Narendra Damodardas Modi, born on September 17, 1950, is an Indian politician serving as the 14th Prime Minister of India since May 2014. He is running for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi and was the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014. Modi, a member of the BJP and the RSS, is the longest-serving prime minister not from the Indian National Congress.

During his tenure, India has seen a decline in democratic institutions, individual rights, and freedom of expression, though he maintains high approval ratings. Modi is noted for shifting Indian politics towards the right and remains a controversial figure due to his Hindu nationalist stance.

Early Life:

Narendra Damodardas Modi, born on September 17, 1950, into a Gujarati Hindu family of the Modh-Ghanchi community, an Other Backward Class (OBC) category, in Vadnagar, Mehsana district, Bombay State (now Gujarat). He was the third child among six born to Damodardas Mulchand Modi (c. 1915–1989) and Hiraben Modi (1923–2022).

During his childhood, Modi occasionally assisted in his father's tea business on the Vadnagar railway station platform. His schooling in Vadnagar concluded in 1967, where teachers described him as an average student with a flair for debating and a passion for theatrical roles, shaping his political persona.

Introduced to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at the age of eight, Modi began attending its local training sessions and found mentorship in Lakshmanrao Inamdar. Alongside RSS activities, he interacted with leaders of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, which later formed the BJP's Gujarat unit. Modi's marriage to Jashodaben Chimanlal Modi occurred as per his caste's tradition, but the relationship remained unpublicized for decades. Modi embarked on extensive travels across India, influenced by visits to Hindu ashrams associated with Swami Vivekananda.

After being turned away from Belur Math, Modi journeyed through various states before settling in Ahmedabad, where he lived with his uncle and worked in his uncle's canteen at Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation. In Ahmedabad, Modi reconnected with Inamdar, who was stationed at the Hedgewar Bhavan (RSS headquarters) in the city. Modi's initial involvement in politics as an adult, dates back to 1971 when he participated in a Jana Sangh Satyagraha in Delhi led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, aiming to volunteer for the Bangladesh Liberation War. However, the Indira Gandhi-led central government prohibited overt support for the Mukti Bahini, resulting in Modi's brief detention in Tihar Jail. Following the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Modi departed from his uncle's employ to become a full-time RSS campaigner, operating under Inamdar. Prior to the conflict, Modi engaged in a peaceful protest in New Delhi against the Indian government, resulting in his arrest; this event led Inamdar to take Modi under his wing as a mentor. Modi asserts that he was part of a Satyagraha campaign that escalated into a political struggle. Modi's academic credentials, including a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Delhi University's School of Open Learning and a Master of Arts (MA) from Gujarat University, have faced scrutiny and controversy.

Political Timeline:

1975 - Narendra Modi was appointed as general secretary of the "Gujarat Lok Sangharsh Samiti" by RSS. During the Emergency, Modi was forced to go underground to avoid arrest. He was involved in printing pamphlets opposing the government.

1978 - He became an 'RSS sambhag pracharak'. Associated with RSS activities in the areas of Surat and Vadodara.

1979 - He went to work for the RSS in Delhi. where he was put to work researching and writing the RSS's version of the history of the Emergency.

1985 - RSS assigned Modi to the BJP. Later in 1987, Modi helped to organize the BJP's campaign in the Ahmedabad municipal election. BJP won that election.

1986 - After L. K. Advani, Modi became president of the BJP. At that time RSS decided to place its members in important positions within the BJP.

1987 - Modi was elected as the organizing secretary of the BJP's Gujarat unit.

1990 - Modi helped to organize L. K. Advani's 1990 Ram Rath Yatra and Murli Manohar Joshi's Ekta Yatra in 1991–92.

1995 - He was elected BJP national secretary and transferred to New Delhi. He headed the election campaigns of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Modi was promoted to BJP general secretary (organization) in 1996.

2001 - Keshubhai Patel's health was failing, and the BJP lost a few state assembly seats in by-elections. The BJP national leadership replaced Patel with Modi as Chief Minister of Gujarat. On 7 October 2001, Modi took the oath as CM of Gujarat. On 24 February 2002, he won a by-election to the Rajkot – II constituency. He defeated Ashwin Mehta of the INC by 14,728 votes. This was his first and very short term.

