Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 25 years of public service

Author: Paresh Gohel

For decades, Indian politics was often characterised by ambitious promises, attractive slogans and announcements of welfare schemes. Although several initiatives were introduced, the gap between policy announcements and their implementation remained a major concern. The fundamental question for citizens was whether Government commitments would translate into tangible benefits and reach the last person in society.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought to change this approach by emphasising implementation, accountability, time-bound targets and measurable outcomes. This approach has become closely associated with the concept of ‘Modi Ki Guarantee’, which presents Government commitments as promises that must be translated into action.

The emphasis is not merely on announcing a scheme but also on identifying the problem, setting clear objectives, establishing implementation mechanisms and monitoring progress. This approach was visible during his tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat and was subsequently extended to national governance.

Gujarat: The Foundation of a Results-Oriented Approach

As Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi introduced and strengthened several initiatives addressing electricity supply, poverty alleviation, agriculture, education and administrative accountability. These programmes illustrate the emphasis placed on implementation and public participation.

Jyotigram Yojana: Reliable Electricity for Rural Gujarat

Introduced in 2003, the Jyotigram Yojana addressed the challenge of unreliable electricity supply in rural areas. The scheme involved separating agricultural electricity feeders from those supplying non-agricultural consumers.

This arrangement enabled better management of agricultural power consumption while improving the quality and reliability of electricity supplied to households and other rural establishments. Its implementation across Gujarat demonstrated how infrastructure planning and administrative coordination could address a long-standing rural problem.

The initiative became an important example of translating a development objective into a practical programme with identifiable benefits.

Garib Kalyan Melas: Taking Welfare Benefits to the Poor

Garib Kalyan Melas were organised to connect poor and disadvantaged families directly with the benefits of government welfare schemes.

The initiative sought to reduce dependence on intermediaries, improve awareness of available assistance and facilitate access to financial support and self-employment opportunities. By bringing beneficiaries and government departments together, the melas aimed to make welfare delivery more accessible and transparent.

The underlying principle was that government assistance should reach eligible beneficiaries rather than remain confined to official announcements and administrative procedures.

Krishi Mahotsav: Strengthening Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare

Krishi Mahotsav was introduced as an agricultural outreach initiative to connect farmers with modern farming practices, scientific advice, soil testing, improved agricultural techniques and relevant Government schemes.

Through interaction among agricultural experts, officials and farmers, the programme sought to improve productivity, encourage better resource management and strengthen farmers’ awareness of available technologies.

Livestock health and animal husbandry also formed part of the broader effort to support rural livelihoods. The larger objective was to promote agricultural development and improve the economic well-being of farming families.

Kanya Kelavani Mahotsav and Shala Praveshotsav: Promoting Education

Kanya Kelavani Mahotsav and Shala Praveshotsav were launched to encourage school enrolment, particularly among girls, and to address the problem of children dropping out of education.

Government officials, public representatives and community members participated in enrolment drives, visiting villages and encouraging parents to send their children to school.

These initiatives highlighted the importance of public participation in education. The underlying message was that educating children, particularly girls, was not merely a government responsibility but a shared social commitment.

SWAGAT Programme: Making Governance More Accountable

Launched in April 2003, the SWAGAT (State Wide Attention on Grievances by Application of Technology) programme introduced a technology-enabled mechanism for addressing citizens’ grievances.

It provided citizens with an opportunity to bring unresolved complaints to the attention of senior authorities, including the Chief Minister, through a structured grievance-redressal system.

The programme strengthened administrative monitoring and made grievance resolution more transparent. Its recognition through the United Nations Public Service Award in 2010 brought international attention to Gujarat’s experiment in technology-enabled public service delivery.

Together, these initiatives reflected an administrative approach that placed importance on identifying public problems, coordinating government machinery and monitoring implementation.

From Gujarat to the National Level: Expanding the Model of Delivery

After becoming Prime Minister in May 2014, Narendra Modi carried forward this emphasis on implementation through national programmes addressing sanitation, financial inclusion, rural electrification, digital services, national integration and internal security.

