India is often referred to as the largest democracy in the world. With a population of 1,342,512,706 , and a GDP growth at 7.1% following the currency ban of 2016, India is well on it’s path to becoming a force to be reckoned with on the global stage.
Self-sufficient initiatives such as Make In India and programs like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, have struck a chord with the masses and at the same time helped India to position itself as go-getters in the eyes of its international colleagues.
While the currency ban of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes in circulation, was met with everything from enthusiasm to patience slowly fading into desperation due to the unavailability of cash, one can’t deny that it was an extremely bold step on the part of our current Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The economy has started to pick up as evident by the suggested growth rate of 7.1 % in 2017-18. I find myself questioning about the efficiency of this step and how it could’ve been done better and I’m certainly not alone in thinking so. But one thing is for sure and that is the crackdown on black money was coming sooner or later, so kudos to Modi and co. for getting it done. But this is not the first time a government has decided to demonetize currency notes to curb corruption.
But this is not the first time a government has decided to demonetize currency notes to curb corruption. In 1978, the government led by Moraji Desai banned Rs 1000, Rs 5000 and Rs 10,000 notes in circulation. It is steps like these that impact the social, political and economic landscape of the country and impacts the global perception of India. We have come a long way from being perceived as the land of snake charmers to launching 104 satellites at one go, breaking Russia’s record. These accomplishments wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our scientists at ISRO, DRDO and other institutes of repute. But there is one thing that gets ignored often, one of the contributing factors to the country’s progress. The hard choices, the bold decisions that have pushed us to this age of technology and self-dependence. Someone or somebody had to make the tough calls when it mattered the most. These people headed cabinets and had to bear the burden of huge expectations, I am talking about the Indian Prime Ministers.
From Rajiv Gandhi helping India set up the IT industry, to PV Narasimha Rao helping India recover from a disastrous 1991 crisis and paving the way to globalization alongside the then finance minister, all the way to IK Gujral bettering the relations with our immediate neighbors, all of the boldest and the bravest steps have helped India reach where it is today.
Below mentioned is an infographic that outlays all the major decisions that the Indian Prime Ministers have taken over the years. We are into the 7th decade of our independence and we have had 15 Prime Ministers till now, you can imagine how tough it can be to follow up on all that’s been.
This infographic breaks it down into smaller bites of information by categorizing it according to the policies and finally giving an update on the boldest decision.
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