There are moments in public life that mark the beginning of a political journey, and there are moments that, with the passage of time, acquire a meaning much larger than the moment itself. October 7, 2001, was one such moment. When Narendra Modi took oath as Gujarat chief minister (CM), few could have known that the beginning of a state-level political chapter would eventually become part of a 25-year journey at the centre of India’s political and administrative life.
The scale of responsibility changed in 2014, when that Gujarat experience moved to the national stage. The significance of these 25 years, therefore, lies in the continuity of the governing question: How does the State convert aspiration into something a citizen can actually experience? Over these 25 years, Prime Minister (PM) Modi’s governance has consistently connected the needs of the present with the possibilities of the future, reaching the last mile through programmes such as Ujjwala, Swachh Bharat and PM Garib Kalyan Yojana, while simultaneously preparing India for the next generation of technology, manufacturing, innovation, and global economic opportunity.
For me, this is one of the most important lessons for Delhi’s governance: A government has to keep one eye on the citizen who needs support today and the other on the generation that will shape tomorrow.
Antyodaya, or ensuring that the benefits of development reach those at the last mile, finds a direct expression in Delhi’s Atal Canteens, where nutritious meals are being made available at ₹5 to the economically weak; in Jahan Jhuggi Wahan Makaan that connects housing with dignity and a complete neighbourhood ecosystem; and in Ayushman Arogya Mandirs that bring health care closer to communities.
PM Modi’s emphasis on transforming the quality of school education through the PM SHRI framework has given us a powerful national template for what a modern government school can aspire to become. In Delhi, we are taking that aspiration forward through CM SHRI schools, designed as future-ready learning spaces with AI-based smart classrooms, digital libraries, skills and career labs, industry-linked internships, and multilingual learning.
Delhi is giving the national emphasis on women-led development its own expression through the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana, the Delhi Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana, free bus travel for women through the Pink Smart Card, and Vidya Vahini, which is expanding mobility for girls so that distance does not become a barrier to education. We are also creating avenues for women-led SHGs and enterprises to access finance and markets.
The national capital has built on the vision of Ayushman Bharat by taking the central cover and adding a Delhi government top-up, to give eligible citizens a ₹10-lakh annual cover.
Such thinking extends to the future-facing economy as well. India is moving towards an economy defined by technology, innovation, advanced manufacturing, AI, and entrepreneurship. Delhi is building a city-level ecosystem around AI, startups, skills and emerging technologies, from the AI Grind and the Startup Yuva Festival to new technology-oriented learning and skill infrastructure. Our ITIs are being equipped with high-tech labs in areas such as EVs, industrial automation, renewable energy, and smart energy systems.
This is what PM Modi’s 25-year journey teaches us: seva (service) for the needs of today and sankalp (resolution) for the possibilities of tomorrow. For Delhi, sushasan (good governance), therefore, means bringing these two dimensions together. Seva asks, “What does the citizen need today?” Sankalp asks, “What kind of Delhi must we build so that the next generation has greater opportunity than the present one?” PM Modi has given India a horizon: Today’s decisions will be judged by the India they help create in 2047. Viksit Bharat @2047 will be built through the progress of its cities, its states and its communities. And for the national capital, the responsibility is especially clear: Viksit Delhi has to become one of the pathways to Viksit Bharat.
Children in classrooms today will inherit the roads we build, the transport systems we design, the schools we modernise, the environment we protect, the institutions we strengthen, and the opportunities we create. That is why the journey from seva to sankalp is not separate from the journey towards Viksit Bharat. PM Modi’s 25 years of public life give us a governance philosophy shaped by delivery, scale, innovation, and long-term thinking. Our responsibility is to take those ideas and turn them into institutions, policies and outcomes that citizens can experience in their everyday lives. And if we can build a Delhi that is more capable, more inclusive, more innovative and more future-ready, then Delhi will not simply be a beneficiary of India’s development journey, it will have helped lead it.
Rekha Gupta is chief minister, Delhi. The views expressed are personal
