Mera Saansad
Search Search
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ language

Administrator

Published By : Admin | May 15, 2014 | 16:18 IST


Narendra Modi’s evolution from the quintessential Organization Man of the BJP to one of India’s finest practitioners of the Art of Governance tells a story of grit and determination.

admin-namo-in1

On 7th October 2001 Narendra Modi was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. The quick transition he had to make from the world of being a political worker and organizer into that of being an administrator and running a government did allow him the time to train for the post. Shri Modi had to navigate administrative matters, function in an adverse climate for the BJP as well as deal with a hostile political environment from Day One. Even his party colleagues considered him an outsider with no knowledge of governance. But he rose to challenge right from the word go.

admin-namo-in2

The First 100 Days

Narendra Modi’s first 100 days as Gujarat’s Chief Minister offers a glimpse into how Shri Modi while getting accustomed to his responsibilities, also started bringing about an unconventional approach to reform governance and proposing out-of-the-box ideas to shake up the status-quo of the BJP. It is in these 100 days that we see Narendra Modi working with the bureaucracy in Gujarat to cut down administrative red tape and simplifying procedures in order to speed up the rehabilitation efforts in Kutch after the devastating earthquake.

The first 100 days also opens a window to understanding Narendra Modi’s principles – do away with wasteful spending, lead by example, be a good listener and a fast learner. The first 100 days also reveal his belief in an inclusive value system, which is evident by his prioritizing the Education of the Girl Child and incentivizing villages with development funds that chose consensus over contests.

Lastly, in the first three months in power, he empowered the people in their own state and made them partners in governance. He spent the eve of Diwali in Kutch with the victims of the earthquake and ledthe rehabilitation efforts on mission mode. Shri Modi demonstrated how Gujarat could turn the corner and recover rapidly from a crisis with a firm focus on Politics of Development and Good Governance.

admin-namo-in3

Narendra Modi’s path to creating a Vibrant Gujarat as an example of Development and Governance was not easy. The path was ridden with adversities and challenges, both natural and man-made, including some from within his party. But his strong leadership qualities stood him in good stead through the trying times. Even before Narendra Modi could embark upon the task of Power Reforms, the events of 2002 tested his resilience.

The unfortunate loss of life combined with the loss of confidence in Gujarat’s ability to recover would have forced a lesser man into abdication of responsibility and resignation from office. Narendra Modi, however, was made of a different moral fibre. He withstood intense criticism from national and international media as well as endured immense pressure from political opponents tocarry on with his goal of good governance.

And There Was Light: Jyotigram Yojana

One shining example of how Shri Narendra Modi showed strong leadership in the face of grave political adversity would be the Jyotigram initiative to reform the power sector of Gujarat. Jyotigram was a revolutionary idea to deliver 24x7 electricity across Gujarat from the mega-cities to the remote tribal villages.

Immediately farmers rose in protest against the plan. Despite many high profile run-ins with farmer lobbies, Narendra Modi remained firm on his vision of ensuring 24x7 electricity thus ensuring Jyotigram was a statewide success. Through Jyotigram Narendra Modi demonstrated that his strong leadership coupled with his inclusive approach to governance could change the fortunes of every strata of society. Till date his basic motto remains - “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas” (Collective Efforts, Inclusive Growth).

admin-namo-in4

Government over politics

Narendra Modi has always believed that governance is more important than politics. He never let political differences get in the way of finding solutions to developmental challenges. The completion of the Sardar Sarovar Project and the manner in which Narendra Modi ensured the waters of Narmada flowed into Gujarat, shows how Good Governance involvesa balance of consensus and wisdom.

Shri Modi tactfully negotiated with the neighboring states of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh to speed up the project and in the process roped in Congress Chief Ministers in support of his initiative in an act of bi-partisanship rarely seen in today’s political climate.

By decentralizing water management for both drinking as well as water for irrigation, Shri Modi demonstrated the understanding that a government’s job is not only to set up mega projects but also address the last mile of service delivery.

admin-namo-in5

A Click away from Progress

Narendra Modi’s focus on executing projects and his eye for detail explain why so much of his efforts over the last decade had to do with getting the last mile of service delivery right.

