Prime Minister of India
- NAME: Narendra Damodar Modi
- DATE OF BIRTH: 17 September 1950
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Gujarat, India
- FATHER’S NAME: Late. Damodardas Mulchand Modi
- MOTHER’S NAME: Smt. Heeraben Damodardas ModiSPOUSE: Smt. Jashodaben Modi
- SIBLING: Soma Modi, Amrut Modi, Pankaj Modi, Prahlad Modi, Vasantiben Hasmukhlal Modi
- EDUCATION: -SSC 1967 – SSC board, Gujarat;
- -BA in Political Science a distance-education course from Delhi University, Delhi;
- -PG MA – 1983 Gujarat University, Ahmedabad
- OCCUPATION: Politician Prime Minister of India: Since 26 May 2014
- PRECEDED BY: Dr Manmohan Singh
- POLITICAL PARTIES: Bharatiya Janata Party
- OTHER POLITICAL AFFILIATIONS: National Democratic Alliance
- POSITIONS HELD:
- October 2001 – May 2014 Chief Minister of Gujarat (Four times)
- February, 2002 – May, 2014 Member of Legisaltive Assebly- Gujarat
- May, 2014- Elected to Lok Sabha (16th)
- 26 May 2014 – 25 May 2019- The Prime Minister of India
- May, 2019- Re-elected to Lok Sabha (17th)
- 30 May 2019- Re-elected as the Prime Minister of India
Narendra Modi is 14th Prime Minister of India and Longest serving Prime Minister other than any Congress Leader. Born in “Vadnagar” a small town of Gujarat.
His family belonged to the ‘other backward class’ which is among the marginalised sections of society.
He grew up in a poor but loving family ‘without a spare rupee’. The initial hardships of life not only taught the value of hard work but also exposed him to the avoidable sufferings of the common people.
This inspired him from a very young age to immerse himself in service of people and the nation.
In his initial years, he worked with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a nationalist organisation devoted to nation-building and later devoted himself in politics working with the Bharatiya Janata Party organization at National and State level.
Shri Narendra Modi was sworn-in as India’s Prime Minister on 30th May 2019, marking the start of his second term in office.
The first-ever Prime Minister to be born after Independence, Shri Modi has previously served as the Prime Minister of India from 2014 to 2019.
He also has the distinction of being the longest-serving Chief Minister of Gujarat with his term spanning from October 2001 to May 2014. In the 2014 and 2019 Parliamentary elections, Shri Modi led the Bharatiya Janata Party to record wins, securing an absolute majority on both occasions.
RASHTRIYA SEVA SANGH
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) a socio-cultural organisation set up in the year 1925 played a very important role in enhancing Modi’s political journey. At a very early age, Modiji joined RSS and soon by 1972 because of his hard work and dedication he gained the position of Pracharak.
With many other such pracharaks, he gave his full time for the objectives of RSS and impressed many of his Seniors at the Sangh.
While working in the Sangh he also completed his degree in political science and spent most of his as an activist.
He travelled all around Gujarat and stayed at Santram mandir for few years.
In 1973 Narendra Modi was given the responsibility of working for a massive summit organised in Siddhpur where he got an opportunity to be in the acquaintance of top Sangh’s top leaders.
EMERGENCY
When Mrs Indira Gandhi declared Emergency in the year 1975 Narendra Modi was at the core of the anti-Emergency movement.
He was an active member of the Gujarat Lok Sangharsh Samiti (GLSS), a Samiti which stood by the objectives of resisting tyranny.
He became the General Secretary of GLSS, where his primary role was to coordinate between the activists across the state.
He carried out his work religiously despite strict surveillance of prevailing in the nation. Modiji carried out several confidential works disguised as a Sikh gentleman including safe escape of sympathizers when Nanaji Deshmukh was arrested.
He also ensured safe escape for Senior wanted RSS figures. Modiji’s other such duties included making travel arrangements for anti-Emergency activists.
BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY
Narendra Modi’s exceptional contribution as an RSS member gave him a first-hand opportunity of experiencing problems faced by people across the nations. His formal visits to various districts helped him understand the crisis of smaller towns.
This experience came very handily for him both as an organiser and as the Chief Minister.
The Seniors at RSS were impressed with his dedication towards work, they insisted him on taking more responsibilities and in 1987 another chapter began in Narendra Modi’s life. Since then, he started working with several other Karyakartas and party leaders.
The boy from Vadnagar who left his home to serve the nation was about to take another giant step, but for him, it was merely a continuation of his journey to bring smiles on the faces of his countrymen and women.
After a Yatra to Kailash Mansarovar, Narendra Modi got down to work as the General Secretary in the Gujarat BJP.
SOME OF THE IMPORTANT EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE DURING THE TENURE OF PRIME MINISTER MODI
I. TRIPLE TALAQ- In the year 2017 the Apex Court of India declared triple talaq in India as unconstitutional. The law ministry moved the bill immediately making it a criminal offence with 3 years of jail term.
The bill was although passed in Lok sabha it did not pass in the Rajya Sabha. On 1st August 2019, the bill was turned into the law and marked the signs of gender equality.
II. BALAKOT AIRSTRIKE- In February 2019, India’s image of the soft state in a period of one night changed to strong state when India performed an aerial strike in the terror centre situated in the country of Pakistan.
III. DEMONETIZATION – On the night of 8th November 2016 the Modi Government announced its decision of demonetizing currency with denomination five hundred and one thousand.
Demonetization was a way to push the nation towards the path of digitalised and corrupt free India.
