Bhattacharyya and Pulla. Space and Culture, 2019, 7:1 Page | 1 https://doi.org/10.20896/saci.v7i1.569 EDITORIAL OPEN ACCESS Prime Minister Modi Returns, 2019: New Governance Agenda Dr Rituparna Bhattacharyya†* and Dr Venkat Pulla† Abstract This editorial reviews the historic mandate of India’s General Election of 2019, preceding nasty campaigns and futurist agenda for Mr Modi's second term. Keywords: General Election 2019; Good Governance; India

† Editor-in Chief (joint), Journal Space and Culture, India * Corresponding Author, Email: [email protected] © 2019 Bhattacharyya and Pulla. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Bhattacharyya and Pulla. Space and Culture, India 2019, 7:1 Page | 2

Introduction win any seats in Kerala, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) swept the General Election 2019, Elections have their place in [a] 3 democracy, and it is the responsibility of winning 343 constituencies out of 542. This is a the winner to take care of 130 crore clear win for Modi, personally and for his people. Those who made us win or those government. The BJP alone accomplished 303 constituencies as opposed to 52 by the Indian who did not both are our (people). Kerala 4 is as dear to me as Varanasi is1 National Congress; albeit the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) obtained 90 seats After a historic mandate of 23 May 2019 in the while the other 99 constituencies have been 17th Indian General (Lok Sabha) Election, the shared by so-called Mahagathbandhan (MGB— , Mr Narendra Damodar an alliance of Bahujan Samaj Party and Samaj Das Modi, visited Kerala to attend an Badi Party, known as BSP+, who managed only Abhinandan Sabha2 on 08 June 2019 organised 15 constituencies) and others— 84. The detailed by the Kerala unit of his party Bharatiya Janata breakdown of the seat share is illustrated in Party (BJP), in Guruvayur where he made the Figure 1. above statement. Although the BJP has failed to

Figure 1: Lok Sabha Results 2019, The Hindu. Retrieved on 02 June 2019 from, https://www.thehindu.com/elections/lok-sabha-2019/

The 2019 election was grappled by some of the hurled ‘real lies’ at PM Modi by continuously ugliest forms of campaign mediated through a chanting Chowkidar Chor Hai (the gatekeeper is constant stream of abuses showered upon a a thief), alleging nepotism in awarding contracts sitting Prime Minister, by the opposition and and escalating the price of Dassault Rafale political elites. The opposition relentlessly fighter jet deal. The BJP cadres invigorated this

