Operation Sindoor, Global Respect, Waqf Reform: Modi Govt 3.0's Biggest Feats In 1 Year In Office
Last Updated:
PM Modi's third term has brought a period of remarkable political dynamism, typified by decisive policy clarity, an undeniable rise in global stature, and firm political control
As the Narendra Modi-led NDA government completes the first year of its third consecutive term, it reflects on a foundation of significant policy decisions and strategic initiatives. Modi took office as the Prime Minister for the third time on June 9, 2024, following another decisive victory in the Lok Sabha elections.
The past year has witnessed a continued focus on transforming the country into Viksit Bharat (Developed India) and asserting its role on the global stage—from strategic military action and social welfare reforms to significant economic relief and proactive global diplomacy.
A Bold Stride in National Security: Operation Sindoor
One of the defining moments of the Modi government 3.0's first year has undoubtedly been Operation Sindoor. Launched on May 7, 2025, the precision strikes against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir were a direct response to the devastating Pahalgam terror attack of April 22, which claimed 26 lives.
Lauded as a decisive military and non-military action, Operation Sindoor effectively neutralised terrorist threats and targeted terror infrastructure across the border, while leaving the Pakistani forces with a bloody nose.
Beyond the kinetic action, Operation Sindoor showcased a multi-dimensional approach. India also implemented non-military measures, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty until Pakistan ceases its support for cross-border terrorism. The move, with its significant impact on Pakistan's water-dependent economy, underscores India's 'new normal" of zero tolerance in addressing terrorist acts.
Prime Minister Modi frequently invoked the symbolism of 'sindoor" (vermilion), connecting the military action to Indian values and a pledge of justice, while highlighting India's indigenous defence capabilities. The operation's success has become a central theme in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's narrative, marking the first anniversary of the third straight term in power.
Global Diplomacy and 'Viksit Bharat' Vision
The Modi government 3.0 has maintained a strong focus on diplomacy, aiming to solidify India's position as a leading international power and 'Voice of the Global South". India has surpassed Japan to become the world's fourth-largest economy. NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam has said that India is now poised to displace Germany from the third rank in the next 2.5 to 3 years.
India continues engaging with various global blocs and nations to further economic and social development, enhance national security, and elevate its global stature.
Strengthening ties with major powers like the United States in defence cooperation, trade, and technology transfer remains a priority. India is deepening engagements with countries in the Indo-Pacific region through forums like the Quad.
Emphasis remains on improving bilateral ties with South Asian neighbours and enhancing engagement with Southeast Asian nations.
The government is actively pursuing foreign direct investment (FDI) by liberalising norms in sectors such as defence, railways, and insurance, and simplifying tax structures to attract global capital, aligning with the vision of becoming a USD 5 trillion economy.
Reforming the Waqf Act: A Step Towards Uniformity and Transparency
To improve the administration and management of Waqf properties in India, the Modi government 3.0 ensured the successful passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, to address the longstanding issues within the Waqf Act of 1995.
The move reflects both the government's long-term ideological agenda and its stated goals of reform and transparency. For years, there have been widespread allegations of mismanagement, encroachment, and corruption concerning Waqf properties across India. With over 870,000 Waqf properties, making the Waqf Board the third largest landowner in India after the Armed Forces and Indian Railways, the scale of potential mismanagement is immense. The government's primary stated objective with the amendment is to bring greater transparency, accountability, and efficiency to the administration of these vast assets. By introducing provisions for digitising records, ensuring regular audits, and streamlining the registration process, the government aims to curb illegal occupation and misuse of Waqf lands, which it claims have prevented the proper utilisation of funds for charitable purposes.
A major change is the increased role of the central government and state officials in the management of Waqf properties. The law now empowers the district collector to conduct surveys of Waqf properties and determine ownership in cases of uncertainty, especially concerning government land claimed as Waqf. This shifts power from the Waqf Boards to a government-appointed officer. The central government now has more power to make rules regarding Waqf registration, accounts, and audits, allowing for greater oversight of financial matters.
The amendment also significantly impacts the concept of 'Waqf by user", where properties were recognised as Waqf based on long-term usage for religious or charitable purposes, even without formal documentation. This remains a contentious point.
