30 Awesome Facts To Know About Narendra Modi

26 December 2018, 3:43 pm EST By Ruby Karnick

Narendra Modi, currently serving as the 14th Prime Minister of India, is an Indian politician of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. He previously served as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, India from the year 2001 to 2014.Here are some facts about Indian Prime Minister, NarendraModi, that will make an interesting reading:

Narendra Damodardas Modi belongs to Modh-Ghanchi-Teli community from Vadnagar province of Mehsana district, Gujarat. He is third of six children to Damodardas Mulchand Modi, the grocer and Hiraben Modi.
Though he completed his schooling in 1967 at Vadnagar, he did not pursue graduation until 1978, when he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from School of Open learning at University of Delhi. He also completed his masters in Political Science five years later from Gujarat University.
Modi was an average student while at school excelling in debate with keen interest in theatre. There is much quoted incident from his school days when he stubbornly refused to let his class monitor mark his homework.
He has a special association with tea. As a child, Modi helped his father and brother in selling tea at railway station and near bus terminus.
When he was eight years old he came in contact with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sang (RSS) and was influenced by LakshmanraoInamdar, in joining as a balswayamsevak. At the age of 20, in 1970, he became fulltime RSS pracharak and a year later he formally joined it.
He was engaged to Jashodaben Chimanlal, at age of 13 and subsequently though he married her in 1968, their marriage was never consummated. His marriage was well kept secret until the time of filing his nomination papers for the Lok Sabha election.
For about two years in late 1960s, following a family feud, he left home and wandered around North and North-eastern India. He wanted to lead a life of sanyasi and went about visiting various ashrams such as Ramakrishna Mission, in Rajkot, the Belur Match near Kolkata and Advaita Ashram in Almora. He was not accepted anywhere for lack of required college education.
As a general secretary of the ‘Gujarat Lok Sangharsh Samiti,’ a banned outfit during the period of ‘The Emergency’ he was forced to go underground. He often moved around in disguise of a monk or as a Sikh to evade arrest.
Modi rised from ranks of RSS, to become ‘Sambhag Pracharak,’ the regional organizer for Surat and Vadodara, in 1978. He was applauded for his astute planning of BJP’s campaign during the Ahmadabad municipal election which it won comfortably.
He was elected organizing secretary of the BJP’s Gujarat unit in 1987 and later was named a member of the parties National Election Committee in 1990.

He played a major role in strengthening BJP’s presence in Gujarat in 1990s and his electoral strategy during 1995 assembly election helped the party win 121 seats to form first ever BJP government in Gujarat.
To end factional division within the party in Gujarat, Modi was made the national secretary of BJP, on November 20, 1995, and moved to New Delhi. Though he was smarting under his expulsion, he worked tirelessly to strengthen the party in Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.
On May 19, 1998, he was elevated to the crucial post of BJP General Secretary Organizing, a position through which he resolved internal political disputes and helped the party win the 1998 Lok Sabha election.
On October 03, 2001, he assumed the office of Chief Minister of Gujarat for the first time following Keshubhai Patel’s failing health. He later won the by-election to the Rajkot-II constituency on February 24, 2002, paving his way to state legislature.
His first term in the office was marred by 2002 Gujarat riots, following several hundred passengers burned near Godhra. Subsequently he was forced to resign the office of chief minister on July 19, 2002.
Modi’s administration was accused of doing little to stop 2002, Gujarat riots and after several rounds of investigation carried out by a Special Investigation Team, Modi was given a clean chit by the Supreme Court due to lack of evidence of his involvement in the violence.
He led his party to victory in the ensuing election held in December 2002, winning 127 seats in the 182 member assembly. He was sworn in for his second term on December 22, 2002.
Initially Modi was denied visa by the United States, United Kingdom and by the European Union in accordance with the recommendations of the ‘Commission on International Religious Freedom. The ban was lifted as he rose to prominence in India.
When he led the BJP to victory in December 2007 assembly election, for the second time in a row, he became Gujarat’s longest serving chief minister in office.
Under Modi, Gujarat topped the World Bank’s ease of doing business among Indian states for two consecutive years and agricultural recorded growth rate of 10.97 percent.

He has authored nine books notable among them is book about various RSS leaders titled ‘Jyotipunj.’ As reported his intention was to project his RSS, ideology with a special section on M.S. Golwalkar, the architect of RSS growth.
Modi was sworn in as 15th Prime Minister of India, on May 26, 2014, after BJP swept the poll winning 282 seats. He is the first Indian Prime Minister born after India’s independence.
Under his initiative ‘Make in India’ campaign started with move to encourage foreign companies in keeping with his policies of privatization and liberalization of the economy.
The ‘Goods and Service Tax’ (GST) is an indirect tax which was initiated by the earlier governments, was put in place during his tenure on July 01, 2017. He also launched various program such as ‘Housing for All,’ to develop ‘100 Smart Cities,’ ‘Sarva Shijsha Abhiyan,’ and the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.’
On November 08, 2016, Modi surprised one and all in an unscheduled live national televised address of his government decision to demonetization of 500 and 1000 bank notes, effective from midnight.
Modi’s foreign policies can be best exemplified with number of foreign trips. As of December 2018, Modi has made 41 foreign trips on six continents visiting 59 countries, focusing on improving economic ties, security and regional relations.
From October 03, 2014, he started a monthly radio program titled ‘Mann Ki Baat’ in which he addresses the people of the nation. He also initiated ‘Digital India’ program to ensure government services electronically.
He is a vegetarian, teetotaler, introvert and a workaholic, who leads a frugal lifestyle. He is also known for his fashion iconic half sleeved kurta with his name embroidered in the pinstripes. He is the third most followed leader in the world.
He was named the Best Chief Minister in a 2007 nationwide survey by ‘India Today’ magazine and one of the few Indian politicians to have featured on the cover of the Asian edition of ‘Times Magazine.’ As a Prime Minister he has received consistently high approval rating, with highest of 88% at the end of his third term.
On October 03, 2018, Modi received United Nation’s highest environment award - ‘The Champion of the Earth’ award for his pioneering work in the International Solar Alliance and for his cooperation on environmental action.