Narendra Modi**, India's Prime Minister

RISE TO POWER: FROM RSS PRACHARAK TO PRIME MINISTER**

#### **A. Early Life & Political Roots**

- **1950:** Born in Vadnagar, Gujarat; worked at family tea stall; joined RSS (Hindu nationalist group) at age 8.

- **1980s–2000s:** Rose through BJP ranks; organized key rallies for L.K. Advani; became Gujarat CM in 2001 (re-elected 3 times).

#### **B. Gujarat Controversy & Reinvention**

- **2002 Gujarat Riots:** 1,000+ killed (mostly Muslims) under his watch; accused of complicity (later cleared by SIT, but questions persist).

- **"Gujarat Model" Branding:** Pitched as pro-business, efficient governance (9% avg. GDP growth 2005–2015).

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### **II. MODI'S INDIA: POLICIES & GOVERNANCE (2014–PRESENT)**

#### **A. Signature Initiatives**

| **Policy** | **Goal** | **Outcome** |

|---------------------|----------------------------------|------------------------------------------|

| **Demonetization** (2016) | Curb black money/corruption | Economic disruption; 1.5M jobs lost |

| **GST** (2017) | Unified tax system | Initial chaos; now 50%+ revenue growth |

| **Digital India** | Tech-driven governance | UPI revolution (46% of global real-time payments) |

| **Make in India** | Boost manufacturing | Limited success (MFG: 17% GDP → 13% by 2023) |

#### **B. Hindu Nationalism Agenda**

- **Article 370 Abrogation** (2019): Revoked Kashmir's autonomy; integrated it into India.

- **CAA/NRC** (2019): Citizenship law favoring non-Muslim migrants + proposed citizenship registry; sparked mass protests.

- **Ram Mandir** (2024): Built Hindu temple at Ayodhya (replacing Babri Masjid); symbolic triumph for Hindutva.

#### **C. Foreign Policy**

- **Neighborhood First:** Aid to Maldives/Sri Lanka; border clashes with China (2020).

- **Multilateral Engagement:** Quad (US, Japan, Australia), G20 presidency (2023), "Vishwaguru" soft power push.

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### **III. LEADERSHIP STYLE & POLITICAL MACHINERY**

#### **A. Cult of Personality**

- **Social Media Savant:** 96M Twitter/X followers; hologram campaign rallies.

- **Centralized Control:** Bypasses cabinet; relies on PMO bureaucrats ("Modi sarkar").

#### **B. BJP Electoral Dominance**

- **2014/2019 Landslides:** First full-majority govts since 1984.

- **Expansion Strategy:** Toppled opposition states (e.g., West Bengal, NE India).

- **Opposition Fragmentation:** Congress weakened (44 seats in 2019 vs. BJP's 303).

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### **IV. CRITICISMS & CONTROVERSIES**

#### **A. Democratic Erosion**

- **Media Freedom:** India ranks 161/180 (RSF Press Freedom Index, 2023).

- **Institutional Pressure:** ED/CBI used against opposition leaders (e.g., Kejriwal, Rahul Gandhi).

#### **B. Socio-Economic Gaps**

- **Unemployment:** 8%+ (2023); youth job crisis.

- **Inequality:** Top 1% hold 40% of wealth (Oxfam, 2023).

- **Minority Tensions:** Lynchings, bulldozer demolitions targeting Muslims.

#### **C. Pandemic Response**

- **Oxygen Shortages** (2021): 3,000+ daily COVID deaths during Delta wave.

- **Vaccine Diplomacy vs. Domestic Crisis:** Exported shots while Indians died waiting.

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### **V. GLOBAL PERCEPTIONS & GEOPOLITICAL ROLE**

#### **A. Western Dilemma**

- **US/EU:** Courts Modi as China counterweight; downplays rights concerns.

- **"Bhai-Bhai" with Russia:** Refuses to condemn Ukraine invasion; buys discounted oil.

#### **B. Global South Leadership**

- **Voice of Developing Nations:** Climate finance demands, UNSC reform advocacy.

- **G20 Triumph:** African Union inclusion; consensus declaration despite Ukraine rift.

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### **VI. PARADOXES OF MODI'S LEGACY**

| **Achievements** | **Contradictions** |

|-------------------------------|----------------------------------|

| World's 5th-largest economy | Stagnant per-capita income ($2,600) |

| Digital infra revolution | Deepening rural-urban divide |

| Assertive foreign policy | Declining civil liberties index |

> *"He is both a visionary modernizer and a Hindu revivalist – a duality that defines India’s 21st-century trajectory."*

> —*Foreign Affairs*, 2023

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### **KEY THEMES FOR 2024 AND BEYOND**

- **2024 Re-election Bid:** Favored to win third term (BJP targets 400+ seats).

- **Hindu Rashtra Vision:** Push for Uniform Civil Code (replacing religion-based laws).

- **China Challenge:** Border tensions + competing influence in Global South.

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### **DIVE DEEPER:**

Choose a focus:

1. **RSS-BJP Ideology** (Hindutva origins + Sangh Parivar network)

2. **Economic Transformation** (From license raj to digital powerhouse)

3. **Foreign Policy Evolution** (Non-alignment to "multi-alignment")

4. **2024 Election Strategy** (Opposition alliance challenges)