Family and Personal Background of Narendra Modi

Narendra Damodardas Modi hails from a family of grocers in a town called Vadnagar in the northern Mehsana district of the state of Gujarat. He was born on 17 September 1950 to Damodardas Mulchand Modi and Heeraben Modi. Narendra Modi is the third eldest of his six siblings.

Modi completed his studies against all odds. His saga of struggle began when as a teenager, he, along with his brother, used to run a tea stall near a railway station in Ahmedabad. He did his schooling from Vadnagar and obtained a master's degree in Political Science from the Gujarat University. One of his school teachers described him as an average student but a brilliant debater. During his college days, he acted as a pracharak (promoter) of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

At a later stage, during the 1990s when Modi served in New Delhi as the official spokesperson of the BJP, he completed a three-month long course in the US on public relations and image management.

One of his brothers, Somabhai, is a retired health officer who now runs an old age home in the city of Ahmedabad. Another of his brothers Prahlad, an activist on behalf of fair-price shop owners, has his own fair-price shop in Ahmedabad. His third brother Pankaj is employed with the Information Department in Gandhinagar.

Important Facts about Narendra Modi

Modi is the first Prime Minister of India who was born in 'Independent India’, that is, post-August 15, 1947. He is also the first Indian prime minister whose mother was alive when he took office. He holds the record of winning a Lok Sabha seat by the highest margin (about 5.70 lakhs; Vadodara).

Modi's Make in India Campaign

‘Make in India’, launched on 25 September 2014 by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is a Government of India project to attract, encourage and invite the oversees companies to manufacture their products in factories and plants located in India. This initiative of PM Modi is aimed at creating generating employment opportunities for the youth of Indian youth and accelerating economic growth by strengthening Indian manufacturing sector. For PM Modi, Make in India is not just about ‘FDI’ in sense of ‘Foreign Direct Investment’ but it also means ‘First Develop India’.

Before the 2014 General Elections, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi had promised bringing foreign investment into India to create more job opportunities for the skilled and qualified Indian youth of India. Modi announced an this innovative programme called 'Make in India' in his first Independence Day speech as the Indian Prime Minister on 15 August 2014 at the Red Fort. The initiative is targeted at 25 of the most crucial sectors of the Indian economy including renewable energy, electronics, bio-technology, mining, design manufacturing, automobiles, auto components, chemicals, railways, IT, hospitality, pharmaceuticals, tourism, aviation and textiles.

For the initiative, the Indian government relaxed the norms for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in defence sector, raising the limit from 26 percent to 49 percent, while. In addition to that, FDI was now allowed in railways as well by the government had also allowed FDI in railways in August 2014, with the limit of and that too whopping 100 percent.
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Political Career of Narendra Modi

Narendra Modi always had the utmost zeal and enthusiasm to serve and help the people in need. As a young boy during the Indo-Pak war in 1965, Narendra Modi voluntarily offered his services to the soldiers at the railway stations. He also served the affected people during the 1967 Gujarat floods. Modi started working in the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation’s staff canteen. Eventually from there he became a full-time proponent and campaigner, commonly called a pracharak of the RSS. Modi later underwent training in the RSS camp in Nagpur. It is a prerequisite for any RSS member to take up the training course for holding any official position in the Sangh Parivar. Narendra Modi was given charge of the student wing, which is better known as Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). 

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Narendra Modi Elections result

Year	Constituency	State	Status
2014	Varanasi	Uttar Pradesh	Won
2014	Vadodara	Gujarat	Won

Narendra Modi was an efficient organiser from a very young age. During the Emergency, he arranged for covert circulation of pamphlets featuring RSS' views and also organised protests against the rule. During his RSS days he met the two Jan Sangh leaders Vasant Gajendragadkar and Nathalal Jaghda who later founded the state unit of BJP in Gujarat. Later in the year 1987, the RSS deputed Narendra Modi to politics by recommending his candidature in the BJP. Modi’s efficiency was acknowledged and he rose to prominence after organising the Ekta Yatra for Murli Manohar Joshi. - See more at: http://www.elections.in/political-leaders/narendra-modi.html#sthash.UB3zfF4Q.dpuf

Narendra Modi breaks his silence on 2002 Gujarat riots

New Delhi: Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, the prime ministerial candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), broke nearly 12 years of silence on Friday by expressing his anguish over the riots that engulfed the state in 2002.

One day after a Gujarat lower court cleared him of a complicit role in the riots that left some 1,000 people dead, Modi wrote on his official blog that “the mindless violence of 2002” had left him “shaken to the core”.

