Ever since assuming office in New Delhi in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been outspoken about ending the VIP culture in the country, especially for the privileged ones, including the ministers and senior government officials. Leading from the front, the Prime Minister has set numerous examples which reflect his commitment over the issue. Be it standing in the line of a metro station or waiting in a queue to get vaccinated, he has shown the way. Here’s a brief look at PM Modi’s efforts to end the VIP culture from governance.
1. Scrapping red light culture from government vehicles
The Prime Minister ended the red light culture in the vehicles of senior ministers and government officials. In his monthly radio show ‘Mann Ki Baat’ in 2017, PM Modi had called for ending the VIP (Very Important Person) culture with EPI (Every Person is Important) culture.
The Modi cabinet had decided that red beacons would not be installed on government vehicles from May 1, 2017. PM Modi himself had said that every Indian is a VVIP. According to the decision taken by the government to end the red beacon culture of VVIP vehicles, there will be no red beacon on the vehicles of any VVIP including the President, Prime Minister and Chief Ministers from May 1. However, permission to use red lights was maintained only in vehicles used in emergency situations like ambulance and fire fighting.
2. Workers were made special guests
PM Modi said that the workers who were involved in the construction of the Central Vista project during the COVID time were invited as special guests on the occasion of Republic Day celebrations, indicating the end of VIP culture.
3. Waited for his turn for the vaccine
Talking about the vaccination programme by the Centre during the COVID wave in India, the Prime Minister said that he could have got himself vaccinated sooner, but he waited for his turn on the CoWIN portal. India had rolled out an application where users could track the status of their vaccination dates, the vaccine administered to them as well as the next date of second dose of vaccine to be administered.
4. Participation of poor children in the convocation ceremony
Talking about the university convocation ceremony, PM Modi said that he has always advocated the participation of poor children in those events. He said, “I tell the organisers that the first 50 seats in the convocation should be for my guest. I make the children who live in the slums and schools around the university attend the convocation ceremony. This is my culture.”
5. Mother Hiraben's funeral performed in simple manner
In an interview, the Prime Minister said that when his mother Hiraben was undergoing treatment at a government hospital in Gujarat when she passed away at the age of 100. She died during treatment in the government hospital. The funeral of PM Modi's mother Hiraben was also done in a simple manner in a government crematorium. There was no gathering of politicians during the last rites, and the rituals were performed in no VIP manner.
