*Paromita Das
Since 2014, Narendra Modi has established himself as a reformer and a Prime Minister to be reckoned with. With his election, India is gradually breaking free from the shackles of a Colonial hangover steeped in the Nehruvian socialist era that ravaged the country for six decades. His promise of ‘Acche Din’ and his vision for a New India are largely based on his conception of India as a young nation that is still evolving as a millennia-old civilization.
PM Modi rose to become the world’s most popular leader in just eight years. The successful implementation of welfare schemes ensuring basic facilities such as water, sanitation, gas, electricity, housing, and connectivity across the length and breadth of the country has been one of the most striking features of the Modi regime.
Modi has a long list of accomplishments under his belt, including unprecedented infrastructure development, repealing Articles 370 and 35 (A), combating terrorism, increasing women’s participation in democracy, and carving out an independent foreign policy, to name a few.
The Modi government has done a lot in the last eight years to usher in ‘Acche Din.’ It will undoubtedly take more than 8 years to clean up the rot that has been present for over 70 years. While Prime Minister NarendraModi completes his eighth year in office today, here is a wishlist of eight things the government should do as we prepare for a possible Modi 3.0.
Modi has a long list of accomplishments under his belt, including unprecedented infrastructure development, repealing Articles 370 and 35 (A), combating terrorism, increasing women’s participation in democracy, and carving out an independent foreign policy, to name a few.
The Modi government has done a lot in the last eight years to usher in ‘Acche Din.’ It will undoubtedly take more than 8 years to clean up the rot that has been present for over 70 years. While Prime Minister NarendraModi completes his eighth year in office today, here is a wishlist of eight things the government should do as we prepare for a possible Modi 3.0.
1. Revoking Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act
Even if the glaring Hindu temple remains were proof enough for naysayers, the survey of the disputed Gyanwapi structure, with the emerging signs of traces of a Hindu temple and the presence of Shivling inside the premises, it is abundantly clear that the present-day mosque rests on the erstwhile temple of Vishveshwar.
The upright restoration of Kashi into a temple for Vishveshwar is, however, impossible under the Places of Worship Act, which was enacted in 1991. Beyond the specific case at hand, the act makes it impossible for Hindus to claim rightful ownership of their civilizational heritage after millennia of barbaric invasions. Many have claimed that the law denies Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs the right to reclaim places of worship and pilgrimage associated with cultural heritage (Article 29) and limits their ability to reclaim places of worship and pilgrimage, while allowing Muslims to claim under S.107 of the Waqf Act.
Given that this government has been attentive and aware of Hindu rights, which have been ignored by previous governments who even wanted to introduce bills like the Communal Violence Bill, this government appears to be Hindus’ only hope for repealing legislation that violates their rights. Elected officials from the state cannot obstruct the process of reconciliation between the two communities, which begins with acknowledging the truth and restoring the rights of the oppressed majority.
2. Putting in place the New Education Policy and rewriting history books
The Indian educational system is heavily influenced by colonial biases of those who documented India’s journey as a nation-state, obscure examination methods, and course conceptualization that is completely unrelated to current market demand and needs. To make education more experiential, holistic, integrated with core values of the land, inquiry-driven, learner-centered, communicative, flexible, and enjoyable; Indian pedagogy must evolve. In line with India’s commitment to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the government of India released the much-anticipated New Education Policy in 2020. The NEP draft invited both comments and objections. While the draft made some ground-breaking recommendations to rekindle India’s educational prowess, implementation has been delayed for a variety of reasons.
The NarendraModi government was tasked with updating Indian textbooks to reflect the culture and context of India as a living civilization, as well as an accurate depiction of our history, including what the Islamic barbarians did to Hindu civilisation and the true representations of Kings and leaders who spearheaded Bharata’s civilisation.
In India, the history curriculum frequently glorifies invaders while downplaying the importance of Indian dynasties. In the intellectual space, a case has already been made, and historians and thinkers have repeatedly won over the imagination of New India, which demands that the Left’s hegemony on this issue be overthrown.
While the Modi government has already been accused of “saffronizing” the curriculum, it is a pill that they will have to swallow for the sake of our children sooner or later.
3. Cleaning up the bureaucracy and taking responsibility for the ‘System’
The real’system’ of the country, far beyond the much-maligned ideological ecosystems that consume the majority of the news cycle today, is the bureaucracy. Administrative officers, also known as Babus, are the foundation of any government’s efforts to provide efficient and transparent governance. The civil services, which were created by British India and were later converted into IAS after independence, have largely failed to bring an indigenous element into the administrative character.
Today’s system refuses to reform itself to be more people-centric, is introverted in its operation, and avoids demonstrating its timely competence.
Furthermore, the Indian Administrative Service and its affiliated branches of IFS, IRS, and IPS serve as a model for contrasting deep-rooted Indian practices in governance, statecraft, and policy implementation. While it is supposed to serve the people’s interests, the rigid framework in which our babus work continues to discount understanding of Indian society and has developed its own superiority complex. While there is a compelling case for reforming the bureaucracy, the first step must be to rethink the IAS.
The Modi government has taken a top-down approach to bringing discipline, cleanliness, and accountability to the administration since its inception. Working with an iron fist on Mission Karmayogi – The National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB), which was launched in September 2020, may be in the national interest.
4. Implement CAA and NRC on a national scale.
The Citizenship Amendment Act, which was passed by Parliament in December 2019, allows persecuted religious minorities in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan to obtain Indian citizenship more quickly. Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, and Christians who fled to India before December 31, 2014, will be granted Indian citizenship under the Act.
