PM Modi's 12 years in office: Growth, governance and global stature

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday reached the milestone of becoming India's longest-serving prime minister, with an unbroken tenure of 4,399 days in office, surpassing the record of the first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Over this period, digital payment systems have seen massive adoption, with billions of transactions processed monthly across urban and rural areas. Welfare initiatives have also expanded significantly. Rural housing and cooking gas schemes have provided millions of households with clean fuel, reducing reliance on traditional firewood. Agricultural support programmes have disbursed financial aid directly to farmers, aiding in crop management and equipment purchases. Furthermore, women empowerment initiatives have facilitated the creation of millions of self-help groups and promoted drone technology in farming. In regions like Jammu and Kashmir, the abrogation of special status has extended government employment eligibility and universal health insurance coverage to marginalised communities, marking a significant shift in governance and welfare distribution over the past twelve years.