In the run-up to the first 100 days of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre, ministries and departments have started making plans to showcase the work they have accomplished since ministers took oath on June 9. The 100-day events will coincide with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 74th birthday on September 17, making the date doubly special, though celebrations are still not in the air.
Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the PM had promised the country that a “blueprint” for the first 100 days of the next government was ready. He had held a meeting of top bureaucrats before the results were announced to prepare a roadmap to set targets.
The NDA governments in 2014 and 2019, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had single party majority, celebrated their respective first 100 days in the first week of September by highlighting that the steps taken were evidence of it fulfilling the commitment both to the party’s poll promises and the Sangh Parivar’s core agenda, such as the repeal Article 370 on August 5, 2019.
However, in 2024, with the BJP running a government after failing to secure a majority in the Lok Sabha on its own, the focus will be to showcase continuity in governance and delivery on promises made to “four castes” or “pillars” of new India, namely women, farmers, the poor and youth.
Unlike the previous two terms, this NDA government has faced criticism from the Opposition stern enough to retract some of its decisions. This includes withdrawing an advertisement for recruiting 45 domain experts into the civil services and restoring indexation benefits on real estate’s long-term capital gains. A draft of the broadcast Bill was also pulled back after concerns were raised that it aimed to exert greater control over online content.
At a recent event, the PM listed the government’s achievements, including the construction of 12 new industrial cities, his internship package, pension reforms and sanctioning of high speed corridors.
The PM and his new Council of Ministers were administered the oath on June 9, 2024, and assumed charge of their respective ministries the next day. Thus, the government completes its 100 days on September 16-17. The government’s celebrations this year come as state assembly elections loom in Jharkhand and Maharashtra (Assembly polls in Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir have already been announced).
To mark this milestone, detailed guidelines for the Centre’s ambitious internship scheme are likely to be released by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Besides, the PM is set to flag off Vande Bharat sleeper trains and also disburse the first instalment for 1.1 million beneficiaries of the PM Awas Yojana.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju is expected to kick off the 100-day celebrations on Wednesday with a press conference in the national capital, where he will unveil six new initiatives, including a portal aimed at promoting a paperless legislative process. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has also lined up events to mark the occasion, including the fourth RE-Invest conference in Gandhinagar next week, which will bring together industry, state governments, and sector experts to discuss renewable energy, a senior official told Business Standard. The ministry is also hosting the 2nd International Green Hydrogen Conference this week.
The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying is planning its first press conference under the new government later this month, where it will outline the 100-day agenda. This includes the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, a scheme with a Rs 6,000 crore investment aimed at enhancing fishery production, quality, and export potential.
Plans are afoot for such press conferences by the agriculture and rural development ministries. Initiatives in the rural development sector, according to sources, shall include financial assistance for 1.1 million women under the Lakhpati Didi Yojana and the release of funds for 1–1.5 million new rural houses.
The next instalment of PM-KISAN, amounting to almost Rs 20,000 crore, and the approval for 20 million new rural houses to be constructed over the next five years are some of the other major announcements and decisions taken by the Modi government in the first 100 days.
The Railways, under minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, has finalised designs for the new-age Vande Bharat sleeper train, which is set to undergo testing before its official launch. The ministry has also been working on a “Super App” for railway services and finalising the procurement of 24 Shinkansen (bullet train) trainsets.
In infrastructure, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is expecting Cabinet approval for its Rs 20-trillion Vision 2047 plan, which aims to be a long-term strategy for road development across India.
Pension reforms have also been a major focus of the first 100 days. The Union Cabinet has approved a scheme guaranteeing an assured pension of 50 per cent of average basic pay, pay drawn over the past 12 months prior to superannuation, for central government employees with at least 25 years of service.
Also, the PM-led Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the development of 12 industrial smart cities across six major industrial corridors in 10 states. The project is expected to require an investment of Rs 28,602 crore.
On the foreign policy front, the government has continued its ‘Act East’ strategy, with PM Modi visiting Brunei and Singapore. He has also visted Italy for the G7 summit, Austria, and Poland.
The prime minister has held meetings with both Russian and Ukrainian leaders with days in Moscow and Kyiv, respectively, and hosted counterparts from Vietnam and Malaysia in New Delhi.
The Ministry of Heavy Industries has successfully concluded the auction for a 10 Gigawatt-hour advanced chemistry cell production-linked incentive (ACC PLI) scheme and extended the Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme until the end of September. The ministry plans to host an event later this month to highlight the achievements of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme.
In previous terms, the 100-day milestones were used to underline the BJP’s “achhe din” (good days) promise, as seen with the launch of the Jan Dhan Yojana, Digital India, and the 100 smart cities project in 2014. In 2019, the government’s repeal of Article 370 and the criminalisation of triple talaq were highlighted as major achievements. It also “strengthened” the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and sacked Income Tax officials as evidence of its “zero tolerance” towards terrorism and corruption.
(Inputs from Archis Mohan, Sanjeeb Mukherjee, Shreya Jai, Ruchika Chitravanshi, Asit Ranjan Mishra, Dhruvaksh Saha, and Nitin Kumar)