Ashirwad Ka Diya

An extensive special series on PM Modi’s 76th  birthday and 25 years of Jan Seva

metro india news  I New Delhi : A prominent television channel has launched an extensive special series this week celebrating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 76th  birthday and marking 25 years of his public service, or “Jan Seva.” The programming, airing across the channel’s platforms, offers a detailed retrospective of Modi’s journey from Gujarat Chief Minister to India’s longest-serving elected Prime Minister, highlighting key milestones in governance, economic transformation, welfare schemes, infrastructure development, and foreign policy.

The series coincides with nation-wide observances that began on September 17, Modi’s birthday, when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched its month-long “Seva Sankalp Abhiyan.” The campaign, running until October 17, frames the occasion as “Seva Diwas” and emphasizes public service activities rather than personal festivities. It includes blood donation and health camps, cleanliness drives, tree plantation, outreach to beneficiaries of central schemes, and cultural programmes such as street plays under “Namo Seva Gatha.” A twin motorcycle yatra connecting Vadnagar in Gujarat, Modi’s birthplace, with Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, was flagged off by Home Minister Amit Shah from one end and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from the other.

The yatras are set to cover thousands of kilometres across multiple states, promoting service initiatives along the route. A special broadcast reviews this milestone period, noting that Modi first took oath as Gujarat Chief Minister on October 7, 2001, and has since completed uninterrupted years in high public office. The programming underscores his tenure as Prime Minister since 2014, positioning him as the longest continuously serving elected leader in that role in independent India. Segments detail India’s economic rise from the tenth-largest to the fifth-largest economy globally, attributing the shift to structural reforms such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the expansion of digital public infrastructure through the JAM trinity (Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Mobile), and manufacturing growth via Production Linked Incentive schemes. Welfare programmes receive significant attention in the series.

Coverage highlights the PM Awas Yojana for housing, the Jal Jeevan Mission for providing tap water connections, and the Direct Benefit Transfer mechanism that has streamlined subsidy delivery and reduced leakages. Infrastructure achievements featured include the expansion of national highways, the introduction and proliferation of Vande Bharat trains, and the UDAN scheme aimed at making air travel more accessible to smaller cities and towns. The series also examines India’s space programme milestones, including the Chandrayaan missions and preparations for Gaganyaan, alongside a broader foreign policy approach that has elevated India’s global standing.

A recurring theme in both TV series and the parallel BJP campaign is the emphasis on service-oriented initiatives traditionally associated with Modi’s birthdays. Past years have seen the Prime Minister mark the day with the launch of health, nutrition, or development programmes rather than conventional celebrations. This year, the narrative culminates in references to healthcare outreach, including programmes linked to earlier efforts in places such as Dhar in Madhya Pradesh. Global leaders extended greetings, with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni among those who publicly wished Modi well and noted India’s rising international profile.

The “Ashirwad Ka Diya” initiative formed a visible part of the birthday observances, with families, particularly scheme beneficiaries, urged to light earthen lamps as a gesture of goodwill and gratitude. BJP leaders and chief ministers in BJP-ruled states organised related events, including lamp-lighting ceremonies, prayers and blood donation drives. 

In Varanasi, an exhibition titled “25 Years of Janseva se Rashtra Seva” showcased aspects of Modi’s public life. The broader Seva Sankalp Abhiyan seeks to engage citizens through various service activities, with a planned finale, the “Jansevak Mahakumbh,” expected to bring together local representatives later in October.

India Today TV’s special series places these events within the longer arc of Modi’s political career, tracing his transition from state-level leadership in Gujarat to the national stage. It highlights themes including economic formalisation, digital inclusion and last-mile welfare delivery under the “Jan Seva” narrative.

The documentary-style coverage combines archival footage, policy data and reports from Delhi, Gujarat and Varanasi. It also examines infrastructure expansion, welfare programmes and India’s changing global position, while focusing on Modi’s 76th birthday and 25 years in public office.