1 People are God in elections: (2019, 08 June).The Daily Star. Retrieved 08 June 2019 from, https://www.thedailystar.net/india/news/people-are-god-elections-narendra-modi-1754020 2 Abhinandan means congratulations and Sabha means assembly 3 There are 543 consitutuencies but in one (Vellore), election was cancelled by the Election Commission. 4 General Election to Lok Sabha Trends & Result 2019, Election Commission of India. Retrieved 08 June 2019 from, http://results.eci.gov.in/pc/en/partywise/index.htm Bhattacharyya and Pulla. Space and Culture, India 2019, 7:1 Page | 3 name calling into a positive tagline by changing performance of the first five years of the Modi their social media handles as Main Bhi government. He was also critical of the election Chowkidar (I am also a gatekeeper). of Ms Pragya Thakur from Bhopal, who was Rash utterances, signature campaigns and slimy charged with the 2008 Malegaon blasts (Sen, 2019). Ideally, no accused should ever get into hatred, mime wars, arson, violence and killings have marred the elections. The Chief Minister of an avatar of a lawmaker. West Bengal, Mamta Banerjee, a very bitter lady, There has been fierce criticism that a person went to the extent of calling PM Modi and Mr with ‘Hindu-terror’ charges has won against a Amit Shah as goondas (Das,2019).5 A group of two-term former Chief Minister, Member of about 600 theatre personalities and intellectuals Parliament and a very influential person of the signed a petition requesting the citizens of India Congress, Mr Digvijaya Singh. Traditionally, to vote the incumbent government out of power Bhopal constituency has been a strong BJP urging the electorate to cast for "equality and bastion since 1989 with approximately 69 per social justice, and to defeat the forces of cent of the population following the Hindu darkness and barbarism" (Dixit, 2019). Another religion. Nuanced observation unveils that the group of 907 artists countered this petition and opposition themselves are responsible for the issued a joint letter entitled: Nation First win of Pragya Thakur by associating a heinous Collective: an initiative by Creative Collective crime like ‘terror’ with Hindu religion, thereby Trust pleading the voters to re-elect the NDA-led fueling the emotional sentiments of the government (Sharma, 2019). The signatories electorates of Bhopal. Indeed, to avoid anti- stated: incumbency but taking into consideration the We, creative artists and persons winnability factors (such as class, caste and belonging to the field of literature appeal community), the BJP strategically steered a smart and a prudent move across the country in to all our fellow citizens to cast their vote and exercise their right to elect the new issuing tickets to the candidates. As a Govt. without any pressure and consequence, many sitting MPs were refused prejudice. tickets. For example, Mr Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, who is a representative of the tea tribes and had We believe that during the last five years, won the 2014 General Election from Jorhat India has seen a Govt. that has delivered constituency, Assam was denied a ticket. corruption-free good governance and Instead, the BJP fielded Mr Topon Kumar Gogoi, development-oriented administration. who hails from the Ahom community to contest During this period, globally, India has against Mr Sushanta Borgohain of the INC, who acquired greater respect. It is our firm also belong to the Ahom community. These conviction that the continuance of Govt. pedantic strategies not only helped the BJP to an led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is emphatic sweep but also increased the vote the need of the hour. share from 31.1 per cent in 2014 to 37.4 per cent Besides, when challenges like terrorism in 2019 (Election Commission of India). are before all of us, we need a "Majboot Interestingly, the vote share of the BJP in about Sarkar" and not a "Mazboor Sarkar", and 13 states (Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya hence we need the present Govt. to Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, continue (Dixit, 2019). Gujarat, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Delhi, Chandigarh and Arunachal However, a day after the election results (that is, Pradesh) was either equivalent or more than 50 on 24 May 2019), in an article entitled Modi won per cent (Election Commission of India). power, not battle of ideas published in , Amartya Sen was critical of the However, Pragya Thakur is not the only accused who was given a ticket; indeed, as per

5 a hired individual to commit a crime or cause damage Bhattacharyya and Pulla. Space and Culture, India 2019, 7:1 Page | 4 Association of Democratic Reforms, nearly 43 facing criminal charges are continuously on the per cent, out of 539 winning candidates are rise since 2004. Figures 2 and 3 illustrate this. accused of some form of criminal charges including some of the heinous forms like rape and murder. Sadly, the number of candidates

Figure 2: Percentage of Lok Sabha MPs with Criminal Charges, 2019 Source: Association of Democratic Reforms

120 116

100

81 80 67

57 60 50 43 41 39 40 40 29

20 13 10 9 5 5 2 0 BJP INC Janata DMK Trinam CPI (M) BSP SP Dal ul United Congres s No. of MPs with Criminal Charges 116 29 13 10 9 2 5 5 In Percentage 39 57 81 43 41 67 50 40

No. of MPs with Criminal Charges In Percentage

Bhattacharyya and Pulla. Space and Culture, India 2019, 7:1 Page | 5

Figure3: Percentage of Lok Sabha MPs with Criminal Cases Since 2004 Source: Association of Democratic Reforms