One of the most debated aspects of the amendment is the change in the composition of the Central Waqf Council and State Waqf Boards. The amended Act mandates the inclusion of non-Muslim members in these bodies. Previously, all members (barring the union minister in charge of Waqf) were required to be Muslim. The government frames this as a move towards 'inclusivity" and greater transparency, arguing that Waqf properties serve a broader public purpose. The law also aims to ensure representation from different Muslim sects (Shia, Sunni, Bohra, Agakhani) and mandates the inclusion of at least two Muslim women members on the Boards, which the government highlights as a step towards 'social justice" and empowerment within the Muslim community.
The amendments have sparked new legal challenges, with several Muslim organisations and opposition MPs moving the Supreme Court against the law.
For the Modi government, the Waqf Act amendment aligns with its broader vision of promoting a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and reducing what it perceives as 'appeasement" policies.
Empowering the Middle Class: Income Tax Relief and Social Security
A cornerstone of the Modi government 3.0's agenda has been substantial relief for the middle class, a key demographic for the government. The union budget 2025-26 announced that no income tax will be payable on annual incomes up to Rs 12 lakh under the new tax regime. For salaried taxpayers, this limit extends to Rs 12.75 lakh, incorporating a standard deduction of Rs 75,000. This represents the largest increase in income tax exemption since 2005, significantly easing the financial burden on middle-income earners and encouraging consumption, savings, and investment.
Beyond income tax, the government introduced several initiatives for the middle class and vulnerable sections. The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) now includes all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, regardless of income, providing health coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family per year.
A unified pension scheme ensures a guaranteed pension of 50% of the average basic pay for government employees with 25 years of service.
top videos
View all
The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) targets to construct millions of new houses, including a new scheme to assist weaker sections and middle-class families in achieving home ownership in urban areas.
The limit for Mudra loans, which support small entrepreneurs, has been raised from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh, empowering young people and small businesses.
About the Author
News Desk
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d...Read More
Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated!
tags :
gdp Narendra Modi Operation Sindoor pakistan terror Waqf
Location :
New Delhi, India, India
First Published:
June 08, 2025, 09:10 IST
News india Operation Sindoor, Global Respect, Waqf Reform: Modi Govt 3.0's Biggest Feats In 1 Year In Office
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
33 minutes ago
- Indian Express
First stop in France, Jaishankar embarks on week-long trip to Europe
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday embarked on a week-long visit to Europe to hold talks with leaders of France, the European Union and Belgium to boost bilateral ties and reaffirm India's policy of zero-tolerance against terrorism. Jaishankar's visit to Europe comes a month after India launched Operation Sindoor in response to the dastardly Pahalgam terror attack and it is expected that he will apprise the European leaders about New Delhi's firm approach in dealing with cross-border terrorism. In the first leg of his tour, Jaishankar will visit France, a country that has emerged as an all-weather friend of New Delhi. 'The external affairs minister would travel to Paris and Marseille where he would be holding bilateral discussions with his counterpart minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean Noel Barrot,' the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. Jaishankar would also participate in the inaugural edition of the Mediterranean Raisina Dialogue to be held in the city of Marseille. In Brussels, Jaishankar will hold a strategic dialogue with the EU High Representative and Vice President Kaja Kallas. 'India-European Union strategic partnership has strengthened over the years across diverse sectors and got a big boost with the first-ever visit of the EU College of Commissioners to India in February this year,' the MEA said. Jaishankar will engage also with the senior leadership from the European Commission and the European Parliament, besides interacting with think tank and media. In the third and final leg of his visit, the external affairs minister will hold wide-ranging talks with leaders of Belgium. 'India and Belgium share warm and friendly relations along with a very robust economic partnership. Today, the collaboration between the two countries spans various domains like trade and investment, green energy, technology, pharmaceutical, diamond sector and strong people-to-people ties,' the MEA said. It said Jaishankar would hold bilateral consultations with the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Belgium Maxime Prevot and would also meet the senior leadership of the country. He will also interact with the members of the Indian community.
