PM Modi turns 74 today: From an RSS worker to third term Prime Minister – a time line of his life and rise in BJP

Narendra Damodardas Modi was born in Gujarat’s Vadnagar city into a middle-class Hindu family with no political background. On June 9, Modi was sworn in as Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive term, a feat achieved by only Jawaharlal Nehru before him.

Modi is the country’s longest-serving non-Congress Prime Minister. Modi, who started his political career as a member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has been the face of landmark Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) victories in three past general elections.

As Modi turns 74 today, here is a look at a his journey from a humble RSS worker to becoming Prime Minister of India three times in a row.

September 17, 1950: Narendra Damodardas Modi, third of six children, born in Vadnagar, Gujarat.

1965- India-Pakistan war breaks out over Jammu and Kashmir. Modi serves tea at Vadnagar railway station

1971- Modi joins the RSS. Takes part in Janasangh satyagraha in Delhi led by BJP veteran late Atal Bihari Vajpayee to enlist for battlefield during the Bangladesh war.

1974- Modi takes part in protests against economic crisis in Gujarat.

1975- Modi is appointed as general secretary of the Gujarat Lok Sangarsh Samiti – an RSS committee coordinating opposition to the Emergency in Gujarat. Soon, the RSS is banned. Modi forced to go underground in Gujarat and frequently travelled in disguise to avoid arrest, once dressing as a monk and once as a Sikh.

1978- Modi becomes an RSS sambhag pracharak (regional organiser), overseeing activities in Surat and Vadodara.

1979 – Modi worked for the RSS in Delhi, where he researched and wrote the RSS’s history of the Emergency.

1980- The BJP is founded.

1983- Modi receives MA, Political Science as external student at Gujarat University.

1988- Modi is appointed general secretary of Gujarat BJP.

December, 1992: Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, UP is razed. The protestors claim the Masjid was built on the birth place of Lord Ram. Over 2000 people die in the riots that ensued.

1995- The BJP wins 121 of the 182 seats in Gujarat assembly. Modi made BJP general secretary.

October 7, 2001- Keshubhai Patel steps down as Gujarat CM in the wake of earthquake. Modi replaces Patel and became Gujarat’s longest-serving CM.

February 24, 2002: Modi wins Gujarat assembly bypoll from Rajkot II constituency, defeating Ashwin Mehta of the Congress.

February 27, 2002 – A train carrying Hindu pilgrims from Ayodhya after performing an event to demolish Babri Masjid site, set ablaze in Godhra, Gujarat.

February 2002- Riots break out after the Godhra incident. Over 1000 people, mostly Muslims killed. Modi faces criticism, locally and internationally for not doing enough to quell riots as CM.

April 2002- Modi submits his resignation at the BJP national executive meeting in Goa but it was not accepted.

December 22, 2002- Modi sworn in for second term as Gujarat CM.

2005- US State Department denies Modi a travel Visa for religions ‘intolerance’ causing uproar in India.

July 2007 – Modi completed 2,063 consecutive days as chief minister of Gujarat, making him the longest-serving holder of that post.

2007- BJP wins Gujarat assembly polls with 117 seats. Modi becomes CM for third time.

2008- Modi persuades Tata Motors to move its factory to build Nano car to Gujarat from West Bengal after protests by farmers.

October 22, 2012- British High Commissioner James Bevan holds meeting with Modi to discuss business and investment. The meeting ended the UK’s ten-year diplomatic boycott of Modi after 3 British citizens were killed in 2002 Gujarat riots.

December 2012- Modi wins a fourth successive term as Chief Minister of Gujarat. BJP wins 115 of 182 seats.

January 7, 2013- European Union ambassadors have lunch with Modi at the German ambassador’s resident in New Delhi. The lunch marked the end of a decade-old informal boycott of Modi.

June 9, 2013- Modi is made BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections.

2014- BJP wins majority with 282 seats in Lok Sabha polls. Modi wins from Vadodra and Varanasi.

May 18, 2014- US lifts a decade-old Visa ban on Modi. President Obama invites him to Washington

May 26, 2014 – Modi is sworn in as 14th Prime Minister of India after BJP’s landslide victory.