40 30 20 10

0

BJP BJP BJP

Others Others Others

Congress Congress Congress 2004 2009 2014

Percentage of Lok Sabha MPs with Criminal Cases

Arguably, Mr Modi’s leadership, himself hailing The past five years have been difficult for from a humble background, chai wallah (tea India’s ruling elite. High officials, famous seller) fits into the notion of ‘counter-hegemony’ writers, editors of English newspapers, (Pulla, 2017) as put forward by Antonio Gramsci celebrated TV anchors, heirs of political (1999). According to Gramsci there are two faces dynasties, leftists and liberals have found of the notion hegemony: their importance diminish by the day. On the one hand it is contrasted with They have been replaced by people they “domination” (and as such bound up with once dismissed as ‘vernacs’, the word the opposition State/Civil Society) and on they use derisively for Indians who speak the other hand “hegemonic” is only in the vernacular. If ‘liberal’ sometimes used as an opposite of journalists are astoundingly illiberal in “corporate” or “economic-corporate” to their assessments of Modi it is because designate an historical phase in which a they have suffered badly since there was given group moves beyond a position of regime change in 2014. Where they once corporate existence and defence of its had privileged access to the men and economic position and aspires to a women who rule India, they are now position of leadership in the political and relegated to unseen TV channels while social arena (Gramsci, 1999: 20). Hindi journalists get all the interviews and all the glory. Mr Modi, who is considered as “the messiah (the saviour) of the poor” (Pulla, 2017: 4) has Nonetheless, prior to the election results of 23 definitely “added swaabhimaan (self-respect) May, Aatish Tasir (2019, 09 May), in his article to [ the] tenacity and elevated [the] hopes” titled Can the World's Largest Democracy Endure (Pulla, 2017:1) of the poor. And the 2019 Another Five Years of a Modi Government? Election has been about the ‘hopes’ and published in Time Magazine, vehemently ‘aspirations’ of the masses irrespective of class, criticised PM Modi, labelling him as the ‘Divider caste, creed and religion and their fundamental in Chief’, which, however, endured fierce rights to live in dignity. In a similar context, Singh criticism. The same issue went on to publish (2019) argues that during the leadership of Modi another article on PM Modi by Ian Bremmer since 2014, the importance of privilege class has (2019, 09 May) critically analysing both the witnessed a steady decline. She goes on to success and failures of the Modi government. argue: Similar criticisms were also published by other renowned magazines like The Economist— Bhattacharyya and Pulla. Space and Culture, India 2019, 7:1 Page | 6 Narendra Modi and the struggle for India’s soul nation-building. Post-2014, the new NDA (2019, 02 March);6 Missiles maketh the man: Government of India undertook three forms of Nationalist fervour is likely to secure a second social and economic reforms—immediate, term for Narendra Modi (2019, 04 May).7 medium and long term and launched a number However, with the change of time— post-23 of new initiatives — Make in India (25 May, the tone of these magazines too have September 2014), Clean India or Swachh Bharat changed. For instance, while the Time published Abhiyan (02 October 2014) and Saansad Adarsh an article entitled Modi Has United India Like No Gram Yojana (MP Model Village Scheme, on 11 Prime Minister in Decades by Manoj Ladwa October 2014, PM himself adopted the Jayapur (2019, 28 May); similarly, The Economist village, 35 km from Varanasi). Through these published articles mostly carrying metaphors initiatives, the Government of India articulates linked to adulations — India’s election results: its vision to transform India into a social and Narendra Modi scores a remarkable election economic hub. Driving these ‘pluralistic’ victory;8 Hindu juggernaut: What Narendra Modi initiatives, Mr Modi aims to reach the remotest should do next (2019, 25 May).9 corners of the country and integrate the The key questions are, despite the indignant ‘strength’ of the nation in its ‘inclusive forms of abuses and criticisms against PM Modi development’journey (Bhattacharyya, 2017) to and the NDA as a whole, why did the electorates accomplish the first Deputy Prime Minister of manage to score a spectacular victory for the India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's (31 October NDA and re-electing it for a second term— is it 1875-15 December 1950) vision of ‘Ek Bharat , that the electorates have rejected the largest Shreshtha Bharat’ and build a New India by opposition party, the Indian National Congress 2022. and its PM face, Mr Rahul Gandhi?; or is it that For instances, Make in India “aims to build India PM Modi has been successful in reaffirming a manufacturing hub under the mission — confidence amongst the electorates through Manufacture in India and sell the products some form of ‘good governance’ since 2014 vis- worldwide. Central to Make in India campaign is à-vis connection with the mass with its various ‘skill development’ and ‘creation of jobs’ flagship programmes/schemes, virtual through the mobilisation of the ‘youth power’” connection through (Heart’s (Bhattacharyya, 2017: 1). Although it is unclear Voice) aired through All India Radio and as to what extent his mission has been able to Doordarshan; and revocation of some archaic develop the skills of the youths and create jobs; statutes and amendment of some of the old but a job survey— Periodic Labour Force Survey legislation? Perhaps, the answer resides in the (PLFS) for 2017-18 by the National Sample mixed bag of both. Survey Office’s (NSSO) unravelled that Cascaded by the slogan—Sab Ka Saath, Sab Ka unemployment rate is staggeringly high in 45 Vikas (Collective Efforts, Inclusive Growth), the years, which stood at 6.1 per cent (rural areas: 2014 NaMo (Narendra Modi) wave emerged on 5.3 per cent and urban areas: 7.8 per cent) and the ‘Gujarat Model of Development’, which was the participation of females in the labour market played out as a synonym of Modinomics (for of urban areas at “the quarter ending December details, please see, Bhattacharyya, 2014) 2018 was 19.5%, compared with 73.6% for stemming from BJP’s ideology of multi- dimensional progress and its inclusive vigour of