2002 - He contested from Maninagar and won the assembly election. He defeated Oza Yatinbhai Narendrakumar of Congress by 38256 votes. He was retained as Chief Minister of Gujarat. (Second Term).

2007 - On 23 December 2007, Modi's third term as CM started and was completed on 20 December 2012. This time again, he won from Maninagar. He defeated Dinsha Patel of Congress.

2012 - Modi was again elected from Maninagar. This time he defeated Bhatt Shweta Sanjiv by 34097 votes. He again took oath as chief minister (fourth term). Later he resigned from the assembly in 2014.

2014 - Narendra Modi was elected as the 14th and current Prime Minister of India. Modi was sworn in as the Prime Minister of India on 26 May 2014. He became the first Prime Minister born after India's independence from the British Empire.

2019 - Indian PM Narendra Modi has secured another five-year term after winning a landslide general election victory.

2024 - PM Modi is to contest from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, seeking a third term from the constituency.

Governance and Initiatives:

In Modi's first year as Prime Minister, he centralized power significantly. Lacking a majority in the Rajya Sabha, he passed several ordinances to implement his policies. His administration increased control over judicial appointments and replaced the Planning Commission with the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog), centralizing power in the Prime Minister's office.

Modi's government also launched investigations into numerous civil society organizations and NGOs, accusing them of hindering economic growth, which critics labeled a witch hunt. Prominent organizations like Medecins Sans Frontieres and Sierra Club were investigated, and laws against sedition and terrorism were used against government critics, drawing comparisons to Indira Gandhi's governance.

During his tenure, Modi repealed 1,200 obsolete laws in three years, compared to 1,301 repealed over the previous 64 years. He launched the Digital India program to enhance electronic access to government services, improve rural internet infrastructure, boost electronic goods manufacturing, and promote digital literacy.

In 2019, a law was passed to reserve 10% of educational and government job opportunities for economically disadvantaged individuals. The 2016 Ujjwala scheme provided free LPG connections to rural households, increasing access by 24% by 2019. In 2022, LPG subsidies were eliminated for all except those in the Ujjwala program.

Since May 2023, ethnic tensions in Manipur have resulted in violent clashes, with nearly 100 deaths and over 36,000 displacements within a month. Modi has faced criticism for his lack of response to the violence.

The Modi government's economic policies focused on privatization and liberalization, adhering to a neoliberal framework. Modi relaxed foreign direct investment rules, allowing more foreign investment in sectors like defense and railways. Proposed reforms included making unionization harder and easing recruitment and dismissal processes for employers, though some proposals were dropped after protests. Unions strongly opposed these reforms, leading to a massive strike on 2 September 2015, involving eleven major unions, including one affiliated with the BJP. The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh criticized the labor reforms as favoring corporations over workers.

Funding for poverty-reduction and social welfare programs was significantly cut, with spending on social programs dropping from 14.6% of GDP under the previous Congress government to 12.6% in Modi's first year. Health and family welfare spending decreased by 15%. The government reduced corporate taxes, abolished the wealth tax, increased sales taxes, and lowered customs duties on gold and jewelry. In October 2014, diesel prices were deregulated. During Modi's first term, education spending decreased from 0.7% of GDP to 0.5%. Spending on children's nutrition, education, and health was nearly halved between 2014 and 2022. However, capital expenditure on transport infrastructure rose significantly.

In September 2014, Modi launched the Make in India initiative to attract foreign manufacturers. Critics feared this would benefit foreign corporations at the expense of local markets. The administration passed a land-reform bill allowing the government to acquire private agricultural land without farmers' consent or social impact assessments, but the bill lapsed after facing opposition. The Goods and Services Tax, the largest tax reform since independence, was implemented on 1 July 2017.

Modi's government also tackled black money, demonetizing ₹500 and ₹1000 notes on 9 November 2016 to curb corruption and counterfeit currency, which led to severe cash shortages, economic disruption, and widespread protests. Despite the negative impact, including job losses and a GDP decline, the number of income tax returns and digital transactions increased significantly.