Some analysts said the statement, which came as a surprise, could be an attempt by Modi to seek closure over the riots, with which his alleged association continues to be a political liability.

It could potentially also make it easier for the prime ministerial aspirant to reach out to sceptics—individuals as well as political parties.

“Grief, sadness, misery, pain, anguish, agony—mere words could not capture the absolute emptiness one felt on witnessing such inhumanity,” Modi wrote.

“In decisively confronting this great turmoil, I had to single-mindedly focus all the strength given to me by the almighty, on the task of peace, justice and rehabilitation; burying the pain and agony I was personally wracked with.”

On Thursday, an Ahmedabad metropolitan court upheld the clean chit given to Modi by a Supreme Court-appointed special investigating team (SIT) in a case related to the riots, saying there was no “prosecutable evidence” to initiate a case against Modi and others. The court ruled on a writ petition that wanted the report to be set aside.

Modi and his state government have been accused of not doing enough to contain the riots that broke out in Gujarat after a mob torched a train coach carrying mainly Hindu pilgrims on 27 February 2002 in the town of Godhra.

“I have only one earnest prayer to God. That never again should such cruelly unfortunate days come in the lives of any other person, society, state or nation,” Modi wrote in a blog titled “Satyameva Jayate: Truth Alone Triumphs”. He added that he had to go through “inner turmoil and shock of being blamed” for the death and misery of those affected in the riots.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who held a press conference at his party headquarters on Friday to brief the media about his meeting with Congress chief ministers, dodged a question on his reaction to Modi’s blog post.

Within the Congress there is pressure, especially from among the younger leaders, to declare Gandhi as the party’s prime ministerial candidate and turn the 2014 general election into a Gandhi vs. Modi face-off.

“The reason that he (Modi) has gone public on this is that he realizes that as he is coming on the national scene, he has to make certain statements,” said Sandeep Shastri, a political analyst and pro vice-chancellor of Bangalore-based Jain University.

“He has gone to the extent to which his self-constructed image allows him to go. He has not apologized but only expressed regret,” Shastri added.

The BJP bested the Congress in recent state assembly elections, wresting back Rajasthan, emerging as the single largest bloc in the Delhi assembly, and retaining power in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Modi spearheaded the party’s campaign in the four states.

Experts said Modi’s blog post may enhance the BJP’s prospects of finding alliance partners and help refurbish his image abroad.

“Most of those who have aligned with the BJP have already made up their mind, like the Telugu Desam Party, and this could bolster their arguments,” said Jai Mrug, a Mumbai-based political analyst. “The use of emotive words and adjectives is to build Modi’s stature as a statesman and it is more important keeping in mind the international audience.”

Modi also addressed a section of his critics in his blog post.

“What pained even more was that in their overzealousness to hit at me for their narrow personal and political ends, they ended up maligning my entire state and country. This heartlessly kept reopening the wounds that we were sincerely trying to heal,” he said.

Experts noted the timing of the emotional blog post just a few months before the general election.

“Moving to a national stage, Modi cannot be silent on such an issue,” Shastri said. “He is hoping for closure on the issue, but in politics, there is never closure. His opponents will rake it up whenever it is needed.”

A few thoughts on completing a month in office

Today the government completes a month in office. The support and affection of the people has been overwhelming and this inspires us to work even harder.

67  years of previous governments is nothing compared to 1 month, but I do want to say that in the last month, our entire team has devoted every single moment for the welfare of the people. Every decision we took has been guided solely by national interest.

When we took over a month ago, I kept thinking that I am new to this place and some people believed that I would take at least a year or even two to learn the intricacies of the working of the Central Government. Fortunately, a month later that thought does not exist any longer in my mind. My confidence and determination has increased tremendously and I credit a substantial part of this to the collective experience and wisdom of my ministerial colleagues and also to my experiences as a four time Chief Minister. The affection of the people and support from officials has also added to this confidence in large measure.

Over the past few days I have been meeting Ministers and Officials from various departments who have been making detailed presentations to me. I must share that these presentations have enabled a wonderful exchange of thoughts and ideas and we have come up with excellent roadmaps for the various ministries and departments.

CMs of several states have met me in the past month. They have extended their good wishes and talked about issues concerning their state. I look forward to working closely with them in the times to come.