The rules for any legislation introduced in parliament should be drafted within six months of the presidential nod, according to the Manual on Parliamentary Work. Because the Central Ministry of Home Affairs was unable to frame rules within six months of the CAA’s enactment during the pandemic, it has sought time from parliamentary committees four times since June 2020.
The nation saw nationwide protests that were designed to evolve into riots across the country by Islamists and Leftists following the Modi government’s bold and much-needed ideation of the CAA. Despite international pressure, the government refused to buckle under the pressure and stood in solidarity with persecuted Indian minorities in neighbouring Islamic countries.
The CAA will be implemented once the pandemic is over, according to Amit Shah’s recent statement.
In addition to the CAA, steps must be taken to evict illegal immigrants from the country, particularly Bangladeshis and Rohingya Muslims. Both sections, as previously stated, pose a significant threat to the nation. We’ve seen a number of crimes where illegal immigrants have been used as weapons. During the anti-Hindu Delhi riots, Umar Khalid specifically called for the mobilisation of Bangladeshi Muslims against the act, which resulted in widespread violence against Hindus in Northeast Delhi.
While opposition parties and Muslim leaders call for illegal Muslims to be rehabilitated, the Modi government is sticking to its plan to expel them from the country. While the Supreme Court mandated the NRC in Assam, a national version of the NRC is now becoming increasingly necessary to ensure that the nation’s sovereignty is not threatened by illegals.
5. Internal security challenges and countering anti-national forces
One of the most significant challenges confronting the Indian state is striking a balance between upholding civil liberties and the right to dissent on the one hand, and preventing it from devolving into a force of anarchy on the other.
Recent years have seen protests quickly devolve into rioting situations, whether it was the anti-Hindu Delhi Riots in 2020 (fuming from manufactured discontent over the CAA/NRC and the extensive conspiracy by Islamists and Leftists to incite violence against Hindus) or the Republic Day riots in 2021 (fuming from Farm Law agitations).
Hostage-taking of public properties and rights of passage when activists block highways and streets in the name of protests has not only cost us a price in terms of the region’s micro-economic growth. but these sites also have the potential to turn into hotbeds of anarchy.
The ability of these contested agitations to quickly transform into provocation before some anti-social elements disrupt law and order is their most striking feature.
On January 26, 2021, a violent agitation against farm laws will take place in Delhi on Republic Day. In this regard, the government must identify organizations and NGOs that engage in anarchic activities in India in the name of protests on a regular basis. Mischievous entities must not be granted an FCRA license or a visa to work in India, according to the government.
Advancing judicial reforms
In India, the demand for judicial reforms has grown over time. Pending cases in the courts, a lack of interaction between the layers of courtrooms, judicial overreach, and consultative selection of successive Chief Justices have all been difficult issues for the Indian judiciary, which continues to operate within a constrained framework. India’s justice system must evolve into a modern-day institution capable of delivering timely justice in cases brought before it. Democratization of judicial processes in terms of appointments, rights granted to Justices, and timely delivery of judgments, on the other hand, remains a problem.
By allocating dedicated funds, the Indian government can pave the way for the modernization of the judiciary. The Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Judicial Infrastructure, under which the government has released Rs 5,266 crores in the last eight years, is needed to close the infrastructure gap. Underfunding and poor planning of judicial infrastructure are also issues that must be addressed.
The Indian high courts currently have 5.8 million pending cases, making the case backlog one of the most daunting challenges facing any public institution in India. The reason for this is an unusually high number of new cases, which is a result of the judiciary’s broad powers granted by the Indian Constitution. The Central Law Ministry should collaborate with the courts to revise the civil and criminal procedure codes, which stifle quick case resolution.
The Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Judicial Infrastructure, under which the government has released Rs 5,266 crores in the last eight years, is needed to close the infrastructure gap. Underfunding and poor planning of judicial infrastructure are also issues that must be addressed.
The Indian high courts currently have 5.8 million pending cases, making the case backlog one of the most daunting challenges facing any public institution in India. The reason for this is an unusually high number of new cases, which is a result of the judiciary’s broad powers granted by the Indian Constitution. The Central Law Ministry should collaborate with the courts to revise the civil and criminal procedure codes, which stifle quick case resolution.
- Goals for Sustainable Urban Development are being stepped up
With a high striking rate of rapid urbanisation, it is important that we address the evolution and expansion of our new urban areas with respect to the geographical, socio-cultural, economic, and ecological context. One of the key features of the NarendraModi Government has been its impetus on urban development and ramping up infrastructure. With more than 60% of the world’s population expected to live in cities by 2040, the need to accommodate a large influx of migrants into urban areas must be considered.
The Government of India faces a challenge to decentralise planning processes and give more freedom to city-level institutions with schemes like HRIDAY, AMRUT, and PMAY in line with the Smart Cities Mission. The upkeep of new infrastructure and amenities in the city would entail additional responsibilities for the city’s municipal governments.
The NarendraModi government can set an example by rethinking urban governance; by delegating more political authority and powers to local governments, and by experimenting with newer administrative models, which it is already doing to some extent. Laws requiring people to be accountable for the maintenance of shared urban properties, such as highways, roadways, riverfront, parks, and footpaths, should be amended to allow for optimal maintenance of newly constructed urban infrastructure such as highways, roadways, riverfront, parks, and footpaths.
The Central Government’s urban development goals would also include improving the air quality index in Indian cities; working on modern waste collection and sewage disposal methods, and promoting public transportation such as buses, metro trains, trams, and so on.
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