6 Retrieved on 03March 2019 from, 8 Retrieved on 26 May 2019 from, https://www.economist.com/briefing/2019/03/02/naren https://www.economist.com/asia/2019/05/23/narendra- dra-modi-and-the-struggle-for--soul modi-scores-a-remarkable-election-victory 7 Retrieved on 05May 2019 from, 9 Retrieved on 26 May 2019 from, https://www.economist.com/asia/2019/05/04/nationalis https://www.economist.com/leaders/2019/05/25/what- t-fervour-is-likely-to-secure-a-second-term-for-narendra- narendra-modi-should-do-next modi Bhattacharyya and Pulla. Space and Culture, India 2019, 7:1 Page | 7 males”.10Nonetheless, there is evidence to been built. Statistics claim that 564658 villages suggest that Make in India has improved the have been made open defecation free and 618 ease of doing business in India. According to the are open defecation free districts.13 However, it latest World Bank Flagship report—Doing is not easy to change the behaviour of the people Business 2019: Training for Reform, India and who are habituated to defecating in the open , the two emerging economies are amongst and considers that having a toilet at home is an the top ten improvers of boosting business impure practice (Frøystad, 2018; Lakshmi, 2015; regulations.11 Scoring 67.23 points, an Nathoo, 2015; Ramani, 2016). Toilet: Ek Prem improvement of +6.63, India ranks 77 (out of 190 Katha (Toilet: A Love Story), the 2017 Bollywood economies) in the ease of doing business. In film, directed by Shree Narayan Singh and co- 2018, its rank was 100, which was a jump of 30 produced by the Bollywood actor, Mr Akshay ranks from 2017. The indicators where the Kumar (who played the lead role) and Neeraj country improved its rank in 2019 from the Pandey demonstrates the attitudes of the previous year are— construction permits from people succinctly in using toilets within their 181rank to the 52nd position; trading across the premises (Frøystad, 2018). Hence, simultaneous borders from 146 positions to 80th rank; from awareness building remains paramount for the 156th to 137th position in starting a business; successful execution of this mission. there has been an improvement of seven points As stated elsewhere, in its mission of ‘social in getting credit (from 29th to 22nd position); inclusiveness’, the government has either similarly, there has been an improvement of five revoked old legislation or taken initiatives to points in acquiring electricity (from 29 to 24th promulgate new ones. For example, declaring rank); and a meagre increase of enforcing ‘talaq’ a cognisable offence, on 12 January 2019, contracts by one point (that is from 164th to 12 the Government promulgated the Muslim 163rd position). Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Similarly, under Clean India or Swachh Bharat Ordinance, 2019. However, following the Abhiyan, which operates mainly under two dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha, the ministries— Ministry of Drinking Water and government had failed to pass the Muslim Sanitation (primarily) for rural areas; and Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (urban) gained massive 2018 (please read Sur, 2018 for a detailed success in building toilets especially in the rural understanding of the bill) in the Rajya Sabha, areas. As of 2014, nearly 600 million Indians used which was already passed by Lok Sabha on 27 to defecate in open spaces (Bhattacharyya, December 2018. Nevertheless, on 21 June 2019, 2014); the percentage of households having the newly elected government has again freshly toilets stood approximately at 38.70. Post-2014 introduced The Muslim Women (Protection of (02 October), 96190760 household toilets have Rights on Marriage) Bill 2019.14 Similarly, the

