Assessing 11 Years of Modi’s Governance

After nearly 11 years in power, questions arise about the Modi administration’s lasting impact.

It has been almost 11 years since Narendra Modi came to power. Following what many considered the disappointing governance under Manmohan Singh, there were high expectations that the new government would bring significant change. Unfortunately, those hopes have largely faded.

Many supporters of Modi point to his administration’s infrastructure achievements: roads, airports, toilets, and bringing water to villages. While these project-based successes are commendable, effective governance extends beyond project execution.

A comprehensive government must excel in:

  • Law and order
  • Policy formulation and implementation
  • Institution building and reform

Modi’s administration has underperformed in these three critical areas, suggesting it may be time for another BJP leader to take the helm.

Law and Order

While external terrorism has been largely contained, internal security concerns continue to grow. Stone-pelting incidents during festivals remain commonplace. Disturbing cases of mass sexual violence, such as those in Beawar and Ajmer, persist.

Extremist groups have managed to block major roadways near the national capital for extended periods—not once, but twice. Such disruptions would have been unthinkable in previous eras.

There has been insufficient effort to modernize policing, improve criminal investigations, and deliver timely justice.

The criminal justice system fails to instill fear in wrongdoers. Courts remain overburdened and inefficient, with numerous procedural loopholes. Few citizens would consider the police or courts as their first recourse when seeking redress.

Policy Implementation

Though there have been modest achievements in foreign policy, domestic policy implementation has been largely disappointing. Modi campaigned on promises of “minimum government,” leading voters to expect significant reforms in governance structures, including reducing the scope and authority of the unelected bureaucracy.

However, several policy shortcomings are evident:

  • The GST implementation has been problematic
  • Regressive tariffs on essential electronics like laptops echo the protectionist policies of the 1970s and 1980s
  • Urban infrastructure continues to deteriorate, with overcrowded cities lacking adequate public spaces
  • The Right to Education Act remains unchanged, making quality education prohibitively expensive
  • The combined burden of direct and indirect taxation remains high
  • Government size has expanded rather than contracted
  • Hydrogen and ethanol policies lack coherence and effectiveness
  • Bureaucratic red tape and corruption persist
  • The withdrawal of farm laws represented a significant policy retreat
  • Privatization efforts, beyond Air India, have stalled

These represent just a sampling of the policy failures.

Institutional Reform

I mistakenly believed Modi understood the importance of reforming institutions established during the socialist era under Nehru and Indira Gandhi. This assumption has proven incorrect.

There have been negligible efforts to reform the bureaucracy, judiciary, police, and other governmental institutions. Instead, these entities have grown in both size and influence.

Military recruitment stands as perhaps the only area where reform has been attempted, though the necessity of these changes remains questionable.

Hindu-Centric Initiatives

Beyond the construction of the Ram Mandir and the abrogation of Article 370, many Hindu-related causes remain unaddressed:

  • Temples continue under government control
  • The RTE Act’s provisions that disadvantage Hindu institutions remain unchanged
  • The Citizenship Amendment Act awaits implementation
  • Hindu refugees continue living in poor conditions
  • The National Register of Citizens initiative appears abandoned
  • The Waqf Board maintains its privileged status
  • The Uniform Civil Code remains unimplemented
  • Other contested religious sites in Kashi and Mathura remain unresolved
  • Addressing illegal immigration has not been prioritized

Conclusion

Every supporter should consider one crucial question:

If the Modi/BJP government loses power, how difficult would it be for a subsequent administration to revert to the socialist, lawless, and corrupt governance of previous eras?

The sobering answer is that such a regression would be quite straightforward. This vulnerability represents perhaps the most significant failure of Modi’s governance—the absence of enduring structural reforms that would safeguard India’s progress regardless of which party holds power.