Sep 25, 2015 – BJP government kicks off the ‘Make in India’ campaign promoting India as the most preferred global manufacturing destination.

October 2, 2014- PM Modi launches the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, India’s largest cleanliness drive on Mahatma Gandhi‘s 150th birth anniversary.

2015- Digital India campaign to make government services available electronically through improved online connectivity launched.

November 8, 2016 – In a televised address to the nation, PM Modi declares that ₹500 and ₹1000 banknotes will be demonitised with immediate effect.

June 1, 2017 – The Goods and Services Tax is introduced. The GST replaces federal and state taxes.

February 14, 2029 – As many as 40 CRPF jawans killed in a terror attack in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir. The Jaish-e-Mohammad takes the responsibility of the attack. Modi orders attack on Balakot terror camp in Pakistan ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

May 20, 2019- PM Modi features on the cover page of TIME magazine.

May 30, 2019- Modi leads BJP to another victory in Lok Sabha elections, 2019. Modi sworn in as Prime Minister for the second term.

August 1, 2019 – Triple Talaq Bill passed by Parliament. The law makes the practice of instant divorce among Muslims a punishable offence.

August 5, 2019- Modi government abrogated Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Opposition leaders including Omar Abdullah, Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti put under house arrest. Internet and mobile communication suspended for months.

November 9, 2019- The Supreme Court orders the government of India to create a trust to build Ram Mandir on the disputed site in Ayodhya. The land will now be owned by the government of India and subsequently transferred to the Trust after its formation.

December 11, 2019- Lok Sabha approves Citizenship Amendment Act(CAA), granting citizenship rights to persecuted religious minorities, excluding Muslims. Protests held all across the country.

February 2020 –53 people kicked in riots in North East Delhi. The riots broke over the CAA

June 15, 2020- Violent clashes break out between Indian and Chinese forces at the LAC in Galwan Valley killing at least 20 Indian soldiers.

September 20, 2020- Three farm laws passed in Parliament. Farmers from Punjab and Haryana march to Delhi demanding the repeal of these laws

June 10, 2021- India’s COVID-19 fatalities touch 6,148 deaths in a single day in the second wave of pandemic. SC pulls up centre for lack of oxygen supply in hospitals.

July 8, 2021- An independent investigation by many media outlets reveals that Israeli spyware Pegasus was used to target 300 Indian phone numbers, including those of journalists and opposition leaders.

November 9, 2021 – PM Modi announces that the government will roll back the controversial farm laws.

Jun 24, 2022 – Supreme Court dismisses allegations of ‘larger conspiracy’ by ZAKIA Jafri, widow of Congress leader Ehsan Jafri who was killed in 2002 Gujarat riots, against former CM Narendra Modi and 60 others.

December 9, 2022 – Clash between Indian troops and PLA along LAC in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh.

September. 2023- The 18th G20 Summit was successfully conducted at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi September, 9-10, 2023. It was a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies.

January 22, 2024- PM Modi inaugurates Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.

May 29, 2023- Modi inaugurates India’s new Parliament building.

June 4, 2024 – Modi wins a third term but BJP loses majority in Lok Sabha for the first time in a decade. BJP wins 240 seats, short of 272 majority mark. A coalition government made of NDA allies gets ready to form the government.

June 9, 2024- Modi is sworn in as PM for the third consecutive term, a feat achieved by only Jawaharlal Nehru before him.

August 6, 2024- Modi government decided to roll back its budget proposal to remove indexation benefits on long-term capital gains (LTCG) tax from the sale of unlisted assets.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had in her Budget 2024-25 announced the withdrawal of indexation benefits from real estate and LTCG tax from 20 percent to 12.5 percent. The proposal didn’t go down well with homebuyers as well as the real estate sector who sought a rethink.

August 20, 2024- Modi government asks Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to cancel its advertisement for lateral entry into bureaucracy, making a U-turn on the issue amid criticism from the Opposition and a few BJP allies in the NDA. The UPSC, on August 18,advertised 45 posts to be filled through the lateral entry mode on a contract basis.