The year 2022 is a year of deadlines. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to usher in a “New India” by the time the country celebrates its 75th year of independence. From doubling of farmers' income to sending an Indian to outer space in an indigenous spacecraft, the BJP had made 75 ambitious promises in its 2019 elections manifesto. The prime minister had promised to fulfil them by 2022.
Modi 2.0 has so far delivered on several of its ideological poll promises—for instance, abrogation of Article 370, abolition of triple talaq and bringing the Citizenship Amendment Act. But its promises to provide better infrastructure and turn the economy around have lagged.
On the economy front, the recovery and employment generation has been slow, though the Reserve Bank of India in its June bulletin saw reasons to be “cautiously optimistic”. A rampaging Covid-19 worsened the existing vulnerabilities of the economy. To revive the economy, the government needs successful management of Covid-19, capital expenditure on infrastructure, disinvestment, fast implementation of reforms, and new policies in the social and corporate sectors. Fulfilling the 2022 targets is crucial before the prime minister could go back to the people with a report card.
To make this possible, Modi initiated a major revamp of his team by booting out 12 cabinet ministers. He brought in 36 new faces and promoted seven ministers to cabinet rank. The intent was both political and governance-oriented as it balanced caste equations in the poll-bound states. Modi's induction of new faces in key portfolios like health, education, railways and IT showed that he wanted to shake off inertia and focus on delivery.
Bu hikaye THE WEEK dergisinin July 25, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye THE WEEK dergisinin July 25, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
