course corrections.

Among the "claims" for Modi government, contained in the above post, may I point out that Maharashtra did not give majority to Modi's party, and same happened in J&K; does this mean that Modi's charm had waned even by that time? It is not possible that the poor people of these states are more, or, less intelligent than the poor people of the other states.

Right now Telengana, AP and much of North India is reeling under an unprecedented heat wave. Modi has plans to convert as much land as possible into roads, factories, godowns, etc., in the name of development! So, we can imagine the state of affairs after 5 or 6 years, will be much worse!!

It is for such reasons that I get the feeling that Modi also does not have the required skill to govern wisely.

In one channel, the anchor said that Nitin Gadkari's ministry building has a large wall paper at its entrance which says, "America is rich because its roads are very wide." I don't know how true this is!

 

[mkrishna100]

In one channel, the anchor said that Nitin Gadkari's ministry building has a large wall paper at its entrance which says, "America is rich because its roads are very wide." I don't know how true this is!

The actual quote is “American roads are not good because America is rich. America is rich because American roads are good.

 

[prasad1]

This week, it will be a year since Narendra Modi took on the oaths and office of prime minister of India. It's a good time to take stock of how Modi has changed India, and India its view of Modi..
Purely in terms of political arithmetic, few Indian politicians have earned the post of prime minister as much as Modi. Despite its vast cadre, Modi’s Hindu nationalist (or Hindu conservative) Bharatiya Janata Party needed his charisma and crossover appeal to even imagine winning a majority in such a diverse country. Even the tagline of the BJP’s campaign emphasized the person, not the party: “Ab ki baar, Modi sarkaar” -- this time around, a Modi government.
Modi’s main challenger, the undeserving Congress Party princeling Rahul Gandhi, was and probably will always be a political lightweight. While Modi appeared to transcend his own party’s limitations, Gandhi seemed, more than anything else, to incarnate his own.
There was no looking away, then, from Modi, or from the challenge this choice presented. For India to move ahead, it could not go past Modi -- it would have to go through him. A candidate for prime minister has the advantage of being a relatively free, unpressured, untested agent; a prime minister is a combination of his person and his office, of fulfilled power and onerous responsibility. Even voters skeptical of Modi the personality hoped that he would not only be disciplined by the demands and precedents of his office, but also schooled by it into a more creative vision of and for India. After all, which window in India offers a better view of the land?
And it is on this front that Modi has been found wanting.
Much has been said in the last week about Modi’s difficulties in implementing his promised economic reforms thanks to the legislative and political roadblocks in his way. It seems fair to say that no firm conclusions can be drawn yet on his stewardship of the economy.
But when it comes to his engagement with other fundamental Indian principles, Modi’s personal and intellectual limitations have been badly exposed. Late last year, right-wing Hindu nationalist groups with strong links to Modi started campaigns to convert Indian Muslims and Christians to Hinduism, then to celebrate the anniversary of the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi as Heroism Day. Modi, otherwise the most declamatory of politicians, remained a silent onlooker for months.
If he took any steps to contain these disruptions, they took place in private and should be thought of as crisis management, not leadership. When in February he declared, belatedly, that his government was firmly committed to secularism, he earned no great credit for it. His long silence had already spoken for him, and before him, and against him.
Modi’s great delusion is to believe that merely by opportunistically endorsing Indian secularism, he carries out the responsibilities of his office. For the job of the Indian prime minister is surely not to repeat an already enshrined principle, but to interpret it and advance it.
In the case of secularism, this is especially necessary: The word is so integral to modern India’s sense of itself, and yet, as political scientist Rajeev Bhargava points out, so resistant to clear definition, so distinctive in its Indian incarnation. A great leader stands or falls by the quality of his thinking on grand themes. Modi draws a blank on this one. And there is a larger point to be made: Modi is out of tune with the time itself.
From around the time Modi was born, in 1950, the play of democratic rights and freedoms and religious liberty have churned traditional Indian society almost beyond recognition. Young Indians today routinely shatter the taboos of hundreds of years of history by marrying outside their religion or caste. They daily perform acts of empathy and imagination in arguing for gay rights or for a better deal for women. These are gestures more creative and more liberating than anything Modi -- unable even to say the word “Muslim” in public without his face tightening, and preferring (as he did in an interview in Time) to speak only of the model "micro-minority" of Parsis -- can manage.
Large-scale migration from villages to the cities, and from India to other countries, in a connected world has made the great mass of Indian society newly experimental in big ways and small. People have not turned their backs on tradition, as some scolds claim. But most Indians under 40 today look to the past pragmatically for truths, not -- as Modi and his cohort of ideological warriors turned political realists do -- for Truth. Trained ideologically from his youth by the rancorous Hindu nationalist movement to dream of a revival of the golden age of Hindu power and purity, he is a man whose originality on some questions lies only in the moves by which he finesses them. He is as much a prisoner of history as an agent of history.
The paradox is that it was precisely the great recent flowering in Indian history that Hindu nationalism looks past (or resents) that enabled someone like Modi -- born to a poor family in the traditional Hindu caste order -- to rise to the top. The mythical Hindu order he looks back to would never have allowed that. Having achieved what he has, he could have taken advantage of his office to upgrade not just his skills but also his mind, and to face up to his own prejudices, natural to a man of his place and time. But his personality -- a mixture of the stern, controlling patriarch of the Hindu joint family and a Nietzschean uber-mensch holding fast to a private vision -- will not allow him to take pleasure in India’s diversity.
Some believe, or fear, that Modi is so powerful that he is a shoo-in for a second term in 2019. But a year of being in office has made it starkly apparent that Modi’s mind is too old for the composite mind of India. In 2014, a massive youth wave voted Modi into power. It does not seem impossible to believe that if a reasonable political alternative takes shape, another youth wave in 2019 will vote him out.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/narendra-modi-too-old-india-220012130.html

