Dear Editor,
The first year of the Narendra Modi Government has exceeded expectations, albeit the damage done in the 10 years of the UPA regime is too overwhelming to be overcome in just one year. The government, led by an agile Prime Minister, seems to be correcting the many wrongs of the erstwhile regime and giving this country the launch-pad to take off.
Under UPA2, Brand India took a huge beating; corruption of enormous proportions grew; red-tapism flourished; high inflation and insensitive Cabinet Ministers ruled the day. These were some of the factors that tarnished the country’s image and kept investors at bay.
The challenges were many when Modi took oath of the office as Prime Minister, but his outlook of finding opportunities in adversities has helped his team respond well to the challenges. Investor confidence is returning, the economy is back on track, inflation is low, and, most importantly, the efforts to ameliorate the lives of the poorest of poor can be seen on the ground.
The performance of the External Affairs Ministry in particular has been exceptional – be it in rescuing Indians from war-torn Syria and Yemen or in helping Nepal recuperate from the devastating earthquake.
Hanit Chauhan
New Delhi