Institutionalising Honesty

Published By : Admin | March 14, 2019 | 14:33 IST

For a country used to the usual ‘chalta hai’ attitude when it came to graft in public life, the last few years have seen a virtual onslaught against corruption never seen before in India. On the one hand, discretion in the process of allocation of resources has been done away with, while on the other, a distribution system, marred by the middlemen, too has been replaced with a direct, transparent and efficient process.

JAM as the Tool to Empower Masses

Without doubt, the Jan Dhan Yojana-Aadhar-Mobile or the JAM trinity has facilitated government’s objective of increasing transparency with Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). The biggest step towards financial inclusion, the Jan Dhan Yojana has helped create a potent system of distribution that curbs leakages in the process. The Jan Dhan – Aadhar – Mobile (JAM) trinity has been instrumental in minimizing the role of middlemen.  With unique identification associated with every account, in the form of account number, there is no scope for duplication of accounts or ghost beneficiaries. As of Februrary 2019, 439 schemes across 55 ministries fall under the purview of DBT.

Imagine if there was no JAM, the historic PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana with the aim of providing Rs. 6,000 of yearly income to 12 crore marginal farmers would have been lost in the maze of graft-ridden delivery systems.

License-Inspector Raj a ‘real’ thing of the past

Although the 1991 reforms had sought to end the license-inspector raj, in reality things hadn’t changed so effectively on the ground. But now in addition to the path-breaking GST regime, leveraging technology to the fullest, the government has simply ‘shut down the shutters’ of the license inspector raj. No more can any government official harass a law-abiding businessman or a tax-paying citizen. For instance, the advent of GST has while brought down the effective tax rates on goods and services benefiting the end-consumers to a great extent, through GSTN’s uniform interface for the tax payer and a common and shared IT infrastructure between the Centre and States, the possible role of any real person compromising the system has been completely ruled out. The creation of Government e Marketplace (GeM) as a digital e-commerce portal to facilitate online procurement of common use Goods & Services required by various Government Departments/Organisations/PSUs is another landmark step with the aim of enhancing transparency, efficiency and speed in public procurement. 

Discretion-free allocation process

The government has taken all possible steps to enhance transparency in its day to day functioning. The non-transparent and discretionary allocation of public resources such as coal and spectrum of the earlier years has seen a complete reversal. Now, the government has outlined a clean and transparent system of allocation through public auction where every player, both private and public, gets a fair chance.

Discretion-free appointment process

The abolishing of interviews for all group C and D, and non-gazetted group B posts by the government has been another huge measure aimed at dealing with corruption.

It must be remembered that the last five years have not only seen a frontal assault on corruption of all kinds, there has even been an attempt to create a constructive discourse around the virtue of honesty itself. With technology, financial inclusion and a strong political will, the Modi government at the highest level has done everything possible to institutionalise and reward honesty.

 

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PM Modi’s Vision Fuels Delhi’s Development
April 12, 2024

“Delhi has the good fortune to get an opportunity of keeping the flag of nations' prestige flying high.”
- PM Narendra Modi as Delhi prepared to host the G20 Summit

The last ten years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government have set in motion the creation of a New India—from rural to urban, from water to electricity, from houses to health, from education to employment, from castes to classes—a comprehensive plan bringing growth and prosperity to each doorstep.

The National Capital Territory of Delhi has emerged as a pivotal part of this dynamic developmental momentum spearheaded by PM Modi throughout this transformative decade.

The city has been at the heart of the infrastructural shift that has given a dedicated facelift to the entire nation. Today infrastructural marvels like Atal Setu, Chenab Bridge, Statue of Unity, and Zojila Tunnel dot India’s ever-evolving landscape.

With its focus on revamping transportation networks, upgrading urban amenities, and expanding digital infrastructure, the Modi government has launched an array of transformative initiatives. From railways, highways to airports, these initiatives have been key in galvanising inclusive and sustainable development across the length and breadth of the country.

