100 Days Of Modi Govt 2.0: From Record Bills Passed In One Session To Economic Slowdown

On September 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi led BJP government marked 100 days of its second term. Addressing the BJP’s ‘Vijay Sankalp’ rally in Rohtak in Haryana, the PM said the BJP government had taken several important decisions during the period.

PM Modi described the first hundred days of BJP government as “development, trust and big changes.” He said 130 crore people inspired his government to take significant decisions in this period.

Most Productive Parliament Session In Six Decades

The first Parliament session of Modi 2.0 scripted history with the highest number of bills passed in six decades. For instance, abrogation of Article 370 which stripped off the special status enjoyed by the people in Jammu & Kashmir was a massive success in favour of the Saffron party. In a smart move, the party militarised the state and removed the article 370.

The second most talked-about bill passed was the Triple Talaq Bill. The bill which was rejected by the Rajya Sabha in 2018 got the nod of Upper House this session. This bill seeks to ban the practice of instant triple talaq. This bill recognises the declaration of triple talaq a cognizable offence, which may attract three years imprisonment with a fine. It means that the police can arrest an accused without a warrant.

The third most contentious bill to pass was the RTI (Amendment) Bill, 2019. This bill seeks to amend the RTI Act, 2005. It was passed in the upper house by a voice vote amid a walkout from the Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the other opposition parties.

On July 29, the Lok Sabha passed the contentious National Medical Commission Bill, 2019. The BJP called it one of the most significant reforms that will end ‘inspector raj’ in the medical education sector. The bill proposed to revoke the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 and establish an NMC in place of the Medical Council Of India. The MCI was dissolved in 2010 following corruption charges against President Ketan Desai by the Central Bureau Of Investigation.

$5 Trillion Economy, A Distant Dream

Apart from passing 36 bills in one session, PM Modi at the start of the budget session said that the country is looking towards a $5 Trillion Economy by 2024. To reach the promised economy, the centre also merged ten of the biggest public sector banks (PSBs) into four entities.

Though the government is gleefully referring to all the moves mentioned above as achievements, it is miserably failing to tackle the economic slowdown.

The Central Statistics Office report released on August 30 shows that GDP growth in the April-June quarter fell to 5 per cent – the slowest pace in six and a half years. The weak growth rate is a result of the slowdown in the manufacturing sector and the continued downfall in consumption. The new low in the GDP is also attributed to a slowdown in auto sales. The domestic passenger sales in July took an exponential downturn after a steady decline for the ninth consecutive month.

The manufacturing sector grew at just 0.6 per cent, while ‘Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing’ sector grew at 2 per cent. The ‘Mining and Quarrying’, ‘Construction’ and ‘Financial, Real Estate and Professional Services’ grew at 2.7 per cent, 5.7 per cent and 5.9 per cent, respectively.

Many Rating agencies have cut down India’s growth figures from their earlier forecast. CRISIL had revised India’s growth rate to 6.9 per cent from 7.1 per cent.

The Reserve Bank Of India taking stock of the matter, last week gave the government a lifeline as it dug into its reserves to give government Rs 1.76 lakh crore. It is believed that the government will use the money to meet the fiscal deficit target of 3.3 per cent.

Congress Takes Jibe

The Congress party taking a jibe at the saffron party posted several figures which indicated the slowdown in the country’s economy. The Congress described these 100 days as tyranny, chaos and anarchy. Former Congress president – Rahul Gandhi did not miss out on the opportunity to sling mud at the central government. “Congratulations to the Modi govt on #100DaysNoVikas, the continued subversion of democracy, a firmer stranglehold on a submissive media to drown out criticism and a glaring lack of leadership, direction and plans where it’s needed the most — to turnaround our ravaged economy,” Rahul tweeted.

Congress’ senior spokesperson Kapil Sibal, addressing a press conference, also alleged that the government’s 100 days in office have been characterised by “arrogance, uncertainty and vendetta politics.”

Also Read: GDP Growth Touches Six-Year Low, Sinks Over 5% In June Quarter