This is evident in the innovative use of technology in areas as diverse as Geo-Spatial Mapping to E-Courts as well as in the imaginative manner in which the Citizen-Government interface was refashioned through initiatives like SWAGAT and One Day Governance.

Shri Modi is also well known for his decentralization efforts like ATVT that took Development Planning and Governance down to the Taluka level and brought it closer to the village. Shri Modi’s firm belief in taking executive “actions” rather than legislating more “acts” is reflected in how industries benefited from a Single Window System even as Transparency and Efficiency was brought into areas like Environmental Clearance with the use of Technology.

3 Pillars of Success

Narendra Modi built Gujarat’s success story on the three pillars of Agriculture, Industry and Services. During his tenure Gujarat witnessed over 10% agriculture growth, which is a remarkable feat considering Gujarat was known as a drought prone state. Through initiatives like Krishi Mahotsav, he transformed the lives of farmers in his state. His biennial Vibrant Gujarat Summit brought record investment to Gujarat thus giving a boost to employment creation across the state. Gujarat has also emerged under his leadership as a haven for medium and small-scale industries.

admin-namo-in6

Importance of institutions

Shri Narendra Modi’s mettle as an Administrator was tested twice. Once in 2006 during the great floods of Surat and again in 2008 when terrorists attacked many cities in Gujarat. On both occasions Shri Modi’s efforts at institutionalizing best practices made the difference.

The institutionalized approach to disaster management, which took shape during the rehabilitation efforts in Kutch in 2001-2002, also came handy during the Indian Ocean tsunami and the devastating floods in Uttarakhand.

The institutionalized approach to law enforcement saw the Gujarat Police under Narendra Modi’s watch solve the 2008 serial blasts case in record time. The mark of a real leader in the areas of Administration and Governance is the institutional legacy he or she leaves behind. On that count Shri Modi’s progressive thinking saw the establishment of a diverse set of Institutions ranging from a Petroleum University to address our Energy Security to a Forensics and Raksha University to address our Internal Security.

Shri Modi’s institutional legacy reflects his firm belief that Good Governance is not just about addressing today’s problems but about anticipating and preparing for tomorrow’s challenges.

admin-namo-in7

admin-namo-in8

Believer in convergence

As Shri Narendra Modi prepares to assume Office as India’s next Prime Minister, his approach to administration and governance stands out for its convergent thinking. Shri Modi’s philosophy is “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance” which is evident in his Pancha-Amrut construct,which converges Government functions around a shared mission while bringing down vertical silos and eliminating walls between ministries and departments.

According to Shri Modi the fundamental challenge of the Government in India is convergent thinking and an Integrated approach to execution. In Shri Modi’s various efforts over the years - from developing non-conventional sources of energy to investing in next generation urban infrastructure - one sees an attempt to converge administration and governance. This convergence will hold India in good in the years to come.

admin-namo-in9

admin-namo-in10

From 2001 to 2013, Shri Narendra Modi’s evolution as India’s finest practitioner of the art of governance is reflected in the many awards his government received from both National and International media.

Testimonials

"Everyone knows Modi is a strong leader and an able administrator. My best wishes and prayers are always with him. I wish him all the best for his future and hope all the dreams and plans he has for India, come true" - Rajinikanth, Superstar

"I have met Narendra Modi, he appears to be a good man, he has done good work in Gujarat" - H. H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji, Spiritual Leader and the founder of Art of Living Foundation

"Narendrabhai is like my brother. All of us want to see him become the Prime Minister. On the auspicious occasion of Diwali, I hope our wishes would come true" - Smt. Lata Mangeshkar, Renowned Singer

"Right now the country needed persons of integrity in important offices. In one word, we need Narendra Modi." - Shri Arun Shourie, Former Union Minister, Journalist and Author

"Shri Narendra Modi is God sent for us at this juncture.He will become the next Prime Minister. He will bring laurels to the country" - Shri Cho Ramaswamy, Editor, “Thuglak” 

Shri Narendra Modi as India’s 14th Prime Minister brings with him a rich and hands-on experience as one of India’s most successful chief ministers and one of its finest administrators.

 

Disclaimer:

It is part of an endeavour to collect stories which narrate or recount people’s anecdotes/opinion/analysis on Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi & his impact on lives of people.