The impressive expansion of the metro rail network has revolutionised urban commuting in India. From a mere 5 cities in 2014, the metro rail network now serves 21 cities across the nation—expanding from 248 km in 2014 to 945 km by 2024, with 919 km of lines under construction in 26 additional cities.

The Union Cabinet has recently approved two new corridors of Delhi Metro Phase-IV—Lajpat Nagar to Saket G-Block and Inderlok to Indraprastha. Both the lines have a combined length of over 20 kms with a project cost of over Rs. 8,000 crore (funding being sourced from the Union Govt, Govt of Delhi, and international agencies). The Inderlok- Indraprastha line will play a significant role in enhancing connectivity to the Bahadurgarh region of Haryana. Additionally, India’s first Namo Bharat train, operating on the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor further underlines the Modi government’s commitment to enhancing regional connectivity and upgrading its transportation infrastructure.

Further, the Bharatmala Pariyojana envisages improved logistics efficiency and connectivity via the development of nearly 35,000 km of National Highway corridors. 25 greenfield high-speed corridors have been planned under the plan out of which four intersect with Delhi’s growing infra capacity: Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, Delhi-Saharanpur-Dehradun Expressway, and the Urban Extension Road-II. The total project length sanctioned for Delhi is 203 km with an allocation of over Rs. 18,000 crore.

Over the past decade, the Modi government has consistently dedicated efforts towards augmenting capacity and decongestion of airports. After the IGI Airport Delhi became the first airport in the country to have four runways and an elevated taxiway, the expanded state-of-the-art Terminal 1 has also been inaugurated recently. In addition, the upcoming Noida International Airport (Jewar) shall further contribute to decongestion of the Delhi airport which is serving millions of passengers annually.

Besides, the inauguration of the New Parliament has further added civilisational yet modern connotations to the city’s landscape. Inauguration of the Yashobhoomi (India International Convention & Expo Centre) has given Delhi India’s largest convention and exhibition centre, offering a mixed purpose tourism experience. Along with Yashobhoomi, the Bharat Mandapam, a world-class convention and exhibition centre, showcases India to the world.

In terms of welfare, the Modi government has launched several schemes benefitting people hitherto on the margins of growth and development. Women’s safety in Delhi has been a key concern. To address the same, the Modi government strengthened the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013 by increasing the quantum of punishment for rape, including capital punishment for rape of a girlchild below the age of 12.

The Union Home Ministry established a separate Women Safety Division back in 2018. One-stop centers, Sakhi Niwas, Safe City Project, Nirbhaya Fund, SHe-Box, Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences, and Cri-MAC (Crime Multi-Agency Center) among others are significant additions in the government’s campaign towards women safety.

In addition, Swachh Bharat Mission, PM Ujjwala Yojana, PM Matru Vandana Yojana, and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao have further led to the empowerment of Nari Shakti in India.

As India becomes the 3rd largest startup ecosystem in the world, Delhi is also contributing significantly towards this development. Today over 13,000 DPIIT-recognised startups are functioning in Delhi even as the government is promoting self-employment through PM MUDRA Yojana with over 2.3 lakh loans sanctioned worth over Rs. 3,000 crore for FY2023-24 (as on 26.01.2024).

PM SVANidhi, which provides collateral free loans to street vendors, is supporting over 1.67 lakh beneficiaries in Delhi. Further, under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana, launched in 2020 to incentivise employers for creation of new employment and restoration of loss of employment during Covid-19 pandemic, over 2.2 lakh employees benefitted in Delhi.

Further, nearly 30,000 houses have been sanctioned and completed in Delhi under PM Awas Yojana (Urban).

Air pollution has been a recurring problem for the people of Delhi. Conscious of this reality, the central government has launched the National Clean Air Programme as a national level strategy to reduce air pollution level across the country.

The Modi government's tenure over the last decade has brought about a remarkable transformation in Delhi across various fronts. From infrastructure development to governance reforms, from education to employment, the government's initiatives have left an indelible mark on the capital city. As Delhi continues on its journey of progress and development, the contributions of the Modi government are set to shape its future trajectory for years to come.