PM Narendra Modi's Journey from Chaiwala to Hat-Trick Prime Minister | Timeline

Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi created history by spearheading the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance for a third consecutive victory in the Lok Sabha Election 2024. Opponents and critics would never have thought that a 'chaiwala' who became an RSS Pracharak would go on to become Chief Minister of Gujarat and later on adorn the prime minister's post for three consecutive terms.

Hyderabad : The whole world is watching in awe as PM-designate Narendra Modi is all set to be sworn-in as the prime minister of India for the third consecutive term on June 9. Proving sceptics wrong both within the Sangh Pariwar and in the opposition, Narendra Modi has achieved the unique distinction of strengthening the BJP and making the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) stronger to win the Lok Sabha Election 2024. Here is a timeline of the landmark events and achievements in the glowing political career of PM Modi.

• 1950:17 Sep 1950 : Born to Hiraba and Damodardas Modi in Vadnagar in the state of Gujarat (Mehsana district). His father, Damodardas, earned his living from a tea stall set up on the platform of the town’s police station. Modi helped out his father at the tea stall after school hours. He served tea to railway passengers.
• 1967 :Bharat Bhraman : Leaves home and travels across India including the Himalayas, Rishikesh, Ramakrishna Mission.
• 1972 :Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh : Joins the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Takes a conscious decision to devote his entire life.
• 1975 :Narendra Modi was appointed as general secretary of the "Gujarat Lok Sangharsh Samiti" by RSS. During the Emergency, Modi was forced to go underground to avoid arrest. He was involved in printing pamphlets opposing the government.
• 1978 :RSS Pracharak in Vadodara : Gets more responsibility in the Sangh. Becomes ‘Vibhag Pracharak’ and asked to work in Vadodara.
• 1979 : He went to work for the RSS in Delhi. where he was put to work researching and writing the RSS's version of the history of the Emergency.
• 1980 : RSS Sambhag Pracharak: Becomes ‘Sambhag Pracharak’ and given additional region of South Gujarat and Surat as focus area.
• 1985 : RSS assigned Modi to the BJP. Later in 1987, Modi helped to organize the BJP's campaign in the Ahmedabad municipal election. BJP won that election.
• 1987 : BJP Wins AMC Election : Active role in organisation work for elections to various civic bodies. BJP wins AMC elections.
• 1987 :Participated in Nyay Yatra with Advani Ji : Nyay Yatra to fight for rights of the poor. Begins work for 1989 Lok Sabha Elections.
• Between 1988 and 1995: Narendra Modi was recognized as a master strategist who had successfully gained the necessary groundwork for making the Gujarat BJP the ruling party of the state. He took up the challenging task of energising the party cadres in right earnest. The party started gaining political mileage and formed a coalition government at the centre in April 1990. This partnership fell apart within a few months, but the BJP came to power with a two-thirds majority on its own in Gujarat in 1995. Since then, the BJP has been governing Gujarat.
• 1989 : Lok Shakti Yatra : Lok Shakti Yatra organised.
• 1990 : Wins 67 Seats : BJP wins 67 seats in Gujarat Vidhan Sabha Elections and joins Chimanbhai Patel’s government.
• 1990 :Modi helped to organize L. K. Advani's 1990 Ram Rath Yatra and Murli Manohar
• Joshi's Ekta Yatra in 1991–92.
• 1995 : he was appointed the National Secretary of the party and given the charge of five major states in India - a rare distinction for a young leader.
• 1995 : BJP secures majority in Gujarat Assembly Elections, winning 121 seats.
• 1995 :National Secretary : Moves to Delhi as National Secretary. Given charge of various North Indian states. In 1998, he was promoted as the General Secretary (Organization), a post he held until October 2001, when he was chosen to be the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
• 1999 : Lok Sabha Elections: BJP secures consecutive victories in Lok Sabha elections under Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
• Gujarat chief minister (2001 to 2014)
• 2001 : Keshubhai Patel's health was failing, and the BJP lost a few state assembly seats in by-elections. The BJP national leadership replaced Patel with Modi as Chief Minister of Gujarat.
• 2001 : On 7 October 2001, Modi took the oath as CM of Gujarat. Became Gujarat CM for First Time : Sworn in as the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
• 2002 : 2nd Term as Gujarat CM: Leads BJP to record win in 2002 Gujarat Assembly Elections.
