Women, youth, minorities, farmers: Focus of first 100 days of Modi 3.0

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government has completed its first 100 days after coming to power for a historic third term. During this period, projects worth Rs 15 lakh crore were launched with a focus on infrastructure, farmers, middle class, women, and minorities, among others, according to a government statement.
Before hitting the campaign trail for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, PM Modi had given several tasks to officials to be completed within the first 100 days of the third NDA government.
The central government has approved projects worth Rs 3 lakh crore in 100 days with primary focus on roads, railways, ports and airways, the statement said. This includes approval of eight national high-speed road corridor projects spanning over 900 kilometres.
It also includes the approval of the Wadhavan Mega Port in Maharashtra at a cost of Rs 76,200 crore, which will be among the top 10 ports in the world. The government has also laid the foundation stone of Shinkhun-La Tunnel, to connect Ladakh with Himachal Pradesh.
The 17th instalment of Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi was released. As part of the instalment, Rs 20,000 crore has been distributed to 9.3 crore farmers. “So far, Rs 3 lakh crore distributed to a total of 12 crore 33 lakh farmers,” the statement added.
Furthermore, the Minimum Support Price for Kharif crops for 2024-25 has been increased, which benefitted 12 croroe farmers by approximately Rs 2 lakh crore.
The NDA government announced no tax on income up to Rs 7 lakh, helping salaried individuals save up to Rs 17,500 in taxes, the government statement said.
“The standard deduction increased to Rs 75,000 and the exemption limit for family pension raised to Rs 25,000. A comprehensive review of income tax rules to be conducted within six months to make them concise, clear, and easy to understand,” the statement added.
The PM Modi government also implemented a unified pension scheme, under which government employees with 25 years of service will receive 50 per cent of their average basic salary as pension.
“Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana 3 crore houses (were) approved. 1 crore houses under the urban scheme, 2 crore houses (were) approved for construction in rural areas,” the statement said, adding that so far, over 4 crore houses have been approved in both urban and rural regions in India.
On women empowerment, in the first 100 days, the PM Modi government has awarded certificates to 11 lakh new ‘Lakhpati Didis’. According to government figures, over 1 crore ‘Lakhpati Didis’ now earn more than Rs 1 lakh every year.
Besides, the MUDRA loan has been increased from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh.
Under the Prime Minister’s Developed Tribal Village Campaign, as many as 63,000 tribal villages were approved to be developed, helping in improving the socio-economic status of 5 crore tribals.
Furthermore, the Namaste scheme has been extended to include waste pickers along with sanitation workers, promoting their social and economic empowerment.
The first 100 days focused on improving the ease of doing business, which included abolishing the angel tax and reducing corporate tax. The government is also setting up a Rs 1000-crore venture capital fund for space sector startups.
An approval has also been given for the Gen-Next Support for Innovation Startups (GENESIS) programme to support startups in Tier-II and Tier-III cities, the statement said.
The PM Modi-led NDA government has announced a Rs 2 lakh crore-package to promote empowerment and skill development among the youth. The goal is to benefit 41 million youth over the next five years.
The government has also announced more than 15,000 new appointments, and first-time employees covered under EPFO, an incentive of up to Rs 15,000 will be provided in three instalments.
In the health sector, the Ayushman Bharat Scheme has been expanded to include all citizens aged 70 and above under free insurance of up to Rs 5 lakh.
Besides, 75,000 new medical seats have been added, which will help the “healthcare system more effective and reduce dependence on foreign medical education”, the statement said.
Furthermore, the National Medical Commission is preparing a National Medical Register to create a centralised repository of doctors in the country.