10 Unemployment rate rises to 45-year high of 6.1% in ess/media/Annual-Reports/English/DB2019-report_web- FY18: Official data (2019, 31 May), Live Mint. Retrieved version.pdf on 14 June 2019 from, 125 Highlights from World Bank's Doing Business 2019 https://www.livemint.com/news/india/unemployment- report, Make in India. Retrieved 10 June 2019 from, rate-rises-to-45-year-high-of-6-1-in-fy18-official-data- http://www.makeinindia.com/five-highlights-from-world- 1559306879836.html and Cat finally out of the bag: banks-doing-business-report- Unemployment at 45-year high, government defends 2019?utm_source=homepage&utm_medium=homepage data (2019, 31 May). India Today. Retrieved on 14 June 13 Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin). Retrieved on 14 June 2019 from, 2019 from, https://www.indiatoday.in/business/story/india- http://sbm.gov.in/sbmdashboard/Default.aspx# unemployment-rate-6-1-per-cent-45-year-high-nsso- 14 Fresh triple talaq bill introduced in Lok Sabha (2019, 21 report-1539580-2019-05-31 June).The Hindu Business Line. Retrieved on 22 June 2019 11 Doing Business 2019: Training for Reform, A World from, Bank Group Flagship Report, Retrieved on 14 June 2019 https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/fresh- from, triple-talaq-bill-introduced-in-lok- http://www.doingbusiness.org/content/dam/doingBusin sabha/article28097516.ece Bhattacharyya and Pulla. Space and Culture, India 2019, 7:1 Page | 8 government has taken other significant steps to ₹1138.65 billion in April 2019, of which ₹ 211.63 empower working women, the marginalised and billion is Central GST. The figure for State GST the victims— be it, amendment of the Maternity stood at ₹288.01 billion, while Integrated GST for Act from earlier 12 weeks to 26 weeks, April 2019 stood at ₹547.33 billion. provisions of work from home option, crèche Demonetisation, which aimed mainly at tackling facilities (please read, Singh, 2016); amendment black money, corruption and terrorism (Pulla, of the Protection of Children from Sexual 2016), of course, had a robust but short term Offences (POCSO) Act by awarding death penalty impact on the cash economy, the unorganised for the rape of minors below 12 years old (Singh, sector and micro, small and medium businesses. 2018); amendment of the Juvenile Justice Act Although, it remains unclear as to whether the ,2015 (Agarwal and Kumar, 2016) the need of government could accomplish its which became paramount in the wake of the demonetisation goals; that none of the political gang-rape of the 23-year-old Nirbhaya by six parties had ‘curbing corruption’ in their election men in December 2012 (Bhattacharyya, 2015a; manifestos demonstrates that because of the 2016), where one of the perpetrators was a tightening of regulations in the government juvenile. Further, on 6 September 2018, the institutions, the pace of corruption has been historic judgment passed by the Honourable slowly declining. 15 Apex Court by decriminalising Article 377, Nonetheless, the currency circulation, which was thereby legitimising consensual sexual acts ₹17.78 trillion at the time of demonetisation amongst adults of the same sex (Kakoti Borah, drive in November 2016, has increased to 2018) obviously added indirect advantage to ₹21.37 trillion in April 2019 (Alexander and Modi’s report card on ‘good governance’. There Padmanabhan, 2019a). Besides, the cash-GDP is no doubt that the BJP was able to transcend ratio too is slightly lower when compared to the the class/caste/religion divide—the results of pre-demonetisation level— this ratio was 12.1 Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, which previously used in 2015-2016, plummeted to 8.7 in 2016-2017 to garner votes through appeasement of caste but surged to 11.2 in 2018-19 (Alexander and and religion are evidence to this. Padmanabhan, 2019a). However, one has to Two other radical moves taken by the Modi acknowledge that demonetisation has improved government has been implementation of Goods the cashless mode of the transaction and Service Taxes (GST) aimed at streamlining (Bhattacharyya, 2017)— in 2019, the country’s the complex system of revenue collection (for a cashless transaction stood at the US detailed understanding of this topic, please read $64,787million, which is obviously one of the Mahanta, 2016) and Demonetisation, through roads to financial inclusion.16 A 2018 report which the old currency notes of ₹500 and ₹1000 titled World Payments Report published by were withdrawn and replaced by new notes of Capgemini also reveals that the country’s ₹500 and ₹2000 (Pulla, 2016). Pegged at multiple cashless transaction, which has grown at 33.2 rates, 0%, 5%, 12%, 18% and 28%, and barring per cent stands second to Russia (36.5 per cent); few goods— petroleum products, alcoholic China’s cashless growth stands at 25.8 per cent, drinks, real estate and electricity, the GST, which while South Africa’s growth is at 15.1 per cent.17 came into effect from 01 July 2017 witnessed a In the interim budget, 2019-2020, the then revenue collection of ₹900 billion for the period Minister of Finance, Mr Piyush Goyel, in his July 2017-March 2018, which further surged to Budget Speech mentioned that “[i]n order to