IV. CITIZENSHIP AMENDMENT ACT- The Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 was passed on 11th December 2019 by the Parliament of India. The act includes within provisions of eligibility for Indian citizenship.
This government’s decision faced a lot of criticism and agitation from all around the country on the grounds of discrimination.
V. ARTICLE 370 ABROGATION- Article 370 of the Indian Constitution which gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir was scrapped down. On 5th August 2019, Union Home Minister announced to revoke Article 370 which granted autonomous status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Immediately on 6th August 2019 all the clauses of Article 370 except clause 1 was held to be inoperative.
VI. RAM MANDIR- On 9th November 2019 the Supreme Court in its final judgement declared disputed land to be given for the building of Ram mandir and 5 acres of the land was given to Sunni Waqf board.
After an era of legal war and violence finally on 5th August Bhumi Pujan of Ram Mandir took place with the limited number of attendees including the Prime Minister of India.
MODI GOVERNMENT’S EFFORTS DURING THE PANDEMIC
Since the declaration of Pandemic by World Health Organisation Modi led Government has taken enormous efforts to curb the potentials of this deadly virus.
Beginning with one of the biggest step taken by the government was the declaration of Janata Curfew on 22nd March 2020 followed by months of strict lockdown to discourage community transfer.
In such unprecedented times soon he started announcing activities which worked as a gesture of gratitude and solidarity amongst Indians for eg- 9 baje 9 minute and clapping at 5.00pm.
By the end of April, government had set up a Prime Ministers Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PMCARES) with the Prime Minister as the Chairman of the Fund.
The Fund aims at assisting people with any kind of public health emergency or any other kind of emergency, calamity or distress, including the creation or up-gradation of healthcare or pharmaceutical facilities, other necessary infrastructure, funding relevant research or any other type of support.
The fund is open for voluntary donations from individuals and organisations which includes Indians as well as foreign. So far, an amount of Rs. 3100 Crore has been allocated from PM CARES Fund for the following activities such as ‘Made-in India’ ventilators to Government Hospitals run by Centre/States/Uts, For care of migrant labourers (funds allotted to State/UT Govts.), For vaccine development. Government has been funding all and administering various research teams as far as the vaccine is in concern.
Along with it from day one till today Modi government has shown remarkable growth in the fields of medical equipment production. Government’s keen insight under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi has led this nation in attaining various levels of development.
His modern outlook and believing in nation’s soft power has boosted India’s dominance in the field of Yoga.
His endeavours such as Man ki Baat, Chai pe charcha and his active presence on Social media have resulted in dissolving the stringent bridges between people and their government.
His ideas of globalisation at the same time making India independent under the title of MADE IN INDIA, DIGITAL INDIA recently launched Atmanirbhar Bharat are unique in its very nature.
In the view of crippling economy due to extended lockdown, Government has allowed opening of working places with precautions and in similar way it believes in overcoming all barriers and building a new India in his coming tenures.
Legal Background-
The 2002 Gujarat riots witnessed inter-communal violence in the western Indian state of Gujarat.
The riots which began in one corner of the state soon broke into violence against the minority Muslim population in various other districts of Ahmedabad.
The burning of a train in Godhra on 27 February 2002, which caused the deaths of several Hindu pilgrims karsevaks returning from Ayodhya, is cited as having instigated the violence and then known as the famous Godhra kand.
Narendra Modi as the Chief Minister of Gujarat was accused of initiating and condoning the violence, as were police and government officials who allegedly directed the rioters and gave lists of Muslim-owned properties to them.
In the year 2012, Modi was cleared of complicity in the violence by the Supreme Court’s appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT). This decision initiated a fit of rage amongst the Muslim community, thereby in July 2013, SIT was accused of suppressing pieces of evidence.
That December, an Indian court upheld the earlier SIT report and rejected a petition seeking Modi’s prosecution. Followed by April 2014, the Supreme Court expressed its satisfaction over the SIT’s investigations in nine cases related to the violence.
In the year 2020 Gujarat Civil Court struck off the name of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi from three suits which seek damages concerning the killing of three British nationals during the riots of 2002 when he held the position of Chief Minister.
The Principal Civil Judge Gadhavi accepted the arguments where he stated that he was not a “necessary or proper party” in the case.
Prepared By Amruta Kadam
[1] Parliament of India LOK SABHAHOUSE OF THE PEOPLE http://164.100.47.194/Loksabha/Members/MemberBioprofile.aspx?mpsno=4589
https://www.narendramodi.in/taking-india-s-global-standing-to-new-heights–544616
[1] http://164.100.47.194/Loksabha/Members/MemberBioprofile.aspx?mpsno=4589
[1] https://www.narendramodi.in/the-activist-3129
[1] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Narendra-Modi
[1] https://www.narendramodi.in/the-activist-3129
[1] THE MUSLIM WOMEN (PROTECTION OF RIGHTS ON MARRIAGE) ACT, 2019 NO. 20 OF 2019 [31st July, 2019.]
[1] THE CITIZENSHIP (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2019 NO. 47 OF 2019 [12th December, 2019]
[1] MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE (Legislative Department) NOTIFICATION 5th August, 2019 G.S.R .551(E).— THE CONSTITUTION (APPLICATION TO JAMMU AND KASHMIR) ORDER, 2019 C.O. 272
[1] Date of verdict – 09 th November 2019 [M. Siddiq v. Mahant Suresh Das, 2019 SCC OnLine 1440, decided on 09.11.2019]
[1] https://www.pmcares.gov.in/en/
[1] https://www.narendramodi.in/mann-ki-baat