NewsBytes
    Hindi Tamil Telugu
    More
    In the news
    Narendra Modi
    Amit Shah
    Box Office Collection
    Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
    OTT releases
    Hindi Tamil Telugu
    NewsBytes
    User Placeholder

    Hi,

    Logout

    India
    Business
    World
    Politics
    Sports
    Technology
    Entertainment
    Auto
    Lifestyle
    Inspirational
    Career
    Bengaluru
    Delhi
    Mumbai

    Download Android App

    Follow us on
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linkedin
    Home / News / Politics News / #RIPAtalJi: Without you, India won't ever be the same
    Next Article
    #RIPAtalJi: Without you, India won't ever be the same

    #RIPAtalJi: Without you, India won't ever be the same

    By Shiladitya Ray
    Aug 16, 2018
    09:07 pm

    What's the story

    Although former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee breathed his last today, he has left India with a legacy that is nigh immortal.

    From his participation in the freedom struggle to taking India to previously unthinkable levels of economic glory, Vajpayee is arguably the man who helped India find a foothold in a fast-changing, globalizing world.

    Here, we pay a tribute and trace Vajpayee's biggest contributions.

    Infrastructure

    Infrastructure engineered India's economic success; Vajpayee engineered infrastructure

    Infrastructure played a massive role in India's post-liberalization economic transformation, and Vajpayee was the architect of this success.

    The much-talked about Golden Quadrilateral Highway connecting the four metropolises of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai was conceptualized by Vajpayee.

    Yet, the rural didn't escape his vision, and his Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana scheme sought to provide all-weather road connectivity across India's villages.

    Nuclear capabilities

    The man who ushered in the nuclear era for India

    Generations born into nuclear-capable India will hardly realize the struggles that led to nuclear capabilities.

    Despite international pressure, Vajpayee gave the nod for the Pokhran nuclear tests days into his second term as PM in 1998.

    Although India was bombarded with sanctions following the successful tests, Vajpayee steered India out of the storm and reshaped India-US relations on a more equal footing of power.

    Education

    Vajpayee made a big impact on India's dismal education sector

    Realizing the dismal state of education in India even decades after Independence, Vajpayee sought to reshape the education sector.

    In 2001, under his regime, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan was launched, making education a fundamental right and a free facility for children aged 6-14 years.

    The scheme brought about a drastic reduction in the number of school dropouts, with number of dropouts declining by 60%.

    Telecom

    Vajpayee's New Telecom Policy enabled India's telecom revolution

    Today, with Google and Facebook targeting their 'next billion' users in India, and with Jio trying to get more Indians online, internet connectivity and telecom penetration are taken for granted these days.

    But, it was Vajpayee who spearheaded the telecom revolution in India through his New Telecom Policy that saw India witness telecom penetration grow from a meagre 3% to 70% in 12 years.

    Space research

    Vajpayee was instrumental in making India look towards the stars

    India's space agency, ISRO, has seen a recent boost in stature, and is undertaking increasingly ambitious space missions with a manned spaceflight planned for 2022.

    But, it all started with Chandrayaan-1, India's first lunar probe.

    During his speech for India's 56th Independence Day in 2003, Vajpayee announced the mission and approved the funding required for it.

    The rest, as they say, is history.

    Delhi Metro

    The Delhi Metro was approved and inaugurated by Vajpayee

    Today, the Delhi Metro's massive network and impressive service is a beacon of urban mobility in India and Atal Bihari Vajpayee had a hand in that too.

    Having approved plans for the Delhi Metro in 1998, on Christmas Eve, 2002, Vajpayee inaugurated the first line of the Delhi Metro, the Red Line, connecting Kashmere Gate to Seelampur.

    Indo-Pak relations

    Vajpayee's handling of Indo-Pak relations reflected statesmanship and grace

    Vajpayee is also credited with launching the New Delhi-Lahore bus service in February 1999 which was aimed at improving ties with Pakistan.

    However, in May 1999, the Kargil war broke out putting severe strains on India's relations with Pakistan.

    Although India won the war, Vajpayee chose to be a graceful winner, and tried mending relations with Pakistan via invitations and summits afterwards.

    Facebook
    Whatsapp
    Twitter
    Linkedin
    Related News
    Latest
    India
    Independence Day
    Atal Bihari Vajpayee
    Delhi Metro Rail Corporation

    Latest

    'Idly Kadai,' 'Kuberaa,' 'Kalam': Check Dhanush's blockbuster lineup Dhanush
    Mohammad Abbas clocks his 49th five-wicket haul in FC cricket County Cricket
    IPL 2025, DC beat PBKS: Presenting Player of the Day Delhi Capitals (DC)
    'Criminal Justice' S04: Cast, plot, and release details Pankaj Tripathi

    India

    Kohli requests fans not to give up on Team India Virat Kohli
    #TravelBytes: 5 unique restaurants in Mumbai you must try Mumbai
    Australia resumes adoptions from India after 8yrs of suspension: WCD Australia
    'Jana Gana Mana' becomes 'most viewed national anthem' on YouTube YouTube

    Independence Day

    President Kovind to watch special-screening of 'The President's Bodyguard' documentary India
    Independence Day: Traffic restrictions in Delhi from Monday Red Fort
    Delhi: JNU student Umar Khalid shot at in high-security zone Jawaharlal Nehru University
    This special Delhi Metro train will spread patriotism. Here's how Subhas Chandra Bose

    Atal Bihari Vajpayee

    Assam to take forward Modi's 'Act East Policy' India
    Air India story: the airline that was destined to crash India
    Repay loans or lose ownership: Jaitley tells companies India
    The dark secrets of spiritual guru Ram Rahim Singh Central Bureau Of Investigation (CBI)

    Delhi Metro Rail Corporation

    Longest, deepest, steepest: Delhi's Magenta Line metro breaks many records All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)
    Delhi: Construction of new Hauz Khas metro station, massive challenge Vasant Vihar
    IIT-Delhi doesn't want FIITJEE's name on metro station. Here's why IIT-Delhi
    Delhi Metro's Pink-Line inauguration postponed: Shoppers' wait to get longer Arvind Kejriwal
    Indian Premier League (IPL) Celebrity Hollywood Bollywood UEFA Champions League Tennis Football Smartphones Cryptocurrency Upcoming Movies Premier League Cricket News Latest automobiles Latest Cars Upcoming Cars Latest Bikes Upcoming Tablets
    About Us Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Contact Us Ethical Conduct Grievance Redressal News News Archive Topics Archive Download DevBytes Find Cricket Statistics
    Follow us on
    Facebook Twitter Linkedin
    All rights reserved © NewsBytes 2025