Time of India
37 minutes ago
- Time of India
Why Harvard is easier to crack than IITs or IIMs for Indian students
U.S. President Donald Trump has halted funding to universities it disagrees with ideologically and temporarily suspended visa interviews required for foreign students planning to enroll this year. This move directly impacts Indian students, who make up nearly one-third of all international students in the United States, as per The Economist report. India has been losing academic talent to America for decades. At the famed Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), over 60% of the top 100 performers migrate abroad, mostly for America. ALSO READ: Harvard University scores legal win against Trump's international student ban (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) The Economist report says that Trump's policies might cause Indian students' applications to American universities to plummet by a quarter from this year to the next. Live Events Easier to get into Harvard India is home to half the world's university-age population. On paper, India's top universities have a lot to offer. But getting into them is much harder—some accept as few as 0.2% of applicants, compared to 3–9% for Ivy League schools like Harvard , as per The Economist. Meanwhile, after Trump's stark steps, many parents who had been set on sending their children to the US are rethinking their plans. ALSO READ: Harvard vs Trump: As fresh salvos are fired, international students live in anxiety and fear Looking for options Indian students primarily went to the US to study STEM subjects – science, technology, engineering and maths – and so the focus had shifted to other countries strong in these areas, Piyush Bhartiya, a co-founder of the educational technology company AdmitKard told the Guardian. 'Germany is the main country where students are shifting to for Stem subjects,' he said. 'Other countries like Ireland, France, the Netherlands, which are also gaining substantial interest in the students. At the undergraduate level, the Middle East has also seen a lot of gain in interest given parents feel that it is close by and safer and given the current political environment they may want their kids closer to the home.' ALSO READ: Trump's birthright citizenship order to face first US appeals court review What is happening at Harvard? Harvard University has sued the Trump administration to preserve its ability to enroll international students and restore draconian cuts in research money, two matters that threaten the core functions of the centuries-old institution. The same federal judge in Massachusetts, Allison Burroughs, an appointee of President Barack Obama, is presiding over both cases. She has often sided with Harvard, including on Thursday when she issued a temporary restraining order against the administration's latest move to bar international students. On both fronts, the Trump administration has said that it is punishing Harvard because it has failed to keep Jewish students safe by allowing antisemitism to flourish. It has added on to these accusations as the court fights have drawn on, saying that the university has used racial preferences in admissions in defiance of a Supreme Court ruling and that it has broken rules related to foreign gifts. Harvard has denied the accusations. It says the administration is ignoring its efforts to protect the civil rights of its Jewish students, for example. And Harvard has argued that the federal government has violated its First Amendment rights and has ignored due process as it pursues its vendetta against the university.
India Today
38 minutes ago
- India Today
Kamal Haasan urges voluntary language learning, opposes Hindi imposition in South
Kamal Haasan has addressed the issue of Hindi imposition in the south while promoting his new film, 'Thug Life'. Despite being involved in a controversy over his comments on Kannada, the actor made his stance clear. He emphasised that learning should happen without imposition and that education must take the shortest route without faced backlash after stating that Kannada was born out of Tamil. His film 'Thug Life' was not released in Karnataka following his refusal to apologise. Now, in an interview with PTI, Haasan said, "I am the actor from 'Ek Duuje Ke Liye'. Without imposition, we will learn. Don't impose, because this is ultimately education and we must take the shortest route to education and not put hurdles in its way.'advertisementThe ruling party in Tamil Nadu has strongly opposed the three-language policy introduced under the National Education Policy (NEP), accusing the BJP-led NDA government of attempting to impose Hindi - a claim the Centre has denied. Actor Kamal Haasan echoed the concerns raised by states like Punjab, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh, stating that imposing a particular language hinders the learning process. Haasan further argued that for global opportunities, students should be encouraged to learn international languages such as English, Spanish, or Chinese. He emphasised that English education has a deep-rooted history in India, particularly in Tamil Nadu, and abruptly replacing it with Hindi could render many people functionally illiterate. He also questioned the government's commitment to protecting language rights and voiced concerns over the push for Haasan added, "And English seems to be fair enough. You can do Spanish also, or Chinese. But I think the most practical thing where the shortest route to that is that we have 350 years of English education, slowly but steadily. So when you suddenly replace it, it's all over again. You make unnecessarily many people illiterate, especially in Tamil Nadu."advertisementHe continued, "You suddenly force all through Hindi and you tell them that you will not get your job beyond the Vindhyas, then you start wondering, what about the promises? What about my language? Am I not one of the 22 (official languages)? These are the questions that are coming."Meanwhile, 'Thug Life' faced backlash in Karnataka after a controversy over his remarks about the Kannada and Tamil languages. The film hit theatres on June 5 and also features Silambarasan TR and Trisha InMust Watch
