Mumbai: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 25 years of public service are marked by “rare achievements” that have transformed India into a global economic and security powerhouse.
He also expressed confidence that the Uniform Civil Code would be implemented in all 21 BJP- and NDA-ruled states before 2029.
Announcing the month-long ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’ to mark the milestone from September 17, the birthday of Prime Minister Modi, Shah said the country will observe the campaign to commemorate Modi’s 25 years of service to the nation.
Shah said the campaign will highlight what he described as major economic, security, infrastructure and social-sector achievements under PM Modi’s leadership.
He said this year is important because the prime minister is completing 25 years of public service.
“For the first time, the country has witnessed the introduction of a strong foreign policy,” Shah said, adding that the foundation of both foreign and defence policy was “India First” and that the country’s interests remained paramount.
He said India had moved from the “Fragile Five” to become one of the world’s top five economies and was now the fastest-growing major economy, citing 7.8 per cent GDP growth in the first quarter of this fiscal.
On national security, Shah said India had demonstrated a policy of giving a “befitting reply” to terrorist attacks that killed soldiers and civilians.
Surgical strikes, air strikes and Operation Sindoor, he said, had established a policy of zero tolerance toward terrorism.
The removal of Articles 370 and 35A, once considered impossible, had been achieved without “a single drop of blood” being shed or “a single bullet” being fired, he said, adding that Kashmir has now fully integrated with India making the Article 370 a history.
He also cited the abolition of triple talaq and expressed confidence that the Uniform Civil Code would be implemented in all 21 BJP- and NDA-ruled states before 2029.
Shah said India’s criminal justice system had been given an Indian foundation through the new judicial codes, with a system being established to ensure justice within three years.
He said the government had also made decisive progress in eliminating Naxalism, while more than 14 peace agreements and the surrender of more than 9,000 people had put the Northeast on a development path.
Shah highlighted the lifting of 250 million people out of multidimensional poverty and the expansion of welfare benefits, including bank accounts, free medical treatment, tap water, PM-KISAN support, toilets, Ujjwala gas connections, housing and electricity.
The Goods and Services Tax (GST), he said, had fulfilled the vision of “one nation, one tax”, while the Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile, or JAM, trinity had created a foundation for digital governance.
Banking reforms had helped India overcome the non-performing assets crisis, with public-sector banks becoming profitable, Shah said.
Production-linked incentives and Make in India had helped establish the country as a reliable global manufacturing and export hub.
He also pointed to rapid expansion of roads, railways, airports, metros, ports, waterways and digital infrastructure. Dedicated Freight Corridors, Vande Bharat trains, expressways and metro networks had taken infrastructure development to new heights, he said.
The number of airports had risen from about 75 to nearly 150, while Digital India and Startup India had created new opportunities for young people.
Shah said the government had expanded opportunities for women through the Nari Shakti Vandan Act, which provides for 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state legislative assemblies.
Women, he said, were increasingly entering the military, police, science, startups, drone technology and sports.
He also highlighted projects at religious sites, including the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, Kashi Vishwanath Dham, Mahakal Lok and redevelopment of Kedarnath.
The installation of the Sengol in the new Parliament building had contributed to the “Indianization” of democratic consciousness, he said.
India’s achievements in space, including Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1, were another indication of the country’s growing capabilities, Shah said.
He said Modi had freed the country from “policy paralysis, coalition constraints and weak decision-making,” while “personally reviewing long-pending projects” with states.
Projects that had remained stalled for decades had subsequently been completed, he said.
Shah said India’s acceptance and prestige abroad had increased significantly over the past 12 years.
The prime minister’s views now mattered on major global issues, while Indian passport holders were treated with greater respect overseas, he said.
Citing a 68 per cent approval rating, Shah described Modi as one of the world’s most popular leaders and said 36 countries had conferred their highest honours on him.
The home minister said the democratic mandate represented the public’s certificate on performance, outcomes and delivery. Over 25 years of public life, voters had repeatedly given Modi mandates at both the state and national levels, he said.
Shah said Modi had become the first prime minister in six decades to be elected to three consecutive terms, describing the mandate as a testament to his achievements during 25 years in public life.