• 2003 :Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit : First biennial Vibrant Gujarat Investors Summit inaugurated by Shri LK Advani.
• 2004 : Kanya Kelavani and Shala Praveshotsav initiated with the aim to increase school enrolment.
• 2007 :3rd Term as Gujarat CM: BJP wins 2007 Gujarat Assembly Elections. Narendra Modi sworn-in as CM for 3rd time.
• 2007 :As Gujarat CM : Becomes longest serving CM of Gujarat.
• 2008 :Encouraging Industries: Tata Nano drives into Gujarat. Tata Group lauds Gujarat’s governance model and speed.
• 2009 : Vishwa Gram Yojna: E-Gram, Vishwa Gram Yojana launched. Long term vision of the Gujarat government.
• 2011 : Modi undertakes the Sadbhavana Yatra, a roadshow throughout Gujarat ostensibly to promote social harmony., when his ambitions for prime ministership first became public.
• 2012 :4th Time Gujarat CM: Leads BJP to yet another victory in the Gujarat Assembly Polls. Becomes CM for 4th time. March 2012: In its issue dated 26th March 2012 TIME, one of the world's leading news magazines had Shri Narendra Modi on its cover page with a story titled 'Modi Means
• Business'.
• 2013 : As BJP PM candidate : BJP declares Narendra Modi as the PM candidate of the Party for 2014 Lok Sabha Elections.
• 2013 :Statue of Unity: Foundation Stone for Statue of Unity laid by Shri LK Advani ji and Shri Narendra Modi.
• 2014 : Historic Victory : Historic victory for NDA in 2014 Elections. Narendra Modi Tweets, "India has won!
• 2014 :Become Leader of BJP Parliamentary Party : Unanimously elected as Leader of BJP Parliamentary Party.
• 2014 : Became Prime Minister of India: Sworn in as Prime Minister of India. PM Modi led the BJP in the 2014 general election, which gave the party an astounding majority in the Lok Sabha, the first time for any single party since 1984.
• 2014 : Wins Time magazine readers Poll as " Person of the Year."
• May 26, 2014 :Narendra Modi sworn-in as 15th PM, SAARC leaders attend : Modi, 63 at the time, takes oath at the Rashtrapati Bhavan after leading the BJP to a landslide victory in general elections. For the first time, leaders from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations are also invited to attend the prime minister’s swearing-in ceremony.
• Sep 25, 2014 :Make in India campaign rolled out : Issuing the clarion call to ‘Come, Make in India’, the BJP-led government kicks off the initiative to promote India as the most preferred global manufacturing destination. “I tell the world, ‘Make in India’. “Sell anywhere but manufacture here,” PM Modi says at the launch. Business magnates including Mukesh Ambani and Azim Premji also attend the inaugural event.
• Oct 2, 2014 :PM launches Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: Prime Minister Modi launches India’s largest cleanliness drive on Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary. Eliminating open defecation, eradicating manual scavenging, and promoting scientific solid waste management are the key objectives of the mission – with a lofty vision of achieving a clean India by October 2, 2019.
• Nov 7, 2015 : Modi government notifies One Rank One Pension scheme : Another big policy, the notification of the OROP scheme fulfills a long-standing demand of the armed forces – providing the same pension for all personnel who retire from a particular rank after the same length of service, regardless of their retirement date. In line with its promise of reviewing the pension every five years, the pensions of armed services personnel are again re-fixed from 2018 by the Modi government in 2022.
• 29.09.2016 : Surgical strike inside POK to destroy terrorists launch pads: On 29 September 2016, India announced it had carried out surgical strikes deep inside Pakistan Occupied Kashmir to destroy the “launch pads” of the Pakistani terrorist groups used for infiltrations into Jammu and Kashmir. This strike had followed a terrorist attack carried out by Pakistan-based and Pakistani Army-sponsored Jaish-e-Mohammad on 16 September 2016, which killed 19 Indian soldiers in the border town of Uri in the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir.
• Nov 8, 2016 :Rs 500, 1000 notes demonetised : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his televised address to the nation at 8 pm, declares that the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 banknotes will be “just worthless pieces of paper” with immediate effect. The decision has been taken to crack down on those evading taxes and hoarding black money. The strategy, moreover, fails to reduce cash in circulation, which grew rapidly even after demonetisation.
