Narendra Modi

Early Life

Narendra Damodardas Modi was born on 17 September 1950 in Vadnagar, in what was then Bombay State and is now Gujarat, the third of six children of Damodardas Modi, a grocer, and Hiraben Modi. He grew up in a family of modest means and, according to his official biography, helped his father at a tea stall as a child. He completed his secondary education in Vadnagar and developed an interest in debate and in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which he joined as a young man.

Education

Modi completed his secondary education in Vadnagar, Gujarat. He later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Delhi in 1978 and a Master of Arts degree in political science from Gujarat University in 1983.

Career

Modi was born in Vadnagar, Gujarat, and joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as a young man, becoming a full-time worker for the organisation. He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1985 and rose through its ranks in Gujarat. In October 2001 he was appointed chief minister of Gujarat, a post he held until May 2014. In 2002, months after he took office, Gujarat was shaken by communal riots following the burning of a train at Godhra; a Supreme Court-appointed investigation later cleared him of wrongdoing, a finding upheld by the Supreme Court, although critics continue to question his role. In September 2013 he was named the BJP's candidate for prime minister, and in 2014 he led the party to victory in the general election, winning 282 seats in the Lok Sabha. He was sworn in as prime minister on 26 May 2014. He won a second term in 2019 and a third term in June 2024, after the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance formed the government. His government abolished the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 in 2019, passed the Citizenship Amendment Act in 2019, and oversaw the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya in January 2024.

Achievements

Modi's achievements include leading the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to a majority in the Lok Sabha in 2014, the first time a single party had won a majority since 1984, and winning re-election in 2019 and again in 2024, becoming the first prime minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to win three consecutive terms. As chief minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 he was the state's longest-serving chief minister. As prime minister he launched the Swachh Bharat cleanliness campaign, the Jan Dhan Yojana financial inclusion programme, Make in India and Digital India, and oversaw the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax in 2017. In June 2026 he completed 4,399 days of continuous service as an elected prime minister, surpassing Nehru's record as India's longest-serving elected prime minister. India held the presidency of the G20 under his leadership in 2023, hosting the summit in New Delhi.

• Served as chief minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014, the state's longest-serving chief minister
• Led the Bharatiya Janata Party to victory in the 2014 general election, winning 282 seats
• Sworn in as prime minister of India on 26 May 2014, the first prime minister born after independence
• Launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan cleanliness campaign in 2014
• Launched the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana financial inclusion programme in 2014
• Launched the Make in India manufacturing initiative in 2014
• Oversaw the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax in 2017
• Won re-election as prime minister in 2019, with the BJP winning 303 seats
• Sworn in for a third consecutive term as prime minister on 9 June 2024
• Became India's longest-serving elected prime minister in June 2026, surpassing Jawaharlal Nehru's record

Legacy

Modi is one of the most consequential Indian politicians of the twenty-first century. Supporters credit him with economic reforms, infrastructure building, welfare programmes such as free food grains and household toilets, and raising India's profile in world affairs. His government expanded digital payments through the Unified Payments Interface and opened hundreds of millions of bank accounts under the Jan Dhan programme. Critics point to the 2002 Gujarat riots, concerns about religious polarisation and the treatment of minorities, and the concentration of power in the Prime Minister's Office. His three consecutive terms made him the first prime minister since Nehru to win three elections in a row, and in 2026 he became India's longest-serving elected prime minister. Because he is a living person whose premiership continues, this profile records only documented milestones and will need regular updating from reliable sources.

Contributions

Modi's contribution has been to reshape Indian politics around the Bharatiya Janata Party and a programme of economic reform, welfare delivery and Hindu cultural assertion. His governments introduced the Goods and Services Tax, expanded digital payments and bank accounts to hundreds of millions of people, and made India a more prominent voice in world affairs, including through the G20 presidency in 2023.

Notable Works

• Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (2014)
• Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (2014)
• Make in India (2014)
• Digital India (2015)
• Goods and Services Tax (2017)
• Exam Warriors (book, 2018)

Milestones

• 1950 — Born on 17 September in Vadnagar, Gujarat Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
• 1971 — Became a full-time worker for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Source: Wikipedia
• 1978 — Earned a BA in political science from the University of Delhi Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
• 1983 — Earned an MA in political science from Gujarat University Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
• 1985 — Joined the Bharatiya Janata Party Source: Wikipedia
• 2001 — Appointed chief minister of Gujarat Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
• 2002 — Communal riots broke out in Gujarat after the Godhra train burning Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
• 2013 — Named the BJP's candidate for prime minister Source: Wikipedia
• 2014 — Led the BJP to victory; sworn in as prime minister on 26 May Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
• 2016 — Announced demonetisation of high-value currency notes Source: Wikipedia
• 2017 — The Goods and Services Tax came into effect Source: Wikipedia
• 2019 — Won re-election as prime minister Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
• 2023 — Hosted the G20 summit in New Delhi Source: Wikipedia
• 2024 — Sworn in for a third consecutive term as prime minister Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
• 2026 — Became India's longest-serving elected prime minister Source: The Economic Times

Timeline

1. 17 September 1950

   Born in Vadnagar, Gujarat

   Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
2. 1971

   Became a full-time worker for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh

   Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia
3. 1978

   Earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Delhi

   Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
4. 1983

   Earned a Master of Arts degree in political science from Gujarat University

   Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
5. 1985

   Joined the Bharatiya Janata Party

   Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia
6. 7 October 2001

   Appointed chief minister of Gujarat

   Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
7. 27 February 2002

   Communal riots broke out in Gujarat following the burning of a train at Godhra

   Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
8. 2012

   A Supreme Court-appointed investigation cleared him of wrongdoing over the 2002 riots

   Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
9. 13 September 2013

   Named the BJP's candidate for prime minister in the 2014 general election

   Source: Wikipedia
10. 16 May 2014

    Led the BJP to victory in the general election, winning 282 seats in the Lok Sabha

    Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
11. 26 May 2014

    Sworn in as prime minister of India

    Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
12. 2 October 2014

    Launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan cleanliness campaign

    Source: Wikipedia
13. 8 November 2016

    Announced the demonetisation of high-value currency notes

    Source: Wikipedia
14. 1 July 2017

    The Goods and Services Tax came into effect

    Source: Wikipedia
15. 23 May 2019

    Won re-election as prime minister, with the BJP winning 303 seats

    Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
16. 5 August 2019

    The government abolished the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370

    Source: Wikipedia
17. 9 September 2023

    Hosted the G20 summit in New Delhi during India's G20 presidency

    Source: Wikipedia
18. 9 June 2024

    Sworn in for a third consecutive term as prime minister

    Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
19. 10 June 2026

    Became India's longest-serving elected prime minister, surpassing Jawaharlal Nehru's record

    Source: The Economic Times

In Their Words

“Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” Source: Narendra Modi, BJP campaign slogan, 2014 general election — Modi's governing slogan, first used in the 2014 general election campaign, meaning 'together with all, development for all'.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Sources & References

1. Narendra Modi — Encyclopaedia Britannica — Encyclopaedia Britannica (accessed 13 November 2026)
2. Narendra Modi — Wikipedia (cross-check) — Wikipedia (accessed 13 November 2026)
3. At 76, PM Narendra Modi's journey runs from a Gujarat town to the world stage — The Economic Times — The Economic Times (accessed 13 November 2026)
4. File:Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi at an informal meeting of heads of state and government of the BRICS countries, Hamburg 2017.jpg — Wikimedia Commons (portrait file page) — Wikimedia Commons (accessed 13 November 2026)

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