First India

Jaipur/ Sri Ganganagar: Sri Ganganagar, which is considered sensitive from the perspective of drug trafficking due to its proximity to the India-Pakistan international border and Punjab, has witnessed major police action against narcotics. Under the direction of DGP Rajeev Kumar Sharma and leadership of SP Harishankar, Police has tightened the net around drug networks, seizing narcotic substances worth around `206.18 cr till October 5, 2026 and registered 556 cases and arrested 683 accuseds.

The second innings began with a stronger mandate, but soon turned into an extraordinary test of leadership. From 2019 to 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government navigated a once-in-a-century pandemic, accelerated economic and digital transformation, expanded India’s global footprint and pursued an ambitious development agenda. It was a term marked by crisis and recovery, reform and resilience, technology and tradition.

Listen Stop Written By:  Dr Anita Hada On 7 October 2001, Narendra Modi entered the highest arena of public responsibility in Gujarat. Twenty-five years later, his journey from Gandhinagar to New Delhi stands as one of the most consequential political journeys of contemporary India. Yet, through every transition, one identity has remained constant — that of the Pradhan Sevak, the foremost servant of the people. His journey has never been an easy one.

On a warm May evening in 2014, Narendra Modi walked into the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan to take oath as Prime Minister. The ceremony marked the beginning of a political chapter that would reshape the vocabulary of Indian governance around development, delivery, technology and national ambition. The first years were marked by an emphasis on taking government programmes to the last mile.

New Zealand: Modi ji first visited New Zealand in the year 2001. During discussions with us at that time, he had shared a thought that reflected his far-sighted approach. He said, “Do you travel alone to India or do you also keep your neighbours in the loop? Do you invite them to accompany you to visit the great country, India?

Narrators recall PM Modi’s transformative impact at the grassroots, where initiatives such as Har Ghar Jal and Jan Dhan have turned basic needs into pathways to dignity, opportunity and empowerment PM’s tap water scheme changed the economic, ecological landscape of our village - Kaushalya Rawat, Former sarpanch, Kyar Kuli Bhatta village, U’khand, Chandrakala Bisht, Resident, Kyar Kuli Bhatta village Water crisis was the most pressing problem that our village perennially suffered from.

When Narendra Modi took charge as Gujarat’s Chief Minister in October 2001, the state was confronting the enormous challenge of rebuilding after the devastating Kutch earthquake, while also dealing with recurring drought, water scarcity and infrastructure gaps.

Long before Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, he understood something that many Indian politicians had not fully recognised: India’s diaspora was not merely a community living abroad; it was a powerful reservoir of goodwill, influence, knowledge, capital and soft power. His years as Gujarat Chief Minister gave him an early appreciation of the extraordinary influence and emotional strength of overseas Indians.

Narendra Modi is not easily contained within a single description. To some, he is the politician who transformed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s electoral geography; to others, the administrator who brought a distinctly executionoriented approach to governance. Millions know him through his speeches and Mann Ki Baat, while a lesser-known dimension of his personality emerges through his writings and poetry.

Twenty-five years in executive governance is an extraordinary milestone in any democracy. On October 7, 2001, Narendra Modi took the oath as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. Twenty-five years later, that journey stands as an extended study in political leadership, administrative experimentation and the transformation of the relationship between the Indian state and its citizens.