• Feb 1, 2017 : Railway & Union Budget combined : The BJP-led government merges the Railway Budget with the Union Budget for the first time in 2017. The then-Finance Minister Arun Jaitley reads out the first combined Budget, ending the practice of two Budgets that had begun in 1924 under British rule.
• Jun 18, 2017 :The Doklam standoff : 270 armed Indian troops and two bulldozers march across the Sikkim border into Doklam, to stop Chinese troops from constructing a strategic road in Bhutanese territory. This leads to a 73-day standoff between the Indian and Chinese forces at Doklam. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had met Chinese President Xi Jinping in July, and had advocated for resolution of the conflict through diplomatic channels. The troops disengaged in August.
• July 1, 2017 : GST is implemented : The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is rolled out at a special midnight session of the Parliament. Introducing the biggest indirect tax reform since Independence, PM Modi calls GST the ‘Good and Simple Tax’ in his speech. With this, the central, state-level taxes, and levies on all goods and services are subsumed within an integrated tax having two components – central GST and a state GST. The new tax regime is opposed by traders from across various industries.
• Nov 14, 2017 : The Rafale jet ‘scam’ controversy : The Congress alleges that the NDA government bought 36 Rafale fighter aircraft, built by Dassault Aviation of France, under a direct government-to-government agreement at a much higher price than the one being negotiated for 126 aircraft by the previous UPA government under an open tender. The Congress also questions why Anil Ambani, whose firm Reliance Defence stood to profit from the deal, visited France around the time when PM Modi inked the deal in 2015. The central government was later granted a clean chit by the Supreme Court in the corruption case.
• Sep 6, 2018 :Section 377 struck down: After the Modi government leaves the matter “to the wisdom of the court,” the Supreme Court reads down Section 377 of the IPC, decriminalising homosexuality. The Centre requests the court to refrain from adjudicating on the possible impact of the striking down of Section 377 on marriage and inheritance.
• Jan 9, 2019 : Modi govt pushes reservation for EWS category : The Parliament passes the Constitutional amendment Bill to provide 10 percent reservation in jobs and education to the economically weaker sections (EWS) from the general category. The BJP government had tabled the Bill just months ahead of the 2019 general elections.
• Feb 14, 2019 : The Pulwama tragedy : At least 40 CRPF jawans are killed in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama after bomb-laden SUV rams into a military bus carrying thousands of personnel. The Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) takes responsibility for the strike. “Those behind the heinous act will have to pay a heavy price,” PM Modi warns. The assault came after the Home Ministry refused to sanction five aircraft to ferry the CRPF personnel, former J&K Governor Satyapal Malik told The Wire in an interview in 2023. The ex-governor also alleged that the PM asked him to keep mum on the purported security lapses that Malik had flagged.
• Feb 26, 2019 :The Balakot air strike : The Indian Air Force (IAF) strikes the Jaish-e-Mohammed’s training camp in Pakistan’s Balakot, days after the Pulwama attack. While the exact number of casualties is unknown, then-BJP president Amit Shah says that over 250 terrorists were killed in the operation. The Balakot strike is used to bolster the BJP’s poll campaign. “At 5 am, Pakistan started crying that ‘Modi has hit us,’” the prime minister says at a public rally weeks after the incursion.
• May 30, 2019 : Modi takes PM oath for second time at biggest-ever ceremony: Narendra Modi, 68, leads the BJP to another poll victory, and is sworn-in as prime minister for the second time. The grand ceremony an audience of 8,000 – making it the biggest-ever event held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. This time, leaders of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) nations, a grouping which excludes Pakistan unlike the SAARC, are invited to attend the oath-taking.
• Aug 5, 2019 :Abrogation of Article 370 : The BJP-led government in a single stroke revokes the Constitution’s Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. A lockdown is imposed in the Valley immediately after the decision. Thousands of army personnel are deployed in the Valley in anticipation of protests. Opposition leaders, including Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah, are placed under house arrest. Mobile communication and internet services are suspended for months.
• Dec 11, 2019 :CAA passed amid fierce protests: The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, is passed in the Parliament, amid widespread resistance. The law, which is deemed as discriminatory towards Muslims, is notified a day later. Massive demonstrations are held all over the country. In Delhi, peaceful protesters stage a sit-in at Shaheen Bagh for nearly four months after the Act is passed. Prime Minister Modi calls the protests “anarchy” and alleges that they have a “political design.”