Economic growth slowed during Modi's tenure, with GDP growth averaging 5.5% compared to 7.03% under the previous government. Income inequality increased, and a 2017 report highlighted the highest unemployment rate in 45 years, attributed to demonetization and the GST. GDP growth was 6.12% in 2018-19, with inflation at 3.4%, but slowed to 4.18% in 2019-20, with inflation rising to 4.7%. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a 6.6% contraction in the economy in 2020-21, with an estimated rebound of 8.2% the following year.

In healthcare, Modi's government reduced central spending and emphasized private healthcare. The National Health Mission's funding was cut, but later budgets increased, focusing on private health insurance over public health facilities. The Swachh Bharat Mission aimed to eliminate open defecation and improve sanitation, significantly increasing toilet coverage but facing challenges in usage and allegations of corruption.

Modi's response to the COVID-19 pandemic included a nationwide lockdown, suspension of flights, and a massive vaccination campaign. Despite a successful vaccine rollout, the second wave of the pandemic in 2021 overwhelmed the healthcare system, leading to severe shortages and high mortality.

In foreign policy, Modi continued the previous government's multi-alignment strategy, focusing on economic ties and regional relations. Relations with the US improved, despite earlier visa issues for Modi, and India hosted various international summits. The administration ratified a land-exchange deal with Bangladesh and strengthened ties with East Asia through the Act East Policy. Relations with China deteriorated following border skirmishes in 2020, while ties with Russia remained strong despite India's neutral stance on the Ukraine conflict.

India's military spending increased nominally, but budget constraints limited modernization efforts. Modi took a tough stance on Pakistan, conducting surgical strikes in response to terrorism. However, border skirmishes with China and internal security challenges persisted.

Environmental policies under Modi saw reduced oversight and relaxed regulations, favoring industrial activity. Despite initial skepticism about climate change, Modi later advocated for clean energy and proposed the International Solar Alliance. India committed to carbon neutrality by 2070, aligning its actions with global climate goals and achieving significant progress in renewable energy and ethanol blending.

Controversies:

Gujarat Riots:

On February 27, 2002, a train carrying Hindu pilgrims returning from Ayodhya caught fire near Godhra, resulting in approximately 60 deaths. The incident sparked accusations against local Muslims by Narendra Modi, who was then a public figure. Subsequent to this, riots erupted across Gujarat, fueled by inflammatory actions such as a statewide strike called by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the government's decision to relocate victims' bodies. Official reports stated hundreds of dead, but independent sources cited a much higher toll, mostly Muslims, with many fleeing to refugee camps where conditions were dire. The state's handling of the crisis, including alleged complicity by government officials, has drawn widespread criticism, with some attributing direct blame to Modi.

During the violence, Modi's involvement remained a topic of contention. He later expressed regret only for his media management during the events. Legal proceedings followed, with the Supreme Court establishing a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe Modi's role. Despite initial findings clearing him, subsequent opinions from court-appointed figures suggested potential culpability. However, in 2022, the Supreme Court upheld previous rulings clearing Modi of involvement in the riots.

Allegations of Bribery:

In 2013 and 2014, the CBI seized diaries from Sahara Group and Aditya Birla Group, which allegedly recorded payments to leaders from 18 political parties, including BJP and Congress. These diaries contained entries referring to "Gujarat CM" and "Ahmadabad Modiji." On December 21, 2016, Rahul Gandhi accused Modi of receiving ₹65 crore (US$8.1 million) in cash bribes from these companies when he was Gujarat's Chief Minister. In November 2016, advocate Prashant Bhushan filed a plea in the Supreme Court seeking an investigation into these alleged bribes. However, in January 2017, a Supreme Court bench led by Justice Arun Kumar Mishra dismissed the plea, citing insufficient evidence. Justice Mishra later faced criticism from some advocates and activists for perceived bias towards the Modi government.

During nearly a decade of Narendra Modi's tenure, India has undergone significant changes due to his impactful decisions. While his measures have deeply affected the nation, opinions are sharply divided, with supporters and detractors debating their overall effectiveness.