 

[prasad1]

Mr Modi's first year in office has met with a mixed response.
All leaders need luck on their side, and Mr Modi has had his share. Inflation has been tamed, and the fiscal deficit contained. For both, Mr Modi should thank cheap commodity - mainly oil - prices. Electricity generation has surged to a record high.

His government so far has been free of scams, and he is making his ministers and bureaucrats work hard. Plans to auction mineral rights - starting with this year's coal auction - should check corruption and foster transparency. He has energised India's foreign policy, openly courting countries like Japan, Australia, Israel and the US. He is mining the diaspora. Taking the lead in evacuating stranded people in conflict-zones like Yemen and rushing relief to earthquake-ravaged Nepal has earned his government rightful praise. "Two foreign policy priorities have emerged: South Asia and the management of a larger periphery with a focus on China," says Harsh V Pant of King's College, London.
There are reports of industrialists, bureaucrats and politicians saying that corruption at the top has "declined dramatically". If this is true, it is a welcome change from the scam-tainted Congress government. Mr Modi is prolific on social media and speaks to the people frequently through a monthly radio address and frequent speeches, which can sometime look and sound like exercises in choreographed triumphalism. Unlike his taciturn predecessor Manmohan Singh, Mr Modi is a better communicator.
But all of this is still - strangely - not translating into a resurgent economy: companies are not performing well, industrial output is flat, bank credit is languishing, the property market is gloomy. Messy taxation is putting off investors. A simpler and fairer land acquisition law that many believe India badly needs to build infrastructure and industry has become a lightning rod for discontent, and unless it gains bipartisan support, could be doomed to legislative limbo.

There is talk about reducing bloated government, but no radical reforms seem to be on the table. Some of Mr Modi's ambitious projects so far look like retreads of older ones. Failure to fix the basics could easily hobble each programme.
Mr Modi wants to set up 100 smart cities, but most of India's main cities have turned into urban dystopias. Nobody quite knows what Digital India means in a country where the elementary mobile telephone network is broken. How India will manufacture lots of goods in Mr Modi's Make in India programme with a low-skilled, poorly educated people is not clear. Mr Modi appears to be faint-hearted about tackling corruption at the bottom, which hurts the poor most. This, according to journalist James Crabtree, could stem from an "unwillingness to disturb powerful, entrenched interests" because to win the re-election in 2019 he will need lots of money.

