Narendra Modi

Narendra Modi
Official portrait, 2023
Prime Minister of India
Incumbent
Assumed office 26 May 2014
President	Pranab Mukherjee Ram Nath Kovind Droupadi Murmu
Vice President	Mohammad Hamid Ansar] Venkaiah Naidu Jagdeep Dhankhar
Preceded by	Manmohan Singh
Incumbent
Assumed office 26 May 2014
Ministry and Departments	Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Department of Space Department of Atomic Energy
Preceded by	Manmohan Singh
Leader of the House, Lok Sabha
Incumbent
Assumed office 26 May 2014
Deputy	Gopinath Munde Sushma Swaraj Rajnath Singh Nitin Gadkari
Speaker of the Lok Sabha|	Sumitra Mahajan Om Birla
Preceded by	Sushilkumar Shinde
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
Incumbent
Assumed office 5 June 2014
Preceded by	Murli Manohar Joshi
Constituency	Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Chief Minister of Gujarat
In office 7 October 2001 – 22 May 2014
Governor	List Sunder Singh Bhandari Kailashpati Mishra Balram Jakhar Nawal Kishore Sharma S. C. Jamir Kamla Beniwal
Preceded by	Keshubhai Patel
Succeeded by	Anandiben Patel
Member of Gujarat Legislative Assembly
In office 15 December 2002 – 16 May 2014
Preceded by	Kamlesh Patel
Succeeded by	Suresh Patel
Constituency	Maninagar
In office 24 February 2002 – 19 July 2002
Preceded by	Vajubhai Vala
Succeeded by	Vajubhai Vala
Constituency	Rajkot West
General Secretary (Organisation) of the Bharatiya Janata Party
In office 5 January 1998 – 7 October 2001
Preceded by	Kushabhau Thakre
Succeeded by	Sanjay Joshi
Personal details
Born	Narendra Damodardas Modi (1950-09-17) 17 September 1950 Vadnagar, Bombay State, India (present-day Gujarat)
Political party	Bharatiya Janata Party
Spouse	Jashodaben Modi ​ ​ (m. 1968; sep. 1971)​
Residence(s)	7, Lok Kalyan Marg, New Delhi
Alma mater	Delhi University (Bachelor of Arts BA) Gujarat University (Master of Arts MA)
Signature
Website	Personal PM India official

Narendra Damodardas Modi (born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician serving as the Prime Minister of India since 2014. He previously served as the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and has been the Member of Parliament for Varanasi since 2014. Modi is a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a longstanding member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist volunteer organisation. He is the longest-serving Indian prime minister not affiliated with the Indian National Congress.

Early life and education

Modi was born in Vadnagar, in present-day Gujarat (then Bombay State), on 17 September 1950. He completed his secondary education there and was introduced to the RSS at the age of eight. In 1971, he became a full-time pracharak (campaigner) for the RSS. He was assigned to the BJP in 1985 and gradually rose through the ranks, becoming the party’s General Secretary in 1998.

Chief Minister of Gujarat (2001–2014)

Modi became the Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2001 following the resignation of Keshubhai Patel. He was subsequently elected to the state legislative assembly. His tenure as chief minister is noted for economic reforms and infrastructure development, which earned praise for boosting industrial growth. However, it was also marred by the 2002 Gujarat riots, during which more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed. Independent estimates place the death toll closer to 2,000. Modi’s government faced significant criticism for its handling of the violence. In 2012, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by the Supreme Court of India found insufficient evidence to prosecute him.

While economic growth during his tenure was acknowledged, critics noted that the administration did not significantly improve Gujarat’s health, education, and poverty indices.

Prime Minister of India (2014–present)

First term (2014–2019)

Modi led the BJP to a decisive victory in the 2014 Indian general election, securing the first single-party majority in the Lok Sabha since 1984. His government focused on liberalising the economy, promoting foreign direct investment, and implementing policies like the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission). However, the government also faced criticism for cutting spending on healthcare, education, and social welfare.

In 2016, Modi announced the demonetisation of ₹500 and ₹1,000 currency notes, a controversial move aimed at curbing black money but widely criticised for its economic disruption. The rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in 2017 was another major reform, intended to unify India’s tax structure, but faced logistical and implementation challenges.

Second term (2019–2024)

Modi was re-elected in the 2019 general election with a larger mandate. His second term included key policy moves such as the revocation of Article 370, which removed the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, and the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The latter sparked nationwide protests and was followed by communal violence, including the 2020 Delhi riots, in which dozens were killed.

Modi’s government faced widespread opposition to three agricultural reform laws, leading to prolonged farmer protests. The laws were eventually repealed in 2021.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the government’s response drew both praise and criticism. India launched a large-scale vaccination campaign, but the second wave in 2021 saw a severe health crisis. The World Health Organization later estimated that 4.7 million people may have died in India due to the pandemic, far higher than official figures.

Third term and recent developments

In the 2024 general election, the BJP lost its outright majority but retained power by forming a coalition under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Modi began a third term as prime minister. In 2025, he led the government through a brief India–Pakistan conflict, which concluded with a ceasefire agreement.

Political ideology and legacy

Modi is widely seen as a transformative and polarising figure in Indian politics. His leadership style has been characterised by strong centralisation, assertive nationalism, and significant personal popularity. His tenure has also been marked by accusations of democratic backsliding and increased authoritarianism, with critics pointing to curbs on press freedom, dissent, and minority rights.

Domestically, Modi enjoys high approval ratings and has reshaped Indian politics with a strong emphasis on Hindu nationalism. Internationally, he remains a controversial figure, particularly for his alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat riots and the majoritarian direction of his policies.

External links

• Profile on Lok Sabha website
• Official Website
• Narendra Modi at IMDb