Some public journeys are not only political. They become nation building. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 25 years in public life, beginning as Gujarat’s Chief Minister on 7 October 2001 and continuing as India’s Prime Minister, belong to that rare arc. This is not merely a story of time in office. It is a story of intent translated into policy, policy into delivery and delivery into public trust.
The core of this journey has been to place the last person at the centre of development. Financial inclusion through Jan Dhan, clean cooking through Ujjwala, sanitation as a mass movement through Swachh Bharat, pucca homes through PM Awas, health protection through Ayushman Bharat and direct income support to farmers through PM Kisan have reshaped the relationship between state and citizen. These are not just schemes. They are signals that government exists to change daily life, not only to administer it.
Women have been positioned as active partners in this transformation. From Beti Bachao Beti Padhao to self help groups, Mudra loans, Jan Dhan accounts and LPG connections, the push has been to expand agency, not only access. Today, Indian women are visible in politics, administration, science, the armed forces, sports, entrepreneurship and education. The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam points to greater political representation. When half the population moves forward with confidence, the whole country advances.
Social justice has been woven into this design. For backward classes, minorities, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, the focus has been on expanding access to education, jobs, enterprise, skills, finance and dignified living. Direct benefit transfer has reduced leakage and brought entitlements to bank accounts. In Madhya Pradesh, where the portfolio of Backward Class and Minority Welfare sits with elected representatives who belong to these communities, the test is simple. Do schemes reach the last household. Does opportunity reach the last village. That is the real measure of su shasan.
Technology has been the quiet enabler. Digital payments, Aadhaar, DBT, online services and public digital infrastructure have shortened the distance between citizen and state. India has shown that technology can mean transparency, speed and inclusion, not only modernity. The world now looks to India’s digital public goods as models. This capability is becoming a foundation for the next phase of growth.
Economically, the ambition has shifted from India as a large market to India as a strong producer and innovator. Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, Startup India, Digital India and large infrastructure investments have added capacity and confidence. The target is no longer only to improve the present. It is to build a Viksit Bharat by 2047. That goal cannot be achieved by government alone. It needs the collective effort of 140 crore Indians.
On the global stage, India’s posture has become more assertive and active. The G20 presidency, advocacy for the Global South, development partnerships, disaster relief and a growing role in international institutions reflect this change. India is no longer only a participant in the world order. It is an influential partner.
What do these 25 years teach. Leadership is not only about holding office. It is about vision, the courage to take hard decisions and the persistence to turn them into outcomes. As we mark this milestone, the task is not only to evaluate the past. It is to shape the future. The next goal is larger. A developed India that is prosperous, empowered, self reliant and proud of its civilisational heritage.
Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas is not only a slogan. It is a work culture. The commitment is to connect every section, especially the poor, backward, deprived, women, youth and minorities, to the mainstream of development so that opportunity is universal and dignity is every citizen’s right. The last 25 years have given India new aspiration, new confidence and new direction. The next 21 years must deliver Viksit Bharat.
Heartfelt congratulations to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 25 glorious years of public service.