15 Article 377 of the Indian Penal Code was indeed a https://www.statista.com/outlook/296/119/digital- colonial piece of legislation introduced in 1864 during the payments/india British regime making homo sexual activities as illegal 17World Payments Report (2018). Capgemini. Retrieved (Rajagopal, 2018). on 21 June 2019 from, 16 Digital Payments: India, Statista . Retrieved on 21 June https://worldpaymentsreport.com/wp- 2019 from, content/uploads/sites/5/2018/10/World-Payments- Report-2018.pdf Bhattacharyya and Pulla. Space and Culture, India 2019, 7:1 Page | 9 promote a less cash economy, the presumptive from ₹1,879 in December 2017 to ₹2,217 profit rate has been reduced from 8% to 6%” in December 2018 (Sridhar, 2019) 18 (page 14). The upcoming Budget should The report goes on to divulge that the definitely levy lower tax rates to promote higher percentage of zero balance accounts have cashless transaction. reduced and currently stands in between 17-19 Before the demonetisation drive, another per cent (Sridhar, 2019). One has to important flagship initiative launched by the acknowledge that having an account even with Government was Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan zero balance is a strength in itself—a form of Yojna— a scheme of financial inclusion of the formal financial inclusion, which would ease an poor (Singareddy et al., 2019). Launched under individual’s woes when applying for loans for the Slogan—Mera Khatha, Bhagya Vidhatha (My business or to become a beneficiary of a Account would beget a good fortune) in August government/non-government programme 2014, the scheme has made to the Guinness including direct cash transfer. The Book of World Records which stated: "[t]he most implementation of Aadhar cards, a unique bank accounts opened in one week as a part of identity allowing biometric authentication, the financial inclusion campaign is 18,096,130 assigned to 1.24 billion people have only further and was achieved by the Government of India strengthened the spine of the economy by from August 23 to 29, 2014".19 As per available reducing leakages and validating welfare statistics, over 318 million bank accounts were delivery to the actual beneficiary(Padmanabhan, opened under this scheme, which had a deposit 2019). However, one has to confess that the of ₹792 billion (US$12 billion) (Singareddy et al., concept of Aadhar was first propounded by the 2019). Although, there has been criticism that UPA (Padmanabhan, 2019). the majority of these bank accounts have Alongside, the hits and misses of the schemes of remained inactive since its opening, however, the NDA government, it is not to argue that the the latest report published in The Hindu, government under the UPA had a very poor Business Line (2019) unveils that: economic scorecard. The comparison of some of There has been a rise of up to 24 per cent the performance and slugfest of both the UPA in the average balance of these accounts and NDA are encapsulated in Table 1. across banks during the last one year, It is apparent from Table 1 that the scale of the according to individual data available performance of the five years of the NDA with major banks. Banks claim the surge government has been better than the UPA that is the highest so far. governed the country since 2004. In terms of State Bank of India (SBI) witnessed an rural electrification, it was indeed the UPA increase of more than 24 per cent in the government that had completed nearly 97 per average balance of financial inclusion cent (with 80,189 villages being electrified) accounts to ₹1,988 in December 2018, under its regime. The NDA government, against ₹1,594 in the year-ago period. however, has extended this scheme under Sahaj For Bank of Baroda, the same had gone Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (Saubhagya). Leisang in up from ₹2,875 to ₹3,169, while Punjab Manipur is one of the latest villages to have been National Bank registered an increase electrified. According to Saubhagya, 21,44,73,043 (99.99 per cent) households have been electrified, and only 18,734 (0.01 per cent)

