New Delhi: On Monday, Prime Minister Modi completed 12 years leading the Union government, emphasizing his administration’s welfare programs for the poor, as he stands on the verge of a major political milestone this week by becoming India’s longest-serving democratically elected Prime Minister.
On June 10, 2026, Modi will have served 4,399 consecutive days in office, thereby officially overtaking the tenure record of India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. This milestone falls one day after Modi marks two years of his third term and 12 years since he first took office in 2014.
Including his nearly 13-year tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat from October 2001 to May 2014, Modi has led an elected government for over 8,900 days, making him the longest-serving head of government in India’s history..
Reflecting on his administration’s tenure, Modi stated that over the past 12 years India has experienced profound transformation, with the welfare of the poor and marginalised consistently remaining at the core of policymaking.
Over the past 12 years, India has undergone numerous changes, and at the heart of these transformations lies the welfare of the poor and marginalized, the Prime Minister stated in a series of posts on X. Emphasising the philosophy of 'Antyodaya' uplifting the last person in the queue Modi said his government's constant endeavour had been to ensure that the benefits of development reached those who had remained excluded for decades.
Listing key flagship initiatives, he said schemes such as Jan Dhan Yojana, Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), Swachh Bharat Mission, PM Awas Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission and Ayushman Bharat were all designed to provide dignity, opportunity and improved living standards to millions of citizens.
Modi also underlined the role of technology in transforming welfare delivery and reducing leakages in government schemes.
"It is also gladdening that technology has played a vital role in ensuring a better quality of life for the poor," he said, adding that digital platforms and DBT mechanisms had enabled benefits to reach citizens directly and transparently.
Through Direct Benefit Transfer and digital platforms, assistance is now reaching citizens directly and transparently. This has curtailed leakages, enhanced efficiency, and reinforced trust in governance. In this way, the mission of advancing Garib Kalyan has evolved into a collective movement for human empowerment and for fulfilling our vision of a Viksit Bharat, Modi wrote.
The Prime Minister was first sworn in on May 26, 2014, following the BJP-led NDA's victory in the Lok Sabha elections. He secured a second term in 2019 and returned for a third consecutive term on June 9, 2024, becoming only the second leader after Jawaharlal Nehru to win three successive mandates as Prime Minister.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah echoed Modi's emphasis on welfare-driven governance, describing Garib Kalyan as the Modi government's foremost priority.
In a post on X, Shah stated that in the last 12 years, government schemes have brought millions of citizens into the fold of banking services, financial security, and self-employment opportunities.