HERE IS A LOOK AT THE KEY THEMES OF THE NDA’S THREE YEARS IN POWER. ,nda ,narendra modi ,amit shah ,aneek ,aneek gupta , connectivity ,terror ,defence ,foreign policy ,farmers ,green economy ,energy ,fiscal situation ,politics ,social safety ,education ,jobs ,gender ,empowerment ,mindset change ,digital ,communications ,optics ,gau rakshaks ,vigilante groups ,3. ghar wapsi ,demonetisation

1. HERE IS A LOOK AT THE KEY THEMES OF THE NDA’S
THREE YEARS IN POWER.
CONNECTIVITY
1. Increasing number of railway accidents.
2. 23km per day of highway construction achieved vis-a-vis a target
of 41km.
3. Air India’s finances are still precarious. The national carrier is still
grappling with legacy issues.
TERROR, DEFENCE AND FOREIGN POLICY
1. No strategy to pre-empt rebel attacks on security personnel in
districts where Maoists are active.
2. Ties with Pakistan and China are icy despite Prime Minister Modi
making trips to both countries (a December 2015 stopover in the
former).
3. Relations with Russia—India’s once time-tested friend—too seem
to be in the doldrums.
FARMERS
1. Decline in wholesale prices of vegetables and pulses has dented
farm incomes.
2. A loan waiver in Uttar Pradesh led to a moral hazard problem and
delay in repayment of loans in other states.
3. Acute drought in southern states led to a spike in farm suicides.
GREEN ECONOMY AND ENERGY
aneek

2. 1. Neglect of the forest and wildlife sectors. Decisions pending on a
national forest policy, definition of forests, inviolate forest areas
and a national wildlife action plan.
2. Activists allege that the government is favouring industries and
indiscriminately giving green clearances, ignoring the toll taken on
the environment.
3. Ganga clean-up is yet to gather momentum.
FISCAL SITUATION
1. Demonetisation drive led to short-term cash crunch, hit small and
medium enterprises.
2. Pending cases of retrospective taxation on past transactions still
unresolved.
3. Inability to bring back black money stashed away abroad by
citizens.
POLITICS
1. Failure to get consensus on reform policies like a proposed land
bill.
2. Allegations of toppling elected state governments.
3. Problems within the NDA: the Peoples Democratic Party (Jammu
and Kashmir), Shiv Sena (Maharashtra) and Telugu Desam Party
(Andhra Pradesh) are annoyed with the BJP leadership.
EMPOWERMENT—SOCIAL SAFETY, EDUCATION, JOBS, GENDER
1. The Women’s Reservation Bill is still pending.
2. New Education Policy still to be formulated.
3. Job creation yet to pick up pace.
aneek

3. MINDSET CHANGE
1. Hyper-nationalism as seen through the lens of social media
trolling and rise of vigilante groups with little regard for human
life.
2. Rise of vigilante groups with political agendas who attack
minorities.
3. In spite of stricter laws, greater awareness and even campaigns,
violence against women continues unabated.
DIGITAL AND COMMUNICATIONS
1. Call drops continue despite mobile phone services providers
promising improvement.
2. Drop in digital payment transactions with the easing of a cash
crunch that followed the demonetisation of high-value banknotes
in November.
3. Leakage of Aadhaar data.
OPTICS
1. Rise of vigilante groups called Gau Rakshaks, who target people
suspected of harming cows or consuming beef.
2. Launch of the anti-Romeo squads in Uttar Pradesh, ostensibly to
protect women from harassment, but seen widely as moral
policing.
3. Ghar Wapsi (homecoming), aimed at promoting the conversion of
non-Hindus to Hinduism, and campaign against Love Jihad,
allegedly practised by Muslim men to win over Hindu women.
aneek