Vajpayee was the first Indian Foreign Minister in the United Nations during the Janata Party government, showcasing respect for his native language. PM Modi has visited 66 countries, revitalizing India’s culture and nationalism, and enhancing the pride of Indians worldwide. This tribute to Vajpayee is a testament to his contributions to Indian politics. Vajpayee, the former Prime Minister of India, faced criticism from the Opposition for overlooking core BJP ideology, such as Article 370 and the construction of the Ram temple. Despite this, he defended his government in the House, stating that as the largest party, they made a common minimum program to avoid re-election and ensure a good government without the burden of re-election.
Brief glance on the life of Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Vajpayee, a co-founder and senior leader of the Indian National Congress (BJP), was the first Indian prime minister not of the INC to serve a full term in office. He was a renowned poet and writer and served as the MP for Lucknow. Vajpayee was a member of the BJS, which merged with several other parties to form the JP, which won the 1977 general election. In 1977, he became the Minister of External Affairs in Prime Minister Morarji Desai’s cabinet. He resigned in 1979, and the Janata alliance collapsed soon after. In 1980, Vajpayee formed the BJP, with him as its first president. During his tenure, India carried out the Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998.
Vajpayee sought to improve diplomatic relations with Pakistan and restore relations after the 1999 Kargil War with Pakistan. His government introduced domestic economic and infrastructural reforms, including encouraging the private sector and foreign investments. However, India’s security was threatened by violent incidents, including the 2001 Indian Parliament attack and the 2002 Gujarat riots, which ultimately led to his defeat in the 2004 general election. In 2014, Vajpayee’s birthday was declared as Good Governance Day. He was conferred India’s highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna, by Pranab Mukherjee in 2015.
Five actions of Atal Bihari Vajpayee that forever changed India:
His greater accomplishments were in the field of economics. He continued the economic changes that the administration of PV Narasimha Rao had started in 1991. The economy was booming in 2004 when Manmohan Singh succeeded Vajpayee; the GDP rate was over 8%, the inflation rate was under 4%, and the foreign exchange reserves were enormous.
Vajpayee’s actions on the economic front not only provided an addition to giving his party, the BJP, the reputation as a real economic right-wing that was previously perceived as a nativist party uncomfortable with modern trends, but Vajpayee’s economic reforms also set India up for future economic growth.
These are Vajpayee’s top five economic accomplishments during his tenure as Prime Minister;
Advancing Bharat
The grandiose road projects Vajpayee started, the Golden Quadrilateral and the Pradhanmantri Gramin Sadak Yojna, are what people remember him for the most. The Pradhanmantri Gramin Sadak Yojna was designed as an all-weather road network for disconnected villages throughout India, while the Golden Quadrilateral included highways connecting Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, and Mumbai. Both initiatives turned out to be huge successes and made a significant contribution to India’s economic expansion.
The process of privatization
The establishment of a distinct disinvestment ministry was indicative of Vajpayee’s resolve to curtail the government’s involvement in business and industrial operations. The Bharat Aluminium Company (BALCO), Hindustan Zinc, Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Limited, and VSNL were the most significant disinvestments. Though not without controversy, these Vajpayee government measures set the stage for the government’s future actions.
Controlling the waste of money
The Budget Responsibility Act, which attempted to reduce the budget deficit, was first introduced by the Vajpayee government. The public sector’s savings increased as a result, going from -0.8% of GDP in FY 2000 to 2.3% in FY 2005.
The revolution in telecom
The telecom revolution in India was sparked by the Vajpayee government’s New Telecom Policy, which replaced fixed licensing fees for telecom corporations with a revenue-sharing structure. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd was established to keep the creation of policies and the delivery of services apart. The government’s regulatory and dispute resolution responsibilities were divided with the establishment of the Telecom Dispute Settlement Appellate Tribunal. The government broke Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd.’s monopoly on international phone service.
The Abhiyan Sarva Shiksha
It was a social program designed to give kids in grades 6 through 14 free access to primary school. After it was introduced in 2001, the percentage of children who were not in school decreased by 60% in just four years.
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