BIG Announcements by PM Modi on Unity Day
STORIES, ANALYSES, EXPERT VIEWS
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made some big announcements on the occasion of Unity Day last week.
One Nation, One Election
First, he mentioned that ‘One Nation, One Election' proposal by the Centre will be cleared by the cabinet soon and will be presented before the Winter Session of Parliament this year. The 'One Nation, One Election' proposal aims at conducting Lok Sabha and assembly elections either on a single day or within a specific time frame.
Uniform Civil Code
The second announcement was regarding the Uniform Civil Code. ‘Today, India is moving towards 'One Nation One Civil Code', which is a secular civil code,’ he said. If the Uniform Civil Code is passed, India will have a common set of laws governing personal matters like marriage, divorce, and inheritance regardless of religion.
For years, the BJP has been a strong advocate for replacing India’s religion-based laws with a uniform civil code, which would establish a common set of rules for issues like marriage, inheritance, and divorce, regardless of religious affiliation. Prime Minister Modi and his party have consistently supported this initiative, arguing that the current system allows non-Hindu communities—particularly Muslims—to follow their own religious laws. A uniform civil code would likely standardize these practices, potentially banning certain personal laws related to marriage and divorce.
The push for a Uniform Civil Code has been a key element in the BJP's agenda, as reflected in its manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections. Several BJP-led state governments have already begun moves to implement such a code.
If the BJP attempts to introduce this measure in the current parliament, it is likely that Modi's key regional allies—many of whom govern states with substantial Muslim populations—may hesitate to support the initiative.
One Nation Identity
PM Modi also said that ‘One Nation Identity’ has been a successful endeavour, listing down initiatives like Aadhaar card, GST, One Nation One Power Grid, and One Nation One Ration Card. ‘Earlier, there were different tax systems in India, but we created the One Nation One Tax System- GST. We strengthened the country's power sector with One Nation One Power Grid. We integrated the facilities available to the poor through One Nation One Ration Card. We have provided the facility of One Nation One Health Insurance to the people of the country in the form of ‘Aayushman Bharat’ (Free health scheme),’ he said.
