Narendra Modi

BJP falls short of majority; forms coalition government

The BJP won 240 seats — 32 short of a majority — forcing Modi's third term to depend on coalition partners TDP and JDU. The INDIA alliance won 234 seats, with Congress winning 99 (up from 52). Rahul Gandhi became Leader of the Opposition.

• Election Commission of India, 2024 General Election results

Farm laws repealed

Modi announced on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti that the government would repeal all three farm laws. Parliament passed the repeal bill in less than two minutes. The capitulation was widely seen as a political calculation ahead of Punjab assembly elections in 2022.

• The Farm Laws Repeal Act, 2021

Three farm laws passed

Parliament passed three agriculture reform laws aimed at allowing farmers to sell produce outside APMC mandis and enter into contract farming agreements. Farmers — particularly in Punjab and Haryana — launched a year-long protest at Delhi's borders, calling the laws a corporate takeover of agriculture.

• The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020

Citizenship Amendment Act enacted

The CAA granted expedited citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who arrived before 2015 — notably excluding Muslims. Critics called it discriminatory; the government said it protected persecuted minorities. Nationwide protests followed.

• The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019

Article 370 abrogated; J&K bifurcated

Home Minister Amit Shah introduced resolutions in the Rajya Sabha revoking Article 370 — which had given Jammu & Kashmir special autonomous status since 1949 — and bifurcating the state into two Union Territories: J&K and Ladakh. The Supreme Court upheld the move in December 2023.

• The Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 2019
• Supreme Court judgment in In Re: Article 370, December 2023

Modi wins larger majority in 2019

The BJP won 303 seats — more than its 2014 tally — and the NDA alliance 353 seats, one of the largest mandates in Indian electoral history. Rahul Gandhi lost his family seat of Amethi to BJP's Smriti Irani.

• Election Commission of India, 2019 General Election results

103rd Amendment: 10% EWS reservation

The Constitution (103rd Amendment) Act created a 10% reservation in government jobs and educational institutions for Economically Weaker Sections from the general category — the first reservation based purely on economic criteria. The Supreme Court upheld it 3:2 in November 2022.

• Constitution (103rd Amendment) Act, 2019

Supreme Court: Right to Privacy is a fundamental right

A nine-judge bench unanimously held in Justice K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India that the right to privacy is a fundamental right under Article 21. The judgment laid the groundwork for the Personal Data Protection framework and directly challenged the Aadhaar project's data collection practices.

• Justice K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India, (2017) 10 SCC 1

Goods and Services Tax introduced

India's most significant tax reform since independence unified 17 central and state taxes into one GST, launched with a midnight Parliament session. The 101st Constitutional Amendment enabled it. Though long-gestating (conceptualised under the UPA), the Modi government executed the rollout.

• Constitution (101st Amendment) Act, 2016

Demonetisation of ₹500 and ₹1000 notes

Prime Minister Modi announced with four hours' notice that ₹500 and ₹1000 banknotes — 86% of India's currency in circulation — would cease to be legal tender. The stated aims were to flush out black money and move India toward a cashless economy. The RBI later said 99% of notes were deposited, fuelling debate over the policy's effectiveness.

• RBI Annual Report 2016–17

Modi sworn in as Prime Minister

Narendra Modi was sworn in as India's 14th Prime Minister after the BJP won 282 seats — the first outright majority by a single party in 30 years. The BJP's campaign focused on development, governance, and Modi's personal brand.

• Election Commission of India, 2014 General Election results

Gujarat riots

Following the Godhra train burning in which 59 Hindu pilgrims died, communal violence swept Gujarat for three months, killing an estimated 1,000–2,000 people, predominantly Muslims. Modi's government faced widespread criticism for its response. The Supreme Court's SIT later gave him a clean chit.

• SIT Final Report, 2012
• Concerned Citizens Tribunal Report, 2002

Modi becomes Chief Minister of Gujarat

Narendra Modi was appointed Chief Minister of Gujarat by the BJP, replacing Keshubhai Patel. It was his first executive role at any level of government, having spent his career as an RSS pracharak and BJP organisation man.