By Vandana Kumar
Tsunami of faith
Five years is a blip in a nation’s life. Yet, it was long enough for Narendra Modi to demonstrate to the people of India, what kind of Prime Minister he was, what he intended to do and what he could do. As the results of the elections 2019 are pouring in, it is becoming clear that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has either won or is leading in about 350 of the 542 Lok Sabha seats and will form the government. It is after a long time that an incumbent government has been voted back to power with a greater majority.
While in 2014, it was a strong anti-incumbency vote for hope of change, this time it is like a tsunami of faith- validation of the leadership of Narendra Modi, his vision and work. Coupled with the continuous communication of work, his direct connect with people using all kinds of media, BJP’s election juggernaut and absence of a constructive campaign and vision by the fractious and incoherent opposition have contributed to this sweep. Ironically, at a time when the Western Media has shown Mr. Modi as a divisive figure, he has actually unified the country across caste and faiths, gender, young and old, rural and urban, rich and poor. India’s diversity, multiculturalism and plurality are integral to its national character. This character is the bedrock on which the edifice of a magnificent and strong India can be built.
Strong foundation
Having seen his working style during the last five years, it can be expected that the new Modi Government will hit the ground running. The last term saw accelerated focus on reforms for economic and social development- key being those for enabling industrial development and ease of doing business on one hand, the social inclusion through a slew of measures on the other. JAM trinity (Jandhan accounts for over a billion people tied to Aadhaar identity and Mobile connection), Ayushman Bharat scheme for health insurance, Ujjwala connections and Swatch Bharat to make sure each and every Indian has access to a toilet are measures which resonated with Indians and made a difference to their life.
Work ahead
For India to continue forging ahead as the fastest growing large economy, it would be necessary to continue making investments in infrastructure development as over 590 million people are expected to live in cities by 2030, only 24 percent of India’s highways are four lane and the logistics sector is growing at about 10.5 percent. Work on metro rail projects, modernization of railway stations, development of airports has seen immense progress but is far from complete. In the years ahead, it would also be important to focus on softer aspects of infrastructure development and capacity building including newer business models for efficient management of infrastructure.
Domestic investment and industry
This term would also need to focus on bolstering domestic investment and encouraging the domestic industry for greater productivity, competitiveness and adding jobs to the tune of about ten million year. Mr. Modi has often emphasized on building skills and scale. Truly, policies need to be pursued to scale up the skilling ecosystem in the country to reap the demographic dividend, address challenges and leverage opportunities presented by the global trade and global value chains.
In pursuit of global ambitions, it would be essential to articulate a clear strategy for the fourth industrial revolution and evolve appropriate supportive frameworks. All such efforts should be industry led and government supported or facilitated. A cogent Industrial Policy which articulates a cogent vision and harmoniously brings together stakeholders within the government and outside to achieve the same, early in the second term may be a good idea.
Reducing cost of production through lower power tariffs, reducing cost of logistics, finance and transactions should be very high on the agenda to enhance competitiveness of domestic industry. It has also to be ensured that the trade negotiations keenly consider the status and potential of the domestic industry in every sector along with the overall context of national needs.
Focus on education and contribution of women in the economy
The edifice of a strong nation can be built only with its human capital. Given that we are a young nation with immense potential, earnest deep efforts for improving outcomes in education are required along with policies and initiatives for greater participation of women in labour force and enterprise.
Reforms in the government
Participation of public servants in government at all levels is vital to realize the vision of a strong and prosperous nation . Prime Minister Modi has already galvanized the bureaucracy with his exemplary leadership, hard work, engagement, review and feedback mechanism. While senior officials are already in line with his work ethic trying to materialize his vision across sectors, there is now an urgent need to reform and build capacity at lower levels. A new mindset and work culture is needed at these echelons where proposals/requests are first considered, service delivery occurs or there is G2B or G2C interface. Leveraging IT, keeping the teams motivated using a variety of tools, focus on team building, imparting new age skills and a clear performance management framework are integral to these efforts. Data driven approach to policy making has already been identified as key in NITI Aayog’s Strategy for New India@75. Reliable jobs related data should perhaps be one of the most important to tackle.
*Author is Joint Secretary, Department of Policy and Promotion, Government of India.
Views are personal and do not represent views of any organization