I feel there are areas where surely we need to improve. A big challenge I am facing in Delhi is to convey to a select group of people about our intentions and sincerity to bring a positive change in this country. These are people who are both within and outside the government system. There have been some instances in the last month with which our Government had nothing to do yet these controversies have persisted. I don’t blame anybody but I surely feel that we need to strengthen systems whereby the right things are communicated to the right people at the right time. Hopefully things will change then.

Every new government has something that friends in the media like to call a ‘honeymoon period.’ Previous governments had the luxury of extending this ‘honeymoon period’ up to a hundred days and even beyond. Not unexpectedly I don’t have any such luxury. Forget hundred days, the series of allegations began in less than a hundred hours. But when one is working with the sole aim of serving the nation determinately, these things do not matter. That is why I keep working and that is most satisfying.

26th of June is an important date for me. It marks the completion of one month of our journey to fulfil the aspirations of the people. This day is also another landmark day, when in 1975 I witnessed an important phase that taught me the significance of a vibrant democracy.  26th June was the day when the Emergency started, having been imposed an evening earlier. As a youngster, I have several memories of those testing times.

The Emergency surely stands out as one of the darkest periods in our history and is a grim reminder of the dangers associated with subverting freedom of speech, press, expression and silencing opposition. Our democracy will not sustain if we can’t guarantee freedom of speech and expression. Today is also a day to reaffirm our pledge to safeguard these values and at the same time create strong institutions through good governance so that that we never ever see those dark days again.

Once again I salute the people of India for their strong support and good wishes as we complete a month in office. I assure you that we are committed to taking India to greater heights in the years to come.

A victory for the people, a victory for India and the triumph of the ballot

India has voted. 

The biggest festival of democracy has just concluded and in those lakhs of EVMs lays the verdict of the people of India. Counting of votes will take place on 16thof May but today we already have the undisputed winners and they are the people of India! Once again, India has won, the power of the ballot has triumphed and the spirit of democracy has shown itself to be supreme.

I would like to express my gratitude to the Election Commission for conducting this mammoth exercise.I thank and salute all those countless election staff, security personnel and police personnel without whom no Election is possible.

It is unfortunate that we witnessed some untoward incidents during the poll process during which some lives were lost. I salute all those who wereunfortunately martyred and offer my deepest condolences to their families. These brave individuals lived and died for democracy. It is our duty to ensure that their sacrifices do not go in vain. 

History will remember the 2014 Elections as historic and marking a paradigm shift from conventional electioneering. Normally, the party in power sets the agenda of the campaign but for the first time it was not the case. Far from setting the agenda, the ruling party was neither proactive nor responsive. It was only reactive throughout the campaign

What makes me very happy is the fact that the NDA remained firm on our agenda of development and good governance. We did not stop there; we successfully forced these two issues to become the focal point of the campaign. Yes, there were attempts to digress from these issues but we remained firm. The result was- those who wanted to praise us said we were doing well and those who wanted to critique us kept saying ‘we are doing better than BJP ruled states.’ An election must be fought on positive issues and I am glad we were able to alter the discourse in a way that helped people make their choices on the basis of a positive agenda.

2014 Lok Sabha elections will stand out for the increased turnout. Whenever polling would end for a particular phase, I would eagerly wait for the polling numbers and invariably my joy would increase seeing the jump in turnout.  Be it the cities or villages, old or young, men or women, everyone voted in large numbers. In most of the places it was sweltering, in some places there was rain and in some of the places in the hills it was cool apart from the hilly terrain but none of this deterred people from going out and voting.

Here I want to make a special mention for the increasing turnout among youngsters. Back in the day, voting was not believed to be ‘cool enough’ for a lot of youngsters. Today that is history. Voting is cool and rightly so! One needs to log in to Facebook or Twitter on polling day to see the number of Selfies my young friends are sharing. This is a very positive sign and I hope it continues in the times to come.

Throughout the campaign, I was able to connect with local people and local issues and this was something that I enjoyed very much. Connecting with local sentiments in this manner would not have been possible without social media. This is the first election where social media has assumed an important role and the importance of this medium will only increase in the years to come. Our Party, our campaign and me personally have gained tremendously from social media. It became a direct means of information and gave us the much-needed local pulse on several issues without any bias. It is said that the success of an Organisation depends on the accuracy and promptness with which there is an upward flow of information from the grass root level workers and well-wishers to the top that is complimented by clear and timely guidance from the top rung to those working on the ground. With the advent of social media this principle of Organisational working stands further strengthened.

