Explained : Modi Government’s Social Sector Revolution and Its Impact

The most important work of the State rarely trends—and for a reason. Law and order, public health, and education are not spectacles; they are foundations. They are also responsibilities that only the government can discharge at scale and with legitimacy. Markets can innovate, and civil society can supplement, but no private actor can guarantee justice, universal schooling, or preventive healthcare without the authority, reach, and accountability of the state. These are not services to be outsourced but form the core of the social contract.

Over the last few years, India’s policy direction has reflected a renewed seriousness about this obligation. While crises—from aviation disruptions to terrorist attacks—demand immediate attention, the quieter work has continued: keeping children in classrooms, catching illness before it becomes catastrophe, and rewriting laws so that citizens are served by the system rather than trapped in it. The State has doubled down where it alone is indispensable—maintaining order, strengthening courts and policing, and investing in health and education—laying the groundwork for healthier, more productive lives under laws that work.

Education Reaches Historic Benchmarks

India’s education landscape has pivoted from basic access to a mission for actual learning outcomes. With Modi government having gotten enrolment at a now near universal rate of 98%, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has institutionalized Foundational Literacy and Numeracy through the NIPUN Bharat mission. This transformation is driven by government schools—the primary lifeline for India’s most underprivileged children. While historically treated as laggards, these public institutions led the post-pandemic recovery, beating pre-pandemic levels and significantly shrinking the reading gap with private schools.

The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) findings reveal a monumental leap. Arithmetic skills hit the highest ever, with Standard 3 subtraction ability jumping nearly 40 percent since 2014. Reading fluency has similarly rebounded, with Standard 3 and 5 levels now surpassing their best ever benchmarks. This academic progress is anchored by a massive upgrade in teacher attendance reaching nearly 88%, and a doubling of usable girls’ toilets since 2014 resulting in more girls in schools. These tangible gains confirm that the government’s social sector focus is delivering a durable, system-wide revolution for India’s children.

Health: Scale That Is Beginning to Show Results

A similar shift is visible in health. India has combined financial protection with expanded primary care to prevent illness from becoming a household shock. Over 42 crore Ayushman cards now extend health insurance to nearly 12 crore families. Close to 11 crore hospital admissions have been authorized—a metric that matters less for its size than for what it signals: families are accessing care they previously could not afford. These numbers reflect ambition meeting implementation.

A decade ago, medical bills swallowed nearly two‑thirds of what Indian households spent on health. Today, that burden has dropped below 40%, according to national health accounts—easing the risk that a single illness pushes working families into debt or destitution

Simultaneously, Ayushman Arogya Mandirs grew from 17,000 in 2018 to over 1.82 lakh centres today, recording 495 crore patient visits and enabling 42 crore teleconsultations. Thus, a mother in a village now has access to screening and basic care without traveling hours to a district hospital.

A parallel shift is underway in India’s criminal justice system with the introduction of three foundational laws since 2024—the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam. Together, they introduce over 313 substantive changes, signaling an unmistakable reorientation: from opacity to transparency, from delay to timeliness, from process to people—with the stated aim of ensuring justice within a maximum of three years.

Investigations are now capped, adjournments limited, and courts required to deliver judgments within 30 to 45 days of final arguments. Undertrials are guaranteed bail after serving half the maximum possible sentence. Hand‑written opacity has given way to digital FIRs, electronic summons, and mandatory audiovisual recording of arrests. These provisions are designed to compress delays across every stage of the process—supporting the government’s stated aim of delivering justice within three years, not decades.

Commitment to the Social Sector Mandate

India’s recent gains in learning, health, and justice show the social contract at work. A government that invests in people—learning systems, health services, and justice institutions—strengthens the foundations on which growth and security rest. When the state delivers on its core promises at scale, the returns compound in the long run. That is the renewal of India’s social contract, and it’s already underway.

(Anuj Gupta is India MD of BowerGroupAsia)