The mismatch between expectations and delivery is all too pronounced when it comes to governmental performance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi got the unique opportunity to lead the nation for three consecutive terms – meaning 15 years. This is a long period in the history of a nation. China, which ran neck and neck with India in matters of economy and defence till the turn of the century and emerged as the second top super power with five times the strength of India, achieved this distinction in a matter of less than 20 years. The Covid19 disaster stopped it in its tracks for a while, yet its strengths have not diminished. India, under Modi, marched forward with the pace of an elephant, the government avoided ruffling feathers for most part and ensured political and economic stability. India aspires to be a ‘developed nation’ by 2047, the time India celebrates the 100-th year of its Independence. Drumbeats apart, the nation of 1.40 billion might or might not achieve this distinction.
India’s problem is its bulging population combined with an inability of its leadership to make use of the productive energy of its people, the largest army of its youths. The subsidised ration scheme made sure that a lazy generation would work less and idle away their time. China did the reverse. It created opportunities for its people to work. Factories mushroomed there. Its production lines fed the world. In India, the manufacturing sector as a whole took a nosedive. The ‘Make In India’ by itself did not help much. Aspirations for 2047 are one thing; the realities on the ground are altogether different. This mismatch is all too pronounced when one digs deeper into the subject.
The over 10 years of the Modi dispensation has little to boast of in terms of nation-building other than the erection of a parliament house, the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the development of the road infrastructure or the installation of ports and airports. It invested huge sums in development of the railways, which had been neglected by successive governments, but fact is also that the railways sector has not improved in any significant way. The government lacks the cutting edge. A metaphor is the truncated bullet train project in the western sector. The plan was conceived in 2014, works for the 500km stretch – no big shakes — began in 2020 and its first phase is “expected” to be completed by 2027. Just nine out of the 24 bridges are complete. The budgetary allocations for railways this fiscal is 2.52 lakh crore, double of the funds earmarked in the 2021-02 fiscal. Yet, the budget speech this week had only a passing mention of “what is new” for the railways sector.