Login or Register to add your comment
Explore More
ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮ ਜਨਮ-ਭੂਮੀ ਮੰਦਿਰ ਧਵਜਾਰੋਹਣ ਉਤਸਵ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਦੇ ਭਾਸ਼ਣ ਦਾ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਅਨੁਵਾਦ

Popular Speeches

ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮ ਜਨਮ-ਭੂਮੀ ਮੰਦਿਰ ਧਵਜਾਰੋਹਣ ਉਤਸਵ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਦੇ ਭਾਸ਼ਣ ਦਾ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਅਨੁਵਾਦ
View All
One App For 2,400-Plus Government Services: How UMANG Is Changing Access In India

Media Coverage

One App For 2,400-Plus Government Services: How UMANG Is Changing Access In India
View All
NM on the go

Nm on the go

Always be the first to hear from the PM. Get the App Now!
Download App
...
Narendra Modi is a leader beyond ceremony
February 28, 2026

Force of habit, maybe. Or just the low-grade anxiety that comes with handing something to the prime minister of 1.4 billion people and hoping it works. I scribbled a quick line on the corner of my notepad, confirmed the ink was flowing, and handed it over.

He took it without looking at the pen. He was looking at me.

That was the first thing I noticed about Narendra Modi up close. The eye contact. Steady, unhurried, the kind that makes you feel like the meeting isn’t scheduled. He greeted me standing, which I hadn’t expected, and when he shook my hand, the grip was firm, and it lasted a beat longer than these things usually do. Just deliberate. Like he wanted you to know he meant it.

He apologized for the wait. The Israeli security detail outside his King David suite had put me through more checks than I care to describe. At one point, I was fairly certain I was going to be turned away despite holding a personal invitation from the man himself, which would have made for an interesting column but a frustrating afternoon.

Modi had heard about the delay and said sorry before anything else. I told him it was the Israeli side causing the trouble, not his team. He smiled. The room loosened slightly.

Then he picked up the special front page we had published for his visit, looked at it for a moment, and wrote in Hindi, standing, without sitting down or making any ceremony out of it. Two lines: “Humanity will remain supreme. Democracy will remain eternal.”

He signed his name and dated it February 26, 2026. The whole thing took maybe 45 seconds. He handed the page back with both hands.

I’ve interviewed a lot of people while in this job. Politicians, presidents, religious leaders, celebrities. There is a type of public figure who has spent so many years being watched that everything they do has become a kind of performance. The handshake, the pause, the practiced sincerity. Modi wasn’t that. Whatever he was doing in that suite, he was just there, fully, in a way that is rarer than it sounds.

Through a translator, you could still hear the rhythm of how he thinks. Complete thoughts. Real pauses, not to buy time, but because he’s actually considering what you said.

At one point, I told him his Knesset speech – delivered the day before, the first ever by an Indian prime minister to Israel’s parliament – felt historic. He received it simply, without deflecting or inflating it, and then said something that stayed with me: “Our nations and religions are a lot more similar than what people think.”

He had spent the previous day making exactly that case. Not as a diplomatic courtesy. As a philosophical argument.

Most leaders who come to Jerusalem talk about security, trade, and technology. Modi did that, too, and then he went somewhere else entirely. He gave what I can only describe as a civilizational speech, one that asked a genuinely interesting question: What happens when two of the world’s oldest living cultures finally look at each other carefully and recognize something familiar?

Tikkun Olam and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam

HIS ANSWER was built on a comparison that sounds simple until you think about it. He placed Tikkun Olam (the Jewish concept of repairing and healing the world) next to Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the ancient Sanskrit declaration that the world is one family). He compared Halacha (Jewish law as the living framework for daily ethical conduct) to dharma (the Hindu concept of moral order and personal duty).

What he was pointing at is that both civilizations solved the same problem in remarkably similar ways. How do you build a society where ethics isn’t a sermon delivered on a holy day but a practice embedded in the texture of ordinary life? Both Judaism and Hinduism answered: Through law, through duty, through the 10,000 small decisions that make up a day.

This is not a coincidence that gets discovered at diplomatic summits. It is a structural similarity, centuries deep.

