Shivraj marks 12 years of Modi govt with welfare tribute
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday, 26 May 2026 marked the completion of 12 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, calling the period a 'golden chapter' in India's history defined by service, good governance, and welfare of the poor.
Context
Narendra Modi was sworn in as Prime Minister on 26 May 2014 following the National Democratic Alliance's decisive victory in the general elections that year. Chouhan's post, written in Hindi, described the day as 'historic and unprecedented' — ऐतिहासिक और अभूतपूर्व — and said the entire nation is 'filled with enthusiasm and a sense of national pride.'
Chouhan, himself a four-term former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and a senior BJP leader, positioned the anniversary as a moment for collective reflection and renewed commitment to national development.
Policy Backdrop
The minister invoked the government's governing philosophy — Reform, Perform, Transform — arguing that India had moved decisively out of what he termed a period of 'Policy Paralysis' that preceded 2014. He cited flagship schemes including Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Ayushman Bharat, PM Awas Yojana, and the Digital India programme as evidence of this transformation.
Jan Dhan Yojana, launched in August 2014, aimed to bring the unbanked population into the formal financial system. Ayushman Bharat, rolled out in 2018, provides health insurance coverage to economically weaker families, while PM Awas Yojana, launched in 2015, targets housing for the rural and urban poor.
Chouhan also referenced the government's long-term vision of Viksit Bharat — a developed India by 2047 — and the guiding slogan Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas ('Together with all, development for all'), framing the 12-year tenure as a period of Antyodaya — empowerment of the last person in the queue.
Stakeholders and Impact
Chouhan's tribute specifically named villages, the poor, farmers, women, and youth as the primary beneficiaries of the decade-plus of governance. The minister called on citizens to become participants in what he described as a 'glorious journey of development.'
The Antyodaya principle — upliftment of the most marginalised — has been a recurring rhetorical anchor for the ruling dispensation, connecting welfare delivery through direct benefit transfers to a broader ideological commitment to inclusive growth. Implementation of remaining targets under PMAY and Ayushman Bharat continues to be tracked through parliamentary sessions and Union Budget allocations.
What's Next
The anniversary provides the BJP and its allies a political platform to consolidate the narrative of governance achievement ahead of future electoral cycles. Progress on Viksit Bharat 2047 indicators — spanning infrastructure, health, digital access, and rural income — is expected to feature prominently in upcoming policy communications and budget discussions.
As India advances toward its centenary of independence, the government's ability to demonstrate measurable outcomes across these flagship schemes will remain the central benchmark by which the 12-year record is assessed.