BIOGRAPHY

Narendra Damodardas Modi, born on September 17, 1950, is an Indian politician who has served as the 14th Prime Minister of India since May 2014. Prior to his premiership, Modi held the position of Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is currently the Member of Parliament for Varanasi. A member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a right-wing Hindu nationalist organization, Modi is the longest-serving prime minister from outside the Indian National Congress.

Born and raised in Vadnagar, northeastern Gujarat, Modi's political journey began with his involvement in the RSS at a young age. He transitioned to full-time work for the RSS in 1971 and later joined the BJP in 1985. Rising through the party ranks, he was appointed Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2001, where his tenure has been both praised and criticized.

Modi's administration in Gujarat has been credited for encouraging economic growth but criticized for its handling of the 2002 Gujarat riots, where over 1,000 people were killed, primarily Muslims. While a Special Investigation Team found no evidence to prosecute Modi, his administration faced criticism for failing to improve health, poverty, and education indices in the state.

In the 2014 Indian general election, Modi led the BJP to a parliamentary majority, becoming Prime Minister. His tenure has seen various policy initiatives, including demonetization, the Goods and Services Tax (GST), and the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status.

Internationally, Modi's administration has been marked by controversial actions, including the Balakot airstrike against Pakistan, the Citizenship Amendment Act, and the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to millions of deaths in India.

Despite his high approval ratings, Modi remains a divisive figure, criticized for his Hindu nationalist beliefs and alleged erosion of democratic institutions and individual rights. His leadership has been described as engineering a political realignment towards right-wing politics, making him a controversial figure both domestically and internationally.

REFERENCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narendra_Modi