His critics say Mr Modi is a control freak who has concentrated too much power in his hands. Although he has pledged stern action against religious violence, a series of church attacks - which police deny had anything to do with the Christian community - and irresponsible rabble rousing by some of his hardline ministers and Hindu groups has led to what former BJP minister Arun Shourie calls "greater anxiety in social relations."
Others worry about what they say is Mr Modi and the party's intolerance to criticism - analyst TN Ninan says it follows "subaltern siege mentality: you are either one of us or not one of us, there is no room for middle ground", an attitude that has has led to a crackdown on civil society activists and hostility towards the media, among other things.
Mr Modi's problem is that he doesn't have the luxury his predecessors enjoyed. He raised massive hopes of transforming India; the tyranny of high expectations can bite badly.
Has Narendra Modi lived up to expectations? - BBC News

 

[prasad1]

[h=2]Amid cheer over space research, there is a fear among the scientific community arising from the summary dismissals of top science officials.[/h]
"Cheers, tears and fears" are how one can summarise the first year in office of the Narendra Modi government with the promised ‘achche din [good days]' still a distant dream for the scientific community.
Mangalyaan brought cheers and the monsoon unfortunately could be playing truant for the second year in a row that could bring tears. However, a worrying factor is a certain fear among the scientific community instilled by the summary dismissals of top boffins like the head of defence research, Avinash Chander.

Raghavendra Gadagkar, president of the venerated Indian National Science Academy (INSA), New Delhi, recently expressed his anguish, saying that “Indian science suffers today more than ever from government apathy“.
In fact, the Modi government’s first full budget also failed to bring a smile on the faces of scientists as hikes were below expectations. Key legislations like the ones to set up a statutory regulatory mechanism for genetically modified organisms and make the nuclear energy regulator independent continue to languish.
India’s research and development establishment is also concerned that the high-pitched 'Make in India' campaign by Modi may actually backfire on the long standing ‘Made in India’ effort.
Experts say unless India owns its own intellectual property and then manufactures in the country, it could well become a cheap sweatshop for multinationals.
‘Make in India’ could become a sobriquet for ’assembled in India’. In a way the soft-spoken Cabinet minister for science Harsh Vardhan echoed that sentiment: .
“‘Make in India’ needs to be translated on the ground through collaborations between the private sector, which owns more than 70 per cent of the manufacturing sector and the S&T laboratories, 85 per cent of which are in the government sector.”
Scientific community has mixed feelings on Narendra Modi's first year as Prime Minister - The Hindu

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Shri Sangom Ji,

There is enough time for the general public to watch and to decide whether Modi’s popularity is gaining or waning.

And the BJP lead NDA Government also has more time to think and correct itself wherever deficiency in service is pointed out/felt.

In a democratic set up, everyone is free to express their personal opinion and you are welcome to put forth your comments on the schemes of NDA led BJP Government and its functioning during the last one year.

In fact Government policies are subject to criticism and for a true democracy, political criticism is a must. Matured and seasoned politicians don’t take such criticism personally and try to take advantage of such comments.

Modi was a pracharak, was a Chief Minister and now Prime Minister. He has been visiting more countries and meeting leaders, signing MOUs and thus improving the bilateral relationship of India with other countries. The results of which can be best judged only in the long run.

In this connection, I would like to share an article published in The Hindu today pertaining to Modi’s foreign policy:

“Pushing the envelope in foreign policy

Narendra Modi’s foreign policy has been continuous with that of his predecessors but he has also sought to push the boundaries of certain engagements much further.

Foreign policy is all about securing permanent interests. As such, it may be best judged in the long run. Nevertheless, since foreign policy has been so prominent during the government’s first year in office, an interim assessment may be useful. What are the areas of continuity and change, the successes and blind spots?

