Journal of Asian Public Policy

ISSN: 1751-6234 (Print) 1751-6242 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rapp20

Narendra Modi and his mode of governance

Jagannath P. Panda

To cite this article: Jagannath P. Panda (2016) Narendra Modi and his mode of governance,
Journal of Asian Public Policy, 9:2, 95-97, DOI: 10.1080/17516234.2016.1165444

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17516234.2016.1165444

Published online: 27 Mar 2016.

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 JOURNAL OF ASIAN PUBLIC POLICY, 2016
VOL. 9, NO. 2, 9597
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17516234.2016.1165444

INTRODUCTION

Narendra Modi and his mode of governance

Jagannath P. Panda
Centre for East Asia, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi, India

The arrival of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister of India is a pressing topic of

discussion both among the public and in academic circles. Much has been written
about his personality, leadership and his acumen as a politician, as a leader of the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as well as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and
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also as Prime Minister of India. No other Indian leader has perhaps gone through
such public scrutiny. Many see him as a great contemporary leader in the making
while others sceptically see him as a politician of self-centred objectives. Some call
his style of leadership best for India1 while others critique him as just a leader of
the party.2
Not every Indian leader and his leadership have attracted the peoples attention, nor
has he successfully gathered popularity in emerging as a leader of the people. Some
invite attention for their personality and some others for their style of functioning. Indira
Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee have been some dignied leaders in
Indias political history who have been people-centric, with their connections with the
people at the grass-roots level. Narendra Modis popularity seems to have placed him on
a similar level. What makes Modi popular? What is his leadership style, style of govern-
ance and personality? This special issue is an attempt to evaluate Modi and his govern-
ments governance style. Its aim is not to undertake a political assignment of evaluating
Modis approach to governance issues, but rather to discuss the virtues and fault lines of
his governance panache.
This special issue is a modest attempt to debate Modi and his mode of governance
on a range of issues, across the spectrum of politics, society, economics and foreign
policy. Most of these articles point to a narration that Modis style of governance is
closely attached to his personality and political acumen. One may not agree with the
views expressed in the papers, but it is hard to deny that Modis style of governance is a
matter of intense speculation. In order to comprehensively analyse his mode of thinking
and style of functioning, this special issue brings out three separate spectrums to probe
Modis governance policies. One prime aspect is to examine his political as well as social
policies and their undertaking. A critical inquiry into his political and social undertakings
oers an impression that Modi brings innovation and invention into his policy acumen.
Four articles elucidate this aspect. Ronojoy Sen in Narendra Modis Makeover and the
Politics of Symbolism explains the remodelling in Modis approach, which involves a
new mode of thinking and innovative notions into his political spectrum. The author

CONTACT Jagannath P. Panda jppanda.idsa@nic.in B-403, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses
(IDSA), 1, Development Enclave, Rao Tula Ram Marg, Delhi Cantt. 110010, India
2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
 96 J. P. PANDA