Rural Electrification: A Time-Bound National Target

On 15 August 2015, Prime Minister Modi announced that the remaining unelectrified villages would be connected to electricity within 1,000 days. Government records identified 18,452 such villages as of 1 April 2015.

The programme was pursued through a mission-oriented approach, with defined timelines, progress monitoring and public reporting. The initiative demonstrated the use of measurable targets and administrative follow-up to accelerate infrastructure delivery.

It also reflected the broader objective of improving rural living conditions and expanding access to essential services.

Swachh Bharat Mission: Turning Cleanliness into a National Movement

On 15 August 2014, the Prime Minister called for a nationwide emphasis on cleanliness. The Swachh Bharat Mission was subsequently launched on 2 October 2014.

The mission focused on constructing household toilets, improving sanitation infrastructure and encouraging behavioural change. By 2019, rural sanitation coverage was officially reported to have reached 100%, and more than 10 crore individual household toilets had been constructed under the programme.

Beyond infrastructure creation, the mission sought to make cleanliness a collective responsibility and bring sanitation into the mainstream of public policy.

Jan-Dhan Yojana: Expanding Financial Inclusion

The Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana, launched in August 2014, aimed to bring unbanked households into the formal financial system.

It facilitated access to basic bank accounts and helped create channels for direct benefit transfers, savings, insurance and other financial services. Alongside Aadhaar-based identification, mobile connectivity and the expansion of digital payment systems such as UPI, financial inclusion became an important component of the country’s digital transformation.

These initiatives strengthened the infrastructure through which government benefits and financial services could reach citizens more directly.

Article 370: A Major Constitutional Change

On 5 and 6 August 2019, presidential constitutional orders rendered the special constitutional provisions associated with Article 370 inoperative. Parliament also enacted the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, providing for the reorganisation of the former state into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

The Government presented these measures as steps towards greater constitutional integration, uniform application of constitutional provisions and expanded administrative and development opportunities.

This was a significant constitutional and political decision, reflecting the Government’s stated emphasis on national integration and administrative reform.

Internal Security: The Campaign Against Left-Wing Extremism

Addressing Left-Wing Extremism has involved a combination of security operations, infrastructure development, welfare initiatives and efforts to improve public access to administration in affected areas.

The Government set 31 March 2026 as its target for eliminating Naxalism. On that date, it announced that India had become effectively free from Left-Wing Extremism.

The development was presented as the outcome of sustained security and development measures. The broader approach emphasised that lasting peace requires not only effective law enforcement but also improved connectivity, public services, development opportunities and public confidence in governance.

The Working Principle: From Resolve to Results

Across these initiatives, a common administrative approach can be identified:

·       Problem identification: Recognising a specific public need or development challenge.

·       Clear targets: Defining the intended outcome rather than relying solely on broad promises.

·       Time-bound implementation: Establishing deadlines and milestones wherever feasible.

·       Administrative coordination: Mobilising departments, officials, technology and other implementation mechanisms.

·       Monitoring and accountability: Reviewing progress and addressing implementation gaps.

·       Public participation: Involving citizens and communities in programmes that affect their lives.

These elements are not exclusive to any one Government. However, the political identity of ‘Modi Ki Guarantee’ rests on presenting the fulfilment of commitments as a central measure of governance and political accountability.

Conclusion: A Commitment to Delivery

The journey from Gujarat’s initiatives in electricity, poverty alleviation, agriculture, education and grievance redressal to national programmes in sanitation, financial inclusion, digital empowerment, constitutional integration and internal security illustrates the governance approach centred on implementation.

The effectiveness of any Government ultimately depends not only on the promises it makes but also on the quality of execution, the sustainability of outcomes and the extent to which citizens benefit. Transparent reporting, independent assessment and continued attention to implementation gaps remain essential to this process.

The central message of ‘Modi Ki Guarantee’ is therefore the emphasis on moving beyond announcements and making the fulfilment of commitments a defining feature of governance.

A promise gains credibility when it is translated into action, and governance gains public trust when that action produces tangible and lasting results.

The author is an OSD to the Chairman, IFFCO, New Delhi; Views presented are personal.