For a reader of hassidic thought, this lands with particular force. Hassidism (Hassidut, or hassidic teaching and philosophy) calls this avodah (literally “work,” meaning inner spiritual intention expressed through practical deeds).

The Baal Shem Tov, the 18th-century founder of Hassidut, taught that the divine is found not in retreat from the world but in full engagement with it, in the marketplace, at the table, in the way you treat the person standing in front of you. Modi, without using that language, was honoring exactly that tradition and pointing out that India built its civilization on the same foundation.

He connected Hanukkah and Diwali (the Hindu festival of lights, celebrating the victory of light over darkness), and the pairing is more than poetic.

Both festivals reject the passive response to darkness. In the Hanukkah story, the rabbis made a specific decision: The mitzvah (religious commandment) is not to light a large fire but to add one small candle each night, incrementally, publicly, stubbornly. That is a philosophy of historical action. Darkness is not defeated all at once. It is pushed back by accumulated small acts of light.

Diwali carries the same logic, rows of diyas (small clay oil lamps) lit across millions of homes, each one a separate act that adds to a larger illumination.

He paired Purim with Holi (the Hindu spring festival, marking the triumph of good over evil), and here, too, the intellectual connection runs even deeper. Both holidays are built on the experience of hiddenness suddenly reversed.

In the Purim story, God’s name never appears in the Book of Esther. The miracle is concealed inside what looks like ordinary palace politics and human decision-making. Hassidic thought reads this as the deepest kind of truth: that providence (hashgacha pratit, divine guidance in the details of individual lives) often looks, from the outside, like coincidence or history. You only see the pattern when you’re willing to look for it.

Modi’s insistence on ancient connections between India and Israel, on trade routes and shared texts, and a Persian queen named Esther, whose Hebrew name connects to the Hebrew word for “hidden,” carries the same idea. Some relationships are written into history long before the diplomats arrive to formalize them.

HE SPOKE about terrorism plainly, without softening the language. He linked the October 7 massacre to the Mumbai attacks, India’s own wound, still felt. He said no cause justifies the murder of civilians. He said terrorism anywhere threatens peace everywhere. He said it the way people say things they’ve believed for a long time and have stopped needing to rehearse.

Then he did something that moved the room more than any of the formal declarations. He singled out the Indian workers and caregivers who were in Israel on October 7, 2023. People who stayed. Who helped. Who didn’t run. He quoted the Talmud: Whoever saves one life saves an entire world.

In hassidic terms, this was the speech’s most important moment. Hassidut puts enormous weight on the deed that looks small but carries cosmic significance, the nitzotz (spark of holiness) hidden inside the ordinary act, waiting to be elevated by the person who chooses to do it anyway.

He took foreign workers in a war zone and made them the moral center of the relationship between two nations. That is not rhetoric. That is a worldview that knows where to look for what matters.

He also said something that Israel’s friends don’t always say out loud. Jewish communities lived in India for centuries, he told the Knesset, without persecution, without fear, without having to hide who they were. They preserved their faith and participated fully in society. He called it a source of pride for India.

He was right to call it that, and he was right to say it in Jerusalem in 2026, when the question of where in the world Jewish life can be lived openly has rarely felt more urgent.

Back in the suite, the conversation was warm. He has the quality of making a scheduled meeting feel like an actual conversation. When I told him the Knesset speech felt historic, he returned to the same idea he’d opened with: that the two civilizations are more similar than most people realize. He said it like someone reporting back from a conclusion he’d reached a long time ago and finally found the right room to say it in.

Our Wednesday cover had already been moving fast across social media before I walked into that suite. Modi reposted it to his enormous following on X/Twitter. Indian media picked it up. A front page can travel like that now, faster than anything you write underneath it.

The two handwritten lines are something else. They sit on paper, in a hotel room in Jerusalem, written standing up by a man who didn’t need to write anything and chose to write that. Humanity first. Democracy is permanent. One Hanukkah candle, one diya, same dark night, same instinct to keep adding light to it one careful flame at a time.

I tested the pen before I gave it to him.

Turns out he didn’t need my help.

(Mr. Zvika Klein is the Jerusalem Post Editor-in-Chief. The views expressed are personal.)

Source: The Jerusalem Post