Read more at: Pushing the envelope in foreign policy - The Hindu

 

[prasad1]

Cartoonscape - May 26, 2015 - The Hindu

 

[V.Balasubramani]

A year on, PM Narendra Modi commits his next 4 years to upliftment of poor

MATHURA: On the eve of the first anniversary of his government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that his mission was to improve the lives of India's poor and its farmers, seeking to put an end to criticism on this count by submitting what he said were his accounts for the year to the people.

Modi said India had changed dramatically in a year. His biggest successes included fight against corruption, controlling inflation and putting in place programmes that would benefit farmers. ..

Read more at:
A year on, PM Narendra Modi commits his next 4 years to upliftment of poor - The Economic Times

 

[V.Balasubramani]

“No place for middlemen, lobbyists now: Modi
[h=2]NDA government has demolished traditional power structures and circles”[/h]Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hit out at his critics saying if the NDA government had not come to power, the country would have slipped into “bure din” (gloomy days) with rampant corruption and nepotism.

He said his government had demolished traditional “power structures and circles” in the corridors of power. “There is no place for middle-men and lobbyists in Delhi now and that is hurting a lot of interests,’’ he said at a Jan Kalyan rally a day before the NDA government completes one year in office.

Hitting out at the previous UPA government, he said it was a government of scams and was run by “remote control.’’ He did not talk of his promised “acche din” (good days), but said the “bure din’’ of those who were unable to come to terms with the changed atmosphere had come in the first year of his government. That is why “they are shouting against the NDA government.”

The Prime Minister did not fail to invoke Lord Krishna and Pandit Deendayal Upadhaya at the rally in Mathura. The message of Lord Krishna, he said, was to do your karma while the message of Pandit Upadhyaya was “charaiveti charaiveti (keep working and walking) and this is what I do.”

He said the people had brought about the change by voting the BJP to power at the Centre. The work done by the NDA in the past one year can only be appreciated if it is compared with the previous government’s work. “Even 365 hours will not be enough for me to describe how my every moment was dedicated to a new decision and attempt to change things,’’ he asserted.

Read more at: Modi@365: No place for middlemen, lobbyists now, says Narendra Modi - The Hindu

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Union min highlights achievements of BJP govts at Centre, Har

Looking to promote the achievements of BJP governments at the Centre and Haryana, Union minister Krishna Pal Gurjar today listed out various schemes launched by them.

As the Narendra Modi-led government completes one year in office, the MoS for Social Justice and Empowerment said that the country has transformed from "Scam India to Skill India".
He said that the principle of Prime Minister Narendra Modi "Na khaoonga, na khane doonga" has reflected in the open and transparent auction of the spectrum, in which a "never before" auction amount was received and added to the revenue of the government.

This amount would be used in the welfare schemes and infrastructure projects, the Faridabad MP said.

Gurjar said that the BJP government has earned over Rs 2 lakh crores in the auction of only 33 mines out of total of 204 mines.

He accused the Prime Minister in the UPA regime of undertaking foreign trips without sharing with the country what he has done in those visits, as against Prime Minister Modi, who he said, has shared whatever he has done in all these 365 days, without taking a single day off.

With his foreign policy, the country has witnessed not only "friendly" relations with the other countries all over the world, but a boost in the business ties is quite visible, he said.

He listed out the insurance schemes, opening of bank accounts, pace of development of highways, fast processing of projects at approval level, Ganga cleaning project, Swachh Bharat and Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, among others.

Talking about the achievements of Haryana government in the last six months, the minister said that the government led by Manohar Lal Khattar has "made it to history" by paying Rs 1,092 crores to the farmers for damaged crops.

The minister highlighted the CM Window, calling it the "most powerful weapon" in the hands of common man.

He also pointed out the sanction of six highways around Faridabad, saying that the final DPR is being worked out on the projects whereas principally the government has given its approval for the same.

He underlined upgradation of Panipat Thermal Plant from existing four units of 110 MW to a new super critical thermal plant of 800 MW, and constitution of a state vigilance bureau.

Source: http://www.business-standard.com/ar...f-bjp-govts-at-centre-har-115052600040_1.html

 

[sarang]