18 Interim Budget 2019-2020, Speech of Piyush Goyal 19 Jan Dhan Yojana features in Guinness Book of World Minister of Finance February 1, 2019, Union Budget. Records with 11.5 cr bank accounts (2015, 21 January. Retrieved on 20 June 2019 from, . Retrieved on 21 June 2019 from, https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/budget/budgetspeech.p https://indianexpress.com/article/business/business- hp others/jan-dhan-yojana-enters-into-guinness-book- record-with-1-5-cr-accounts/ Bhattacharyya and Pulla. Space and Culture, India 2019, 7:1 Page | 10 households remain to be connected with (2019b). It is saddening to witness that even the electricity.20 Evidently, the quality of these urban areas and metropolitan cities suffer from connectivities has been extremely poor with no the 24X7 regular supply, steered by high regular supply (Alexander and Padmanabhan fluctuations and load shedding.

Table 1: Comparison of the Economic Scorecard UPA and NDA Indicators UPA (2009-10 to 2013-14) NDA (2014-15 to 2018-19) Average GDP growth 6.7 7.5 Agriculture GDP growth (in %) 4 2.4 Value Added in Agriculture 4.3 2.9 Industry GDP Growth (in %) 6.4 7.1 Value Added in Manufacturing 6.4 8.6 Services GDP growth (in %) 8.3 8.8 Consumer Price Index Inflation 10.3 4.8 Fiscal Deficit to GDP 5.35 6.35 The Index of Industrial 4.6 4.17 Production growth Exports Growth 12.6 1.5 Non-Performing Asset (pt-to-pt) 2.25 to 3.84 3.84 to 10.4 (December, 2018) Gross Fixed Capital Formation 33.24 28.9 Sensex (pt-to-pt) 9,768 to 22,386 (130%) 22,386 to 38,673(73%) Current Account Deficit -3.34 -1.43 Forex Reserves ($billion) (pt-to- 264.1 to 303.6 303.6 to 411.9 pt) FDI ($billion) Cumulative 179.7 268.5 FDI Inflow ($billion) 38.4 52.2 Bad Loans 1230 billion 6620 billion Gross Tax Revenue 8360 billion 15900 billion Income Tax Returns Filed 38000000 (2014) 69000000 (2018) Adults with Bank Account (in %) 53 (2014) 80 (2018) Highways (in kms) built per year 4885 7750 Agricultural Insurance 3000000 hectares (2013) 58 million hectares (2017) Houses built each year 2400000 2800000 Soil Health Cards (issued) 28000000 (2011-2014) 92000000 (2015-2017) Total Optical Fiber laid (in kms) 5378 (2009-2014) 223,200 (2014-2018) Rural Electrification 80,189 villages 52,611 villages Sources: Sabnavis (2019); Daman (2019); Alexander and Padmanabhan (2019b)