There is one more thing for which we have to profusely thank social media- it has caused the downfall of manufactured lies and half-truths at a very nascent stage. Earlier during Elections we had people whose lies would reach every section of society. In a time when means of communication were less, they could get away with their same old speeches and half-baked assurances. Social media has changed that! In this age of information and social media the lies that come out of their microphones cannot even get past the podium of their speech venues, forget reaching others. More power to social media in the days ahead.

I congratulate friends in the media for covering every aspect of the Elections. The media was active in every part of the nation, keeping us abreast with latest happenings.  I do however feel that there is immense room for improving the debate and discourse surrounding the elections. At the same time, the continuous election humour that is a part of every election kept the smiles on our faces.

Along with the Lok Sabha Elections there were Assembly Elections in Odisha, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. Two newly created states out of Andhra Pradesh will begin their development journey.Due to the Lok Sabha campaign, the local issues of all these states could not be discussed the manner in which they ideally should have been. I did make it a point to talk about my experiences in these poll bound states wherever I went across the nation.

Yes, this has been a hard-fought election. It had its joyous moments and there were heated moments as well. Now is the time to put the heat and dust of campaign behind and look ahead. Irrespective of who wins on the 16th, the dreams of a billion Indians should not suffer. Yes, as political parties and candidates we have differing ideologies but our goal is one- to work for India and to fulfill the aspirations of our youth.

This is the right time to look ahead. It is a time to connect with each other. Lets place people over politics, hope over despair, healing over hurting, inclusion over exclusion and development over divisiveness. It is natural for the spirit of bi-partisanship to get temporarily lost in the midst of an election campaign but now is the time to resurrect it.

Personally, this campaign has been a remarkable journey. In my Blog a few days ago I talked about how this journey was extensive, innovative and satisfying. I had never imagined that someone like me would find himself here today. This is the power of Democracy and this is the power of Bharat Mata. I want to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for being a part of this journey. Your support and criticism made this journey a lot livelier. I want to specially thank the security forces who have travelled with me or travelled before me to the various rallies for security arrangements. If Narendra Modi could address so many rallies and meet so many people, a lot of credit goes to them.

Let me end with a few words to all my fellow candidates and workers from BJP and the NDA who fought shoulder to shoulder with us- thanks for your efforts and partnership.  I wish each and every one the very best for 16thofMay.

Let us begin the journey towards ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’ and create an India our founding fathers would be proud of.

Yours,

Narendra Modi

Varanasi shall set in motion the wheels of change that will take India on the path of good governance.

For thousands of years, the ancient city of Varanasi has been a symbol of knowledge, education and culture. Varanasi is the city of Lord Shiva; he who is a linking-bridge between various cultures;he who drank poison himself to save the World from evils& is known as Neelkanth. Today, the eyes of entire nation are set on Varanasi & the reason of it is also the Shiv Swarup of Varanasi that can not only drink poison to save the society but also play Damrooto save the people from those who push the country into the pit of despair.

It is believed that it is in this Varanasi where Maa Ganga’s beauty and virtuesreach that highest level of piousness that even looking at the Ganges becomes a source of salvation for a person. But, today this revered Maa Ganga is struggling for its own identity. Even after spending thousands of crores of rupees, the condition of the polluted Ganges is the same. River Ganga is a symbol of prestige for Varanasi city & to revive that prestige, the need is of extensive efforts.

Varanasi is the biggest centre point of Ganga-Jamuna culture.Varanasi is not only regarded as the most pious city of the Hindu culture, but it also holds vital importance in Jainism and Buddhism.Gautam Buddha had delivered his first sermon here at Sarnath. It was in Varanasi only where the “Shehnaai” of Bharat Ratna Bismillah Khan kept echoing of the Hindu-Muslim “UNITY”. These are the reasons why Varanasi, today is the biggest centre of spiritual knowledge in the World.

New Delhi is the Political Capital of India and Mumbai is the Financial Capital of the Nation. On this line, I wish that Varanasi city becomes the Intellectual Capital of the country. My party and I will leave no stone unturned to make this a reality. We would want to develop Kashi in a way that will make it the centre of cultural and intellectual activities &where the stream of knowledge would continuously flow.

Here, there are world famous educational institutions such as The Banaras Hindu University, The Sampurnanand Sanskrit University and The Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidhyapeeth. These institutions require constant care and up-gradation because they are not only an identity to the Banaras city, but also because they are important to ignite thelight of knowledge in the entire Purvanchal, including Bhojpuri region.

