Sep 27, 2011 11:44 AM
Narendra Modi
Gujarat The Land of the Legends, stands bordered by Pakistan and Rajasthan in the north east, Madhya Pradesh in the east, and Maharashtra and the Union territories of Diu, Daman, Dadra and Nagar Haveli in the south. Narendra Damodardas Modi born 17 September 1950 is the current Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat. The dynamic, vibrant chief minister is in power since last ten years. Under his leadership the state of Gujarat is number one in the progress, and corruption free state. The brief profile of Narendra Modi is stated below.
He was born in a middle class family in Vadnagar; and is a member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since childhood, as also an active politician since early in life. He holds a masters degree in political science. In 1998, he was chosen by L. K. Advani, the leader of the BJP, to direct the election campaign in Gujarat as well as Himachal Pradesh.
He became Chief Minister of Gujarat in October 2001, promoted to the office at a time when his predecessor Keshubhai Patel had resigned, following the defeat of BJP in the by-elections.
His tenure as chief minister of Gujarat began on 7 October 2001, and he is the longest serving Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat. In July 2007 he became the longest serving Chief Minister in Gujarat's history when he had been in power for 2063 days continuously. He was elected again for a third term on 23 December 2007 with an emphatic win in the state elections, which he had cast as a "referendum on his rule".
Development of Gujarat
Modi became the Chief Minister of Gujarat when its economy was shrinking and the domestic growth was stagnant. Faced with massive economic losses, he re-organized the government's administrative structure and embarked upon a massive cost-cutting exercise. As a result of the administration's efforts, Gujarat registered a GDP growth rate of over 10% during his first tenure. This was the highest growth rate among all the Indian states.
As a Chief Minister, Modi started various 'yojanas' or plans. This includes:
Panchamrut Yojana, a five-pronged strategy for an integrated development of the state,
Sujalam Sufalam, a scheme to create a grid of water resources in Gujarat in an innovative step towards water conservation and its appropriate utilization.
Krishi Mahotsav agricultural research labs for the land
Chiranjeevi Yojana To reduce infant mortality rate
Matru Vandana Providing preventive and curative services under the Reproductive and Child Health Programme
Beti Bachao Campaign against female infanticide to improve sex ratio
Jyotigram Yojana Provide electricity to every village
Karmayogi Abhiyan To educate and train government employees
Kanya Kelavani Yojana To encourage female literacy and education
Balbhog Yojana Midday meal scheme for students to encourage school attendance from poor backgrounds.
Vibrant Gujarat
Vibrant Gujarat is a biennial Global Investors' Summit held by the Government of Gujarat in Gujarat, India. The event is aimed at bringing together business leaders, investors, corporations, thought leaders, policy and opinion makers; the summit is advertised as a platform to understand and explore business opportunities in the State of Gujarat. The event has been held continuously since 2003.
Mr Narendra Modi has, during the first three years of his tenure (October 2001 to December 2004) as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, successfully reduced the fiscal deficit of the state exchequer by fifty per cent and has slashed the losses of the huge public utility (Gujarat Electricity Board), besides making available electricity for domestic consumption in over 5,000 villages. In addition, several drinking water schemes have been completed and the problem of water scarcity is virtually on its way to extinction. Value of the agricultural output of Gujarat has grown by over one hundred per cent during the first three years of the Narendra Modi government.
During his stint at the national level, Modi was given the responsibility to oversee the affairs of several state level units, including the sensitive and crucial state of Jammu and Kashmir and the equally sensitive north-eastern states. While working at the national level, Modi emerged as an important spokesman for the party and played a key role on several aspects.
Reports claim Modi as "Indias best example of effective governance and impressive development is found in Gujarat, where controversial Chief Minister Narendra Modi has streamlined economic processes, removing red tape and curtailing corruption in ways that have made the state a key driver of national economic growth".
Awards and recognitions
30 January 2006 In a nationwide survey conducted by India Today, Narendra Modi was declared the Best Chief Minister of the country.
5 February 2007 Adjudged the best CM for the third time in the nationwide survey conducted by India Today ORG Marg, a unique achievement for any CM during 5-year tenure.
25 August 2009 Chosen as The Asian Winner of the fDi Personality of the Year Awards for 2009 by FDi Magazine. The award was however withdrawn and awarded to the Gujarat state instead.