Under Ujjwala yojana, there has been a record from five out of 10 homes in 2014 (Choudhary, surge in Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) 2018). According to the official website, 7, 23, connection to the poor households free of cost 25, 948 LPG connections have been made signalling that this form of cleaner fuel energy covering 714 districts. 21Table 2 illustrates a now connects nine out of 10 homes. This is a leap detailed picture of the LPG connection. It is

20Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (Saubhagya). Retrieved on 21 Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala, Ministry of Pertroleum and 20 June 2019 from, https://saubhagya.gov.in/ Natural Gas. Retreved on 23 June 2019 from, http://www.pmujjwalayojana.com/. Bhattacharyya and Pulla. Space and Culture, India 2019, 7:1 Page | 11 worth noting here that according to the Census because “LPG cylinders, even after subsidies, can of India (2011), while 72,435,303 households be prohibitively costly for the poor. In addition, used kerosene as their key source of lighting, many households may simply be unaware about 897,760 households lived in darkness with no LPG’s benefits; others may not know where to lighting facilities (Bhattacharyya,2015b). Despite get a cylinder” (Alexander and Padmanabhan, the free LPG connection, the government 2019c). continues to face challenges. This is simply

Table 2: Connection of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Cylinder Total Number of LPG (Domestic Connections) 0.249 billion Number of Subsidised Connections 0.229 billion Number of Double Cylinder Connections 0.119 billion Number of Rural Connections 0.113 billion Number of Urban Connections 0.136 billion Number of Commercial Connections 2900000 Source: Choudhary (2018)

Another newly launched health scheme that has Although, metaphorically, this act was visual, but been gaining ground is the Ayushman Bharat it won the hearts of the millions. Yojana, which was launched on 23 September In addition, the organic and charismatic 2018. Already 29,16,040 beneficiaries have been 22 leadership of Modi was strengthened by the admitted in over 15,623 empanelled hospitals 2019 Airstrike, when on 26 February the ensuring payments of an insurance cover of ₹ Air Force “sent its package of 12 Mirage 2000 5000 00per annum to 0.5 billion people. This fighter aircraft to attack the Jaish-e-Mohammed flagship initiative has been applauded by the terrorist camp”,24 which is the first ever since the Director General of the World Health 23 India- war of 1971 that crossed the Line Organisation, Tedros Ghebreyesus. The of Control. scheme is still at its embryonic form and only time will testify as to what extent this scheme Future Expectations: Journey for a New India gains success. The 2019 Election mandate was undoubtedly a All these competing narratives, despite its own mandate bestowed by the poor for ‘good successes and failures, demonstrates that the governance’. The country’s poor, who make up seeds of development have been planted. These the majority of the population clearly realised narratives further signal that there is a sheer the three positive Ns (Niyat-intention, Niti-policy political will of the government to transform the and Neta-Leader). In the next five years, the country for better. country should seek to accomplish the ladder of a ‘developed’ nation through PM Modi’s Himself taking a holy dip at Kumbh Mela, PM inclusive slogan of NARA (National Ambition, Modi paid tributes to the Safai Regional Aspiration). Alongside other forms of Karamcharis(sanitation workers) by washing the development agendas, the flagship feet of five workers on 24 February 2019.

22 National Health Authority. Government of India. ayushman-bharat-scheme-says-its-a-great- Retrieved on 23 June 2019 from, commitment/articleshow/65720426.cms?from=mdr https://www.pmjay.gov.in/ 24 'Operation Bandar' was IAF's code name for Balakot 23 WHO DG 'impressed' with Ayushman Bharat scheme; airstrike(2019, 21 June). The Economic Times. Retrieved says it's a 'great commitment (2018, 07 September). The on 23 June 2019 from, Economic Times. Retrieved on 23 June 2019 from, https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6988 https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/healthca 9631.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium re/biotech/healthcare/who-dg-impressed-with- =text&utm_campaign=cppst Bhattacharyya and Pulla. Space and Culture, India 2019, 7:1 Page | 12 programmes, the government should take Bhattacharyya, Rituparna (2016). 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Financial Inclusion