• March 19, 2020 : PM announces first COVID-19 lockdown : PM Modi announces a Janata curfew on March 22 during a televised address. He urges citizens to stay home for the next few weeks to arrest the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Days later, on March 24, the prime minister announces the first 21-day nationwide lockdown beginning at midnight. The sudden halt triggers an exodus of migrant workers from the cities to their native places, leading to many casualties.
• Jun 15, 2020 :India, China clash in Galwan: Violent clashes break out between the Indian and Chinese forces at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, killing at least 20 Indian soldiers and fuelling fears of a nuclear war.“India wants peace. But on provocation, India will give a befitting reply,” PM Modi says in his first public remarks on the Galwan hostilities.
• Aug 5, 2020 :PM Modi lays foundation stone of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple at disputed Ayodhya land – where the Babri Mosque was illegally demolished in 1992 – fulfilling a key manifesto promise on a date reminiscent of the Article 370 abrogation.“A grand temple will now be built for our Ram Lalla who had been staying in a tent… It’ll become a symbol of our devotion, our national sentiment,” PM Modi says at the ceremony.
• Sep 20, 2020 :Three contentious farm laws are passed by voice vote in Parliament. The laws aim to push the agricultural sector in India from a government-run to a private-run sector. In the following weeks, farmers all over the country hold protests against the new agricultural laws. Farmers from Punjab and Haryana march to Delhi to demand the repeal of the new legislations, camping at Singhu and Tikri borders for almost a year. On Republic Day 2021, thousands of protesters stormed the Red Fort in Delhi during the tractor parade called by farmer unions, demanding retraction of the laws.
• Jan 16, 2021 : Prime Minister Modi flags off India’s COVID-19 vaccination programme, touted as the largest inoculation drive in the world.The first 100 crore doses were administered within nine months after the drive begins. Within a year, 93 percent of India’s adult population had received at least one dose of the vaccine, while nearly 70 percent has been given both, says the Centre.
• Nov 19, 2021 : Modi revokes new farm laws : Apologising to the country, PM Modi announces that the Centre will roll back the three controversial farm laws that have led to a year-long protests by farmers. The decision, communicated by the prime minister on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti, came ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections.
• Jun 14, 2022 : Govt announces Agnipath scheme The government announces the new Agnipath scheme for military recruitment. The new scheme is unveiled after discussions between the PM and the tri-services chiefs. It provides for the recruitment of youth for a short-term period of four years, after which only 15 percent of the Agniveers will remain in the forces. Violent nationwide demonstrations against the scheme follow.
• May 28, 2023 :PM Modi inaugurates new Parliament building : In the presence of high priests of various Adheenams, PM Modi inaugurates the new Parliament complex and installs a sacred Hindu sceptre, Sengol, near the Lok Sabha Speaker’s chair. The ceremony was boycotted by several Opposition parties, who questioned the prime minister’s right to inaugurate the new Parliament.
• 23.08.2023 :Indian becomes first country to touch down near lunar south pole: Chandrayaan-3 Misson is the third mission in the Chandrayaan programme, a series of lunar-exploration missions developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).The mission consists of a Vikram lunar lander and a Pragyan lunar rover was launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre on 14 July 2023. The spacecraft entered lunar orbit on 5 August, and India became the 1st country to touch down near the lunar south pole, at 69°S, the southernmost lunar landing on 23 August.
• 09-10 September 2023 : The 2023 G20 New Delhi summit was the eighteenth meeting of G20 (Group of Twenty). It was held in Bharat Mandapam International Exhibition-Convention Centre, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi on 9–10 September 2023. It was the first G20 summit held in India.
• 22.01.2024 : The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi performed 11 day special ritual in the run up to the Pran Pratishtha of Shri Ramlala at the temple at Ayodhya Dham. Prime Minister Narendra Modi who performed the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at the Shri Ram Janmaboomi Temple in Ayodhya was the chief Yajman at the event.
• 2024 : PM Modi was elected from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, for a third term in the 18th Lok Sabha elections. He defeated Congress' Ajay Rai by winning 54.24 per cent vote share. In spite of BJP falling short of majority the NDA Alliance secures majority in the 18th Lok Sabha. The NDA alliance partners select Narendra Modi as their leader for the Prime Ministerial post. Modi to become Prime Minister for third successive time.
  

  Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Journey in Public Life (ETV Bharat)
  

  Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Journey in Public Life (ETV Bharat)