Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has led the country for more than a decade, shaping its politics, economy and global posture. As he enters what is likely his final term, with no guarantee of returning to office after 2029, growing tensions at home and abroad demand a closer examination of his record. His leadership has prioritized national security, economic expansion and cultural identity, but it has also raised concerns about democratic decline, institutional decay and foreign policy failures.

Missed opportunities on the global stage

Modi has failed to establish meaningful and assertive interactions with external powers such as the US, UK, France, Canada, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Australia and Turkey. He also struggles to address issues with troublesome neighbors like Pakistan and China, who have deliberately intruded into India’s territory. Although he traveled around the globe to promote India’s foreign policy and diplomacy, he failed to convince foreign powers, including America, that India has been a victim of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism for decades and not the other way around. 

Perhaps due to this, Pakistan — despite being an epicentre of Global Terrorism, including cross-border terror against India for the past many decades — has been adorned as Vice Chair of the Anti-terrorism Committee by the UN Security Council (UNSC), which is an unparalleled paradox.

Additionally, he has not secured a permanent seat for India in the UN Security Council or membership in other prominent forums like AUKUS (a trilateral security pact between Australia, the UK and the US), the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) and G7 (an intergovernmental political forum consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US). 

The recent security crisis and the India–Pakistan war have exposed flaws in India’s national security and foreign policy. The terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025, killed 26 innocent tourists in Baisaran valley of India-administered Jammu and Kashmir, revealing serious lapses in security management and civilian safety. In retaliation, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, which demonstrated the capabilities of its forces across all three wings. However, the ceasefire announced on May 10 showed that Modi succumbed to US President Donald Trump’s pressure. The ceasefire benefited Pakistan because India had gained the upper hand in the ongoing India-Pakistan conflict. This event significantly altered India’s diplomatic landscape. 

In 2014, Modi started his tenure with enthusiasm to transform India into a haven for foreign investments by streamlining rules and regulations to make investment easier. However, bureaucratic disputes and a rising middleman culture discouraged his well-planned efforts. An excessive concentration of power within the Prime Minister’s office and among a small group of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers led to the formation of a confidant coterie. His reliance on this small circle marginalized democratic governance, frustrating senior ministers, party leaders and top officers.  

Governance crisis and administrative decay

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the center, along with its own party governments in many states, has failed to control rising prices, poverty, unemployment, law and order, ever-mounting corruption, undue interference by party workers and officials in daily administration and declining morals and increasing promiscuity among party cadres. This indicates a weakening of the top leaders’ control over party members and office bearers. 

The high-profile case of a sitting BJP Member of Parliament (MP), Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accused of molestation and sexual offenses under the POCSO Act by women wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Singh and other minor girls, has garnered attention. Unfortunately, the First Information Reports (FIRs) lodged against this MP have been withdrawn. Similar cases against BJP leader Manohar Lal Dhakad (who has now obtained bail) and Amar Kishore Kashyap, “Bum-Bum,” a BJP district president, are particularly concerning. 

Crimes committed by party workers have severely tarnished the party’s reputation, which claims to establish a new culture in the country. Modi has also misappropriated funds for the BJP through Electoral Bonds and granted extraordinary favors to billionaires such as Gautam Adani, Mukesh Ambani and others. 

The central government has waived large loans for wealthy businessman, Gautam Adani, while thousands of farmers have gone bankrupt and suffered due to natural calamities. India’s wealthiest industrialist, Mukesh Ambani, enjoys Z+ security provided by the Indian state along with other VIPs and politicians. Taxes paid by ordinary citizens fund the cost of this security. Ironically, while elites enjoy top security, common citizens often fall victim to crime due to a shortage of police personnel and ineffective law enforcement.

Furthermore, the BJP is misusing the powers of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Election Commission, Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax Department to intimidate politicians with non-BJP affiliations who are facing various criminal charges. This can be seen in cases like Ajit Pawar, Chhagan Bhujbal, Ashok Chauhan, Hemanta Biswas Sharma, Subhendu Adhikari, Prafulla Patel and many others. These politicians are pressured to join the BJP and support its interests, leveraging these agencies. An ironic aspect is that once these tarnished politicians join the BJP, the cases against them are often withdrawn.

Another serious concern is the declining health of Indian democracy. In a parliamentary system, opposition parties and their leaders play a crucial role. However, the mass suspension of opposition members from the House to prevent meaningful debates and discussions on national issues, merely to serve the ruling party’s interests, represents a negation or violation of democracy.

Another troubling development that has caused an internal crisis is the ethnic riots in Manipur that started last year. Yet, the Prime Minister has not visited the region to ease the suffering of the affected community or to restore the declining confidence in the police and security forces. 

The Indian Army’s Agniveer scheme (a recruitment model that allows youth to serve in the armed forces for four years) has sparked controversy. Politicians, who do not retire from active politics even in their seventies, face ridicule as young men in their twenties prepare to leave the army after just four years of service. People express concerns about the scheme’s long-term implications, especially given the rising cross-border terrorism from Pakistan and China’s consistent intrusions into Indian territory. Former Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat reportedly doubted the scheme’s merits, and his mysterious death in a helicopter crash highlights his cautious judgment today.

The overemphasis on the Hindu-Muslim divide also threatens national unity and social cohesion. The politicized use of slogans like “Jai Shri Ram” (“Hail Lord Rama”) to advance the BJP’s political goals has caused alienation among Muslims and other minorities, actions that conflict with the ideals of Lord Ram and India’s diverse culture. The government must stop communal segregation and actively include Muslim and other minority communities in India’s growth and progress.

India’s economy remains fragile, despite grand claims to become the world’s fourth-largest economy and its ambition to reach third place. In 2025, the national debt has sharply increased to approximately $248 billion due to ill-planned spending, misappropriation of funds and large-scale embezzlement. These issues have fostered a parallel black economy that threatens the country’s economic stability.

State-controlled media agencies are another worrisome aspect of Mr. Modi’s politics. They undermine the principle of democracy by violating the idea that the media serves as the fourth pillar of democracy. News channels based in Noida are mostly labeled as “Godi Media”, and many consider them biased and sold. The print media in the country does not dare to challenge or hold the government accountable, drawing parallels to the Emergency of 1975.   

A call for renewal and accountability

The popularity and support for the BJP have declined, with only minor exceptions in some states. As its foremost leader, Modi cannot escape the responsibility that comes with his prominent role in the party and the country. His advancing age, declining mental focus, the rise of vested interests and the absence of a strong opposition have created obstacles in governance. Additionally, giving undue favors to elites and corrupt elements within the BJP has prevented the leadership from ensuring independent, fair and effective decision-making. These issues have shattered the hopes, aspirations and expectations of the people not only within India but also across the international community. The grand vision of making India the “Vishwaguru” (“world guru” or “teacher of the world”) of ancient times again has proven ineffective, as seen after Operation Sindoor, when none of its allies supported it.

As Modi approaches the end of his likely last term, he must carefully assess his personal shortcomings and reemphasize the BJP’s original promises to build a new culture of honest, fair, corruption-free, responsive and responsible democratic governance — completely different from the previous Congress governments in India. 

[Kaitlyn Diana edited this piece]

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.