92 trips to 57 countries since 2014: Here's what PM Narendra Modi achieved

With 92 trips to 57 countries since coming to power in May 2014, Modi has flown abroad nearly twice as much as his predecessor Manmohan Singh in five years.

Business Standard : As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi bids for reelection, his party has said his skillful diplomacy on the world stage has increased India’s global stature and brought in a flood of investment.

But what exactly have Modi’s foreign travels achieved? With 92 trips to 57 countries since coming to power in May 2014, Modi has flown abroad nearly twice as much as his predecessor Manmohan Singh in five years.

While Modi’s visits have won praise from supporters for boosting India’s global profile, the costs associated with them -- and the optics of traveling abroad so often in a country where many farmers are struggling -- have triggered some criticism. The main opposition Indian National Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has accused Modi of ignoring problems at home.

A closer look at Modi’s trips show that while some have yielded vague agreements that may not develop into anything substantial, doubters may still be exaggerating the negatives. Summit meetings accounted for roughly a third of Modi’s visits. And his arrival in each foreign capital made a symbolic statement about New Delhi’s world outlook.

Modi also made a point of repeatedly meeting leaders such as Japan’s Shinzo Abe and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, whose countries provide much-needed industrial investment and defense technology. Here’s more:

Record FDI

Foreign direct investment into India in Modi’s first term amounted to $193 billion, 50 percent more than the preceding five years.

At the same time, despite a high-profile push to generate jobs through manufacturing, much of the FDI has continued to flow into India’s services and capital-intensive industries, not labor-intensive ones.

While Modi won investment commitments from longstanding economic and strategic rival China, it largely remains a non-starter. FDI from China totaled $1.5 billion in the four years to March 2018, data from India’s central bank show, against $20 billion President Xi Jinping promised in the five years from 2014.

Congress committed to safeguarding tribal land in Odisha: Rahul Gandhi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of "snatching" tribal land.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of "snatching" tribal land and asserted his party will work for protecting the rights of the community.

Addressing a rally at Bhawanipatna, among the backward regions of the state, Gandhi said the BJP-led government at the Centre and the BJD dispensation in the state have "failed to work" for the welfare of the dalits, the tribals, the farmers and the poor.

"The Congress is the only party committed to safeguarding the land of tribals. We will protect the rights of tribals in Odisha and elsewhere," he said.

This was Gandhi's second visit within 10 days in the state where Assembly and Lok Sabha polls are scheduled to be held together. Gandhi had addressed a rally at Bhubaneswar on January 25.

In stinging attacks on the BJP and the BJD, Gandhi said the two parties are working for the "benefit of their industrialist friends" while "neglecting" the farmers and poor people.

ALSO READ: 'Apni Baat Rahul Ke Saath': When Cong prez stunned students at a restaurant

The Modi government readily waived Rs 3.5 lakh crore loans of 15 industrialists, but refused to waive farm loans, he alleged.

Despite its promise, the BJP-led government has "failed" to provide remunerative prices to farmers for their produce in order to mitigate their plight, the Congress president alleged.

Gandhi alleged that Naveen Patnaik failed to work for the benefit of farmers in Odisha.

The Congress president said that within two days of forming governments in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, farm loans were waived by the Congress governments in these states.

He also accused the "Chowkidar" (PM) of being "corrupt" and charged Naveen Patnaik with being "remote controlled" for chitfund scams.

The Congress has decided that land acquired for setting up industries would be returned to the farmers if projects fail to take off within a period of five years of land acquisition, he said.

The Congress chief said work in this regard has already started in Chhattisgarh.

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Modi should stop doing 'political drama': Sena on Ayodhya Ram Temple issue

Contrary to the BJP's claims, it is not the Congress, but a 'lack of political will' that is the biggest hurdle.

The Shiv Sena Monday charged that "lack of political will" was delaying construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should stop doing "political nautanki" (drama) over the issue while keeping a gun on shoulders of the Congress.

Taking potshots at Modi for his "56-inch chest" remark made during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, it said the Congress did not have the courage to build the Ram Temple, so it was thrown out of power, and a man with a "56-inch chest" was given the keys to the administration.

"Yet, if you see the Congress in water, on land and in air, people will once again have to measure your chest size. If Ram continues to stay in 'vanvaas' (exile) then stop your political 'nautanki'," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

During the 2014 Lok Sabha poll campaign, Modi had said that a "56-inch chest" was needed to tackle Pakistan.

On the prime minister's charge that the Congress was creating hurdles in the court's process, the Sena said, "Narendra Modi has to stop levelling allegations against the Gandhi family and the Congress. You were not given power to keep cribbing about such problems. The Congress and the Samajwadi Party were ousted because of their hurdles in the construction of Ram Temple. So, stop blaming the Congress now".

"Did demonetisation not happen despite opposition from the Congress? Did you not form government in Jammu and Kashmir with (People's Democratic Party chief) Mehbooba Mufti despite hurdles from the Congress? Then what is the hurdle in (construction of) Ram temple?" it asked.

Contrary to the BJP's claims, it is not the Congress, but a "lack of political will" that is the biggest hurdle in the temple's construction, claimed the Sena, which is an ally of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre and in Maharashtra.

"What is (Congress chief) Rahul Gandhi's importance? What strength does the Congress have? Then why give it so much importance? If you play politics on temple while keeping the gun on the Congress' shoulders, you will disappear. Ram temple was not Congress', but BJP's promise," it said.

It also said that Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray's visit to Ayodhya has fulfilled one objective - those who were sleeping over the issue did not turn but at least have opened their eyes and understood that 'jumlebaazi' (rhetoric) will not work as far as the Ram Temple is concerned.

Thackeray had offered prayers at the Ram Lalla Temple in Ayodhya on Sunday and said the BJP government at the Centre "may not last" if the temple was not constructed.

He had demanded that an ordinance be brought in to pave way for the temple's construction, warning that emotions of Hindus should not be taken for granted.

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4 years of Modi: More Indians in airplanes now than in AC trains, says govt

With India emerging as the third largest aviation market, air passenger traffic growth has been in the range of 18-20 per cent over the past three years.

The number of flyers in India is more than those travelling in AC coaches of trains, documents released to mark the fourth anniversary of the Narendra Modi government  show.
With India emerging as the third largest aviation market, air passenger traffic growth has been in the range of 18-20 per cent over the past three years.


"For the first time, more people travelled in airplanes than in AC trains," according to the document, titled 'saaf niyat, sahi vikas' (clean intent, right development).


Prime Minister Narendra Modi , while presenting the government's report card at a rally in Cuttack last Saturday, had drawn the people's attention to the rapid growth of the civil aviation sector in the country.


The Aviation Ministry is targeting a five-fold increase in passenger trips to one billion per annum in 15-20 years. The civil aviation sector will also see the addition of 1,000 aircraft in the Indian skies in the coming decade from about 550 aircraft today.


The document also said that domestic air passenger crossed 100 million in 2017. It said the National Civil Aviation Policy 2016 has been unveiled to transform the sector.


Under the present dispensation, the Civil Aviation Ministry had launched the Regional Connectivity Scheme or UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) to provide air connectivity to smaller towns and hilly terrains at affordable prices.



The ministry has claimed the scheme as a major success and pushing the number of operational airports in the country to about 100.