Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government completed 50 days of its second term on Sunday, after its decisive win in the Lok Sabha election. Marking the milestone, the government underlined its goal of a $5 trillion Indian economy by 2024 and its push to speed up growth.

Economy and budget

The government says it has kept promises such as pension schemes for farmers, small traders and unorganised workers, PM-KISAN being widened to cover all farmers, and the creation of a Jal Shakti ministry. Before the budget, Modi held discussions with senior officials of the finance and other ministries and drew up a 100-day agenda to revive the economy, and generate jobs. In the third quarter of 2018-19, growth had slipped to 6.6 percent.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Union Budget of July 5 laid out a plan for the $5 trillion goal and for doubling farmers’ incomes. It also aimed to bring electricity and cooking gas to every household, scrap the angel tax and improve urban development and living standards.

The government’s report card further lists labour reforms, tougher laws against fraudsters who cheat the poor, the death penalty for sexual assault on children and a higher minimum support price for Kharif crops. It calls the 50 days “decisive and directional”, and points to the removal of tainted officials in several departments and a clean-up of J&K Bank.

Foreign policy and space

On the diplomatic front, the government notes that BIMSTEC leaders attended Modi’s swearing-in, that he visited Sri Lanka and the Maldives under the Neighbourhood First policy, set out India’s stand against terrorism at the SCO Summit, was much sought after for side meetings at the G-20 Summit and led International Yoga Day celebrations.

Planned space missions include Gaganyaan, intended as India’s first human space flight by 2022, a Venus mission tentatively in 2023 and the Aditya L1 solar mission planned for 2020. Chandrayaan-2, which is to study the moon’s surface, was due for launch on July 22 after a technical glitch forced a postponement the previous week.

Background

In the 2019 Lok Sabha election the BJP won 303 of 543 seats, and Modi was sworn in for a second term on 30 May 2019.

See also: BJP | Lok Sabha members

Originally published on 22 July 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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