sceptically points to the politics of symbolism that Modis leadership brings and how it
is linked with his core political growth, stoutness and survival. These symbolisms are
debatable though, and the doubt remains whether these symbolisms have any political
relevance, but there is no doubt that Modi has brought a great amount of pragmatism
to his political rationale, which involves both innovative thinking and new inventive
ideas.
On a similar account, one does notice a progressive tendency in Modis leadership
vision and his governance panache. Amarjeet Singh in Narendra Modi and Northeast
India talks about Modis plan and policies in the spectrum of development, insurgency
and illegal migration in the region. He argues that it is perhaps too early to speculate on
and analyse Modis approach to northeast India, but there are indicators which point out
that Modis approach to the region is a progressive one. Bikram Keshari Mishra in
Modis Social Welfare Policy: A Critical Enquiry argues that Modi seems to be encoura-
ging in achieving his objectives as far as social issues are concerned. Often termed as
Vikash Purush, Modi prompts a higher scale of optimism and eulogises his social policy
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within a spectrum of his political slogan of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas (collective eorts,
inclusive growth). However, it has to be seen how Modi achieves his social objectives,
which primarily seem to be rhetorical at the moment. Madhulika Sharma in Narendra
Modi and the New Education Policy: Retrospection, Reform and Reality argues that
Modis vision on education is rooted through retrospection and aims to transform the
existing system of education. She argues that Modis New Education Policy (NEP) is a
timely feature of his developmental spectrum that he has introduced through innovative
ideas and thinking.
The second prime aspect that elucidates Modis governance thoughts are his eco-
nomic policies and socio-economic undertakings. Two articles point out to this narration.
Jivanta Schottli and Markus Pauli in Modi-nomics and the Politics of Institutional Change
in the Indian Economy argue how Modi prompts a notion of Modi-nomics as a
governance mode to bring the Indian economy to order. They argue that Modi brings
an internationalist orientation to his economic policies, which is primarily a reection of
his mainstream economic thinking and economic governance outlook, which is a blend
of domestic policies as well as external economic appeal. T.G. Suresh in Withering
Regulation? An Interim Review of the Modi Governments Labour Reforms oers an
impression of how Modis labour reform is a course of bringing the domestic reforms in
order as well as into his own account since it is politically linked to his future course. He
argues that the labour question holds a vector to other larger goals of the present
leadership; that this one aspect aptly explains the jurisprudence of Modis governance
ideas, which are cleverly blended with reforms as well as his political fortunes.
The third prime aspect is Modis foreign policy ideas and mainstream international
thinking. On the global outlook, Modi stands out as a dierent and distinct leader. His
foreign and international policies are neither going to be free of challenges nor are they
going to address or solve most of Indias global dilemmas or foreign policy contra-
dictions. But Modis international outlook and the boldness of engaging with neighbours
are factors that have placed him in the drivers seat. My article, titled Modis China
Policy: Between Pragmatism and Power Parity, explains how Modi aims to promote
Indias standing in the bilateral and regional context vis--vis China, which continues to
remain the biggest challenge for the Indian leadership. The eloquent proposition to
 JOURNAL OF ASIAN PUBLIC POLICY 97

bring parity with China is a bold leadership thinking of Modi that makes him distinct and
dierent. Chietigj Bajpaee in Modi, India and the Emerging Global Economic Order
portrays a picture of how Modis Make in India campaign and proactive engagement
with Indias extended neighbourhood are two indicators that explain Modis foreign
policy outlook. He argues that while Modis Make in India is a campaign to attract
foreign investors to India, his engagement with the neighbourhood is aimed at strength-
ening Indias regional connectivity. The rationale behind these policies is to promote
Indias standing regionally and globally.
This set of papers in this special issue may not encompass a comprehensive impres-
sion on Modis core governance ideas. However, what they collectively point out is a
delicate balance of Modis thinking, innovation as well as style of governing with open-
ness and newness. Modis elegance of governance may be debatable, but he has put
most of Indias subjects of governance into the spotlight. Hence, this special issue is an
expedient exercise for academic reference. A lot is expected from his governance, and
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Indias fortunes would also be hugely dependent on Modis political acumen and his
spectrum of governance. The future of his political course as Prime Minister would
perhaps be heavily contingent on how his core ideas on most of the governance issues
proceed and get delivered. The coming times will see a lot of debate and discussion
surrounding these aspects.

Notes
1. Namrata Singh, Modis leadership style best for India, Times of India, 2 June 2014, at http://
timesondia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Modis-leadership-style-best-for-India
/articleshow/35920196.cms (accessed on 7 February 2016).
2. Tunku Varadarajan, Reverse Swing: Modis governance is a lost opportunity, The Indian
Express, 8 November 2015, at http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/reverse-
swing-narendra-modis-governance-is-a-lost-opportunity/ (accessed on 7 February 2016).

Disclosure statement
No potential conict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor
Dr. Jagannath P. Panda is a Research Fellow and currently heading the East Asia Centre as
Coordinator at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), New Delhi. Dr. Panda is
working on dierent aspects of China-India relations and his core research areas are: China-India
Relations, East Asia, China and Asia-Pacic Dynamics, and Multilateral Institutions in Asia and
beyond. Dr. Panda has published extensively in leading peer-reviewed journals like Strategic
Analyses (Routledge), China Report (Sage), Journal of Contemporary China (Routledge), Asian
Perspective (Lynne Reiner), Georgetown Journal of Asian Aairs, Portuguese Journal of
International Aairs, Journal of Asian and African Studies (Sage), Indian Journal of Foreign Aairs
etc. He has authored a book titled Chinas Path to Power: Party, Military and the Politics of State
Transition (Pentagon Press: 2010). He is also the author of Monograph titled BRICS and the China-
India Construct: Making of a New World Order? (2013). He is the author of the forthcoming book
titled India-China Relations: Politics of Resources, Identity and Authority in a Multipolar World Order
(Routledge, 2016).