New Delhi: In the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was celebrating his 76th birthday on 17th September, warm wishes were extended by leaders of the world. It was also a chance to bring attention to the numerous welfare programs his government has implemented over the last 10 years that it purports to have benefited hundreds of millions of Indians.
World leaders send their greetings
Messages from numerous countries were pouring in. The Indian Prime Minister received a special message from the Russian President Vladimir Putin in this regard through the Kremlin, which extolled Modi’s leadership and the great welcome he received during his recent visit to Delhi for the BRICS Summit. US President Donald Trump extended his wishes via the US Embassy in India, where he also included a photograph taken during his visit to Washington recently by Indian Prime Minister Modi.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hailed Modi as her friend and wished him good health and good fortune, and talked of the development of ties between the two countries. Iraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also telephoned strong congratulations to Modi for contributing to the elevation of India in the world.
In addition, Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Dominica’s President Roosevelt Skerrit and World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus congratulated Modi on organizing a successful BRICS summit and his emphasis on health and well-being of the world. Greetings were also delivered by diplomats from Japan, Australia and other countries. On the other hand, President Droupadi Murmu and the leadership of BJP greeted the occasion with their message at home.
A look back at major welfare schemes
This isn’t only the birthday, it’s also the time to consider the work of the government over the past few years. The Modi government has launched several schemes for the benefit of poor and middle class families since 2014.
One of the largest is Jan Dhan Yojana, which enabled opening bank accounts for those who were denied such accounts. Today, there are over 43 crore accounts like this. This enabled the government to deposit money directly into accounts of the people without involving the intermediaries. This is a huge amount of money saved that otherwise would have been lost, due to waste and fraud, officials say.
In respect of housing, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana has enabled the construction of over four crore houses for the houses belonging to the needy ailing families. Swachh Bharat Mission constructed11 crore toilets in the country to promote health and cleanliness. The Jal Jeevan Mission has brought tap water to about 12 crore homes.
Health has also been among the major concerns. The poor families are provided health insurance by Ayushman Bharat scheme so that they will not be burdened with medical expenses and into debt. Under the Jan Aushadhi Yojana, thousands of shops selling the less costly medicine are in existence that make healthcare more affordable for all.
Farmers have also not been left behind, with the PM-Kisan scheme aiding them with direct cash transfer. Mudra loans have been beneficial for small business owners whose businesses do not require any collateral. Ujjwala Yojana aimed to distribute free LPG connections, particularly to women from poor families to the crores of women.
Not without criticism
The government boasts of these figures but not everyone thinks that the schemes have been a complete success. Even some experts commented that not all the people who have a bank account or gas connection are using them regularly — consider the cost of gas refills and many Ujjwala beneficiaries were not refilling their cylinders frequently. There are also concerns regarding the employment opportunities that some schemes provide as well as the extent to which some schemes are implemented at the state level.
Yet, despite Modi’s impending 76th birthday, his messages from heads of state and the slew of welfare initiatives are consistent with his having created a strong impact on the development narrative of India that continues to be talked about and debated by people across the country.
