In his reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address to Parliament in Lok Sabha yetserday and Rajya Sabha today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made elaborate comments on a wide range of issues but the underlying message was the same: nothing has changed for the Modi government and it will only double down on its previous agendas.
In the wake of the erosion of the popular mandate for the Modi government in the recent Lok Sabha elections, many had expected the government to change course on several issues, mainly on welfare spending. A government propped up by alliance partners was expected to spend more on welfare to win back support at the grassroots as well as become cautious on reforms. Though PM Modi stressed his government’s social agenda, he also confidently underlined the policy continuity. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha today, he said not only the markets are upbeat but the global community too is glad at the return of his government and is willing to raise its bet on India.
One message that rang through a confident PM Modi’s Parliament speeches is “sthirta aur nirantarta” (stability and continuity),” as he put it himself.
What all Modi said
Speaking in Lok Sabha yesterday, PM Modi stressed on his theme of Viksit Bharat. “Every moment of time and every cell of our bodies is dedicated to the idea of creating a Viksit Bharat”, Shri Modi emphasized, “24 by 7 for 2047,” he said, alluding to his aim of making India a developed country by 2047, a 100 years after Independence.
He undelrined the optimism his government has generated in the alst 10 years with its various policies and programmes. He recalled the period before 2014 when the entire nation was in a state of despair. Terming the loss of confidence among the citizens as the biggest loss to the nation during the period, he said that it created a cloud of disappointment. He recalled that it was an era marred by scams and policy paralysis pushing the country into the list of fragile five economies. Common citizens had lost all hope, he said, adding that bribery was a common practice, be it for house, gas connection or to receive grains through the Public Distribution system.
He said that the citizens of the country were forced to go about their everyday life blaming their fate for the poor condition of the state before 2014.
The Prime Minister highlighted the government’s efforts in transforming those who once thought that nothing was possible into believing that everything is possible. Listing down the government’s achievements, the Prime Minister mentioned a successful 5G rollout, highest coal production and transformative policies to strengthen the nation’s banking system, among others.
He highlighted that in the last 10 years, India grew from the 10th largest to the 5th largest economy in the world, while expressing confidence that India will soon be the 3rd largest economy in the world.
“Development has been the government’s biggest resolution in the past 10 years,” he said. He highlighted the resolutions of making India the third-largest economy in the world, supplying clean drinking water to every household, providing pucca homes to every poor, strengthening the armed forces by making them self-reliant, boosting the renewable energy space in the country, making India a green hydrogen hub, modernizing infrastructure development, creating new employment and self-employment opportunities in developed India, empowering skill development and shaping the future of the youth. Referring to a recent study, he informed that job creation has seen record numbers in the private industry in the last 18 years.
Applauding the Digital India movement, he said Bharat stands as a shining example of a digital payment system in the world. Referring to the G20 Summit, he underlined that even the developed countries of the world are amazed by our digital movement.
Underlining that India has now become one of the largest mobile manufacturers and exporters in the world, PM Modi expressed confidence that the nation would scale similar heights in the field of semiconductors in the government’s third term.
This comment will be welcomed by the manufacturing sector which is looking forward to policy continuity, capital infusion, and fresh PLI schemes to further bolster India as a manufacturing destination of choice for foreign firms as well as to build a robust and resilient supply chain ecosystem. “This opportunity given to us for the third time by the people of the country is to realise ‘Viksit Bharat’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat,” PM Modi said in Rajya Sabha today.
Similarly, PM Modi’s speeches suggested that his government’s emphasis on infrastructure too will carry on though he did not make any direct comments on it apart from promising to build three crore more houses for the poor.
“There could be some re-prioritisation between various infra sub-segments to accommodate all the stakeholders; however, the capital outlay towards infrastructure is expected to sustain the healthy growth momentum, given the overall GDP multiplier effect of infrastructure spending and consequent job creations in the unskilled and semi-skilled segment,” Icra had said in a statement last month.
The only thing new that can be expected during PM Modi’s third term is an intensification of work on the previous agenda. “In the third term, we will work with three times more more strength and speed, and bring three times more results,” he said.
Saying that India missed the opportunity to reform in the eighties, PM Modi also emphasised on continuity of reforms.
PM Modi’s social agenda
PM Modi elaborated on how his government has worked for the welfare of the downtrodden in his speech in Rajya Sabha today. He empahsised how his government increased procurement of wheat and paddy at minimum support price manifold. He also spoke of his government’s credit schemes for streetside vedors as well as artisans and craftspeople as well as wlefare measures for m=nomadic communities and the transgender. He spoke about his government’s focus on women welfare and women-led development, highlighting schemes such as Lakhpati Didis and Drone Didis.
PM Modi’s dwelling at length on the social agenda does indicate a renewed focus on welfare programmes but doesn’t suggest it will be at the cost of development and fiscal discipline.