Banaras city is a huge centre of tourist attraction and is also world-renowned for its handicrafts and arts. Despite that, the local youth are left unemployed. There was a time when Banarasi Paan and Banarasi Saree were the biggest trend of the market. Thousands of people involved in them got employment but today, these both specialities are fighting for theirsurvival. In these many years, we could not create a new brand for Banaras and the old ones are also losing their sheen.

The need of the hour is that we restore the rich heritage of Varanasi. The Cottage, Handicrafts & Handloom industries in Varanasi must be revived.Employment has to be generated locally. By doing this, we would not only be providing employment to the thousands of residents of Varanasi near their homes but also bring back the lost prestige of the city.

However, all this would not be complete without better civic amenities. Today, Banaras is suffering because of poor roads, violence, traffic-jams, and short supply of electricity and water. A big reason for these problems is the ignore attitude of the central and state governments. The interference of Mafias and Thekedars (Licence holders) in the government departments is also one of the reasons. I promise that from Centre to Banaras, the domination of Mafias involved in looting the public funds will be entirely eliminated.

The crucial moment for the 16th Lok Sabha poll has arrived. You would remember that during the end of the 20th century, the think-tank and philosophers around the world pronounced that the 21st century will belong to India. And in the beginning of this century, under the governance of the BJP led NDA government,this future-statement was appearing to be taking shape. The World was looking at the India with an eye of hope!There was tremendous enthusiasm among the youth & every family had a success story to tell of their children. But a decade of misgovernance of UPA, instead of taking the country ahead, pushed India decades back & left the story of the prospering India incomplete.

Friends, the time has come that we bring a change! It is said that the image of country’s politics reflects in Varanasi, so let us begin from here.

Varanasi is the only place from where the revered Ganga is Uttar Vahini (flows towards North). It is here from where the powerful stream of the river Ganga turns directions. Thus, the start of the biggest change will also happen from Varanasi. The country will again move towards GOOD GOVERNANCE and this message initiated from the Varanasi will light a NEW HOPE in the entire country.

With this belief...

Yours Truly

Narendra Modi

Innovation is vital for combating climate change & ensuring climate justice: PM at Mission Innovation event hosted by the US President

President Hollande, President Obama, Excellencies, Mr. Bill Gates, Distinguished Guests, 

Let me begin by saluting President Hollande and the people of France for their courage and resolve; and, to the world for coming together for Paris and France. 

The outstanding arrangements reflect the character of this great nation. The world has assembled in Paris to change the course of our planet to a sustainable path. 

We must speak about goals and targets on carbon emissions and rise in global temperature. But, it is just as important to focus on the instruments that will make it natural and easy for the world to get there.

A vast section of humanity lives at the edge of poverty and in darkness after the sun sets. They need energy to light up their homes and power their future. 

And, they are also the most vulnerable to the consequences of an industrial age powered by fossil fuel. 

Access to energy and a better life is a universal aspiration. And, so are clean environment and healthy habitats. 

As the world's majority works its way to prosperity on a planet left with very limited carbon space , we have to do many things. 

We have to ensure, in the spirit of climate justice, that the life of a few does not crowd out the opportunities for the many still on the initial steps of the development ladder.

The advanced countries must leave enough room for developing countries to grow. And, we must strive for a lighter carbon footprint on our growth path. 

For that we must come together in a partnership to bring clean energy within the reach of all. 

Innovation is vital for combating climate change and ensuring climate justice.

That is what makes this Innovation Summit very special. This unites us behind a common purpose. 

We need research and innovation to make renewable energy much cheaper; more reliable; and, easier to connect to transmission grids. 

We can make conventional energy cleaner. And, we can develop newer sources of renewable energy. 

This is a global responsibility to our collective future. 

Our innovation initiative should be driven by public purpose, not just market incentives, including on intellectual property.

That also means strong public commitment by suppliers to developing countries. 

That will make clean energy technology available, accessible and affordable for all. 

This partnership will combine the responsibility of governments with the innovative capacity of the private sector. We will double our investments in research and innovation; and, deepen collaboration among ourselves. 

We should have an international network of 30-40 universities and labs focusing for next ten years on renewable energy. 

Innovation must be backed by means to make it affordable and ensure adoption.

We have a very successful models of public-private partnership with many countries present here. India is also building renewable capacity in developing countries, including small island states. 

The progress on clean energy technology and costs is impressive. If we raise the level of our efforts, we can transform the world. 

We will also lay the foundation of a new economy in new low carbon age. 

We will restore the balance between ecology and economy, and between our inheritance and obligation to the future. And, live up to Gandhiji's call to care for the world we shall not see.