In less than a month’s time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will complete 25 years in public life. He first served as the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and has since led the BJP-led Central government.
During his time at the helm, the Centre has launched numerous major schemes aimed at improving the lives of ordinary people. Swachh Bharat, Jan Dhan, Ayushman Bharat and Digital India are among the biggest of these programmes, reaching millions across the country.
Let’s see whether people are actually able to use these services and if they have brought a lasting change to their lives.
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
Reach
The Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) was launched in 2014 with the target of making India open defecation-free within five years. When the scheme started in 2014, only 39% of rural households had sanitation coverage. By 2019, the coverage had increased to 100%, with more than 10 crore individual household toilets built under the first phase of the mission.
As of March 17, 2025, India had 5,86,788 villages covered under the programme. Of these, 5,64,096 villages had declared themselves ODF Plus, according to GDP. Around 5,03,585 villages have been covered by solid waste management, while 5,22,462 villages have been covered by liquid waste management.
The government also trained more than 600,000 swachhagrahis, or community volunteers, to spread awareness about sanitation. Toilets were also built in schools, anganwadi centres, healthcare facilities, government buildings and other public places
Outcome
According to UNICEF estimateshouseholds in open defecation-free villages could save up to Rs 50,000 a year because of fewer illnesses and lower spending on healthcare and treatment. The benefits were estimated to be 4.7 times higher than the costs, according to the UN.
SBM was also estimated to have created the equivalent of 7.5 million full-time jobs. The programme also reported environmental benefits. Soil and groundwater in villages with complete toilet coverage were found to have lower contamination compared with villages where toilet coverage was incomplete.
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana
Reach
The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) was launched in 2014 to bring people who did not have bank accounts into the formal banking system. The scheme initially aimed to provide a bank account to every household. PMJDY accounts increased from 14.72 crore in 2015 to 59.09 crore as of August 19, 2026.
Of the total accounts, 45.95 crore are in rural and semi-urban areas, while 13.14 crore are in urban and metropolitan areas. As of August 19, 2026, 32.92 crore PMJDY account holders were women.
Outcome
The number of accounts has grown nearly four times, from 14.72 crore in 2015 to 59.09 crore in 2026. Deposits in these accounts also rose from Rs 15,670 crore in March 2015 to Rs 3,16,514 crore in August 2026. This means an increase of nearly 20 times.
By August 19, 41.29 crore RuPay debit cards had been issued to PMJDY account holders.
Ayushman India
Reach
The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) was launched to provide affordable and cashless healthcare to people who may not be able to afford expensive hospital treatment. The scheme is now operational in all 36 States and Union Territories.
Initially, PM-JAY covered 10.74 crore families, identified as the bottom 40% of the population through the 2011 Socio-Economic Caste Census. In January 2023, the beneficiary base was increased to 12 crore families.
In March 2024, around 37 lakh additional families of ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers and Anganwadi helpers were brought under the scheme.
Outcomes
The PM-JAY has resulted in the expansion of access to cashless hospital treatment across India. The scheme has moved from covering 10.74 crore families initially to a beneficiary base of 12 crore families.
The government expanded the scheme further to cover all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, which now covers around 6 crore senior citizens from 4.5 crore families. As of June 30, 2026, the scheme had authorised 29.05 lakh inter-state hospital admissions, involving more than Rs 8,383.97 crore.
Digital India
The Digital India Programme was launched in 2015 to make government services more accessible through technology and reduce the digital divide between people in cities and rural areas. Under BharatNet, around 2.15 lakh Gram Panchayats, or nearly 97% of the target, had been connected by January 2026, with nearly 7 lakh km of optical fibre cable laid across the country.
India had more than 106 crore broadband internet subscribers by March 2026. More than 6.5 lakh Common Service Centres and 1.6 lakh post offices are also providing digital and government services to people.
Aadhaar has crossed 144 crore enrolments, while DigiLocker has more than 70.69 crore registered users. UPI has become one of India’s biggest digital payment systems, with more than 24,162 crore transactions recorded in 2025-26.
Outcomes
Digital India has helped move many services that earlier required paperwork and visits to government offices online. Digital payments have become much easier through UPI. People can send and receive money instantly using their mobile phones instead of depending only on cash or banks.
Aadhaar, Jan Dhan accounts and mobile connectivity have also made it easier for people to receive government benefits directly into their bank accounts. More than Rs 51 lakh crore has been transferred through Direct Benefit Transfers, according to the government.
Through eSanjeevani, people can consult doctors online, which is especially useful for those living in rural and remote areas. Education has become more accessible through platforms such as DIKSHA, SWAYAM and SWAYAM Prabha. Students can access courses, digital textbooks and learning material online.
The programme has also created opportunities for digital jobs and skills. Initiatives such as PMGDISHA, FutureSkills Prime and Skill India Digital Hub are helping people learn digital and technology-related skills.
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