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India election 2019: Has India's BJP government kept its promises? India election 2019: Has India's BJP government kept its promises?
(about 2 months later)
The election campaign in India is in full swing, with voting due to get under way on 11 April. Following another convincing win at the polls, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi says he wants to continue his mission to transform the country.
It is by a considerable margin the largest democratic process in the world, with around 900 million people eligible to take part. So what has his government already achieved since it came into office in 2014?
Five years on from his victory in 2014, the prime minister Narendra Modi wants a fresh mandate to continue what he says is his mission to transform India. BBC Reality Check has taken a look at how the BJP government has matched up to its promises over the past five years.
But the main opposition Congress Party says he's failed in key areas. A manufacturing superpower?
So how has this government matched up to its promises? The Modi government has looked to the manufacturing sector to drive economic growth and create jobs.
BBC Reality Check has been taking a look at the issues, using available data to evaluate the claims made by the main parties. Under the Make in India project, it pledged to raise the share of manufacturing to 25% of GDP - the overall measure of goods and services - by 2025.
As the data shows, the contribution of the manufacturing sector has remained just above 15% in recent years, and experts doubt the target will be met.
However, the overall rate of economic growth (GDP) has remained strong, at around 6-7% per year, and the government has also highlighted more recent data showing signs of improving industrial growth.
A promise to create jobs
Mr Modi came to power in 2014 with a promise to create jobs for millions of Indians.
The government has delayed the publication of the latest official data on jobs, but a draft version of the report was leaked earlier this year indicating a significant rise in unemployment during the current government's tenure.
This has provoked a heated debate over the true situation in the jobs market.
You can see our video on the issue here:
Keeping India secureKeeping India secure
At the end of February, security became a major issue after an attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir, in which 40 soldiers were killed. At the end of February this year, security became a major issue after an attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir, in which 40 soldiers were killed.
The government presented itself as the true guardian of the country's security, after launching retaliatory strikes in Pakistan.The government presented itself as the true guardian of the country's security, after launching retaliatory strikes in Pakistan.
But the opposition Congress hit back, saying the security situation in Kashmir was now worse under this government than under their own rule before 2014. But the opposition Congress hit back, saying the security situation in Kashmir was now worse under the BJP government than under its own rule before 2014.
The data shows that until the end of last year, the level of militant activity under the two governments is broadly similar. The data shows that until the end of last year, the level of militant activity under the two governments had been broadly similar.
But it is also the case that infiltration attempts into Indian-administered Kashmir have been rising since 2016.But it is also the case that infiltration attempts into Indian-administered Kashmir have been rising since 2016.
You can read more on this in an in-depth Reality Check report here:
India, the manufacturing superpower?
The Modi government has looked to the manufacturing sector to drive economic growth and create jobs.
Under it's "Make in India" scheme, it pledged to raise the share of manufacturing to 25% of GDP - the overall measure of goods and services - by 2025.
However, as the data shows, the contribution of the manufacturing sector has remained just above 15% in recent years, and experts doubt the target will be met.
However, the economy overall continues to grow.
Read our article here:
Narendra Modi came to power with a promise to create jobs for millions of Indians.
So we've taken a look at the unemployment figures - and found that a delay in the publication of the latest official data has provoked a heated debate over the true situation in the jobs market.
You can see our video here:
Are women now safer in India?Are women now safer in India?
The opposition Congress manifesto says women's safety is a key concern ahead of these elections. The BJP government says it brought in tough laws to combat violence against women.
The BJP government says it has brought in tough laws to combat violence against women.
The data shows a rise in the reporting of rape to the authorities, particularly after the notorious Delhi gang rape of 2012.The data shows a rise in the reporting of rape to the authorities, particularly after the notorious Delhi gang rape of 2012.
But the conviction rate for cases that go to the courts hasn't really improved in the last few years. But the conviction rate for cases that go to the courts has not really improved in the last few years.
We explore the measures introduced to prevent and punish violence against women in this video:
What's the situation in India's villages?What's the situation in India's villages?
A large proportion of India's population depends on agriculture for a living. The BJP government under Mr Modi made a series of pledges on improving the lives of Indians in rural areas.
So the state of the rural economy is another key issue in the election. Three years ago, a commitment was made to double farmers' incomes by 2022.
The opposition has highlighted the plight of farmers faced with a squeeze on their livelihoods.
Three years ago, Prime Minister Modi promised to double farmers' incomes by 2022.
But there are few signs that the government is on track to meet its target.But there are few signs that the government is on track to meet its target.
Read our report on farmers' income to find out why: We also looked into promises by the government to alleviate the burden of farmers' debts, which have led to severe hardship within their communities.
One policy that's been tried to help struggling farmers is writing off their debts - in the form of loan waivers. The evidence that Reality Check found showed that schemes implemented both by the BJP and previous Congress administrations have not been effectively implemented, and can create more problems in their wake.
National household surveys, which are carried out roughly every five years, show that rural debt in India has been rising for many years, although data from the most recent 2017/18 survey has yet to be released.
Mr Modi has attacked Congress for past loan waiver schemes, saying they are not a real solution for hardship in the farming sector.
The evidence Reality Check found shows that he's probably right - writing off debts is not always effectively implemented, and can create more problems in its wake.
Find out how we came to this verdict here:
Have plans to clean up India worked?Have plans to clean up India worked?
Mr Modi has come forward with various promises under his Clean India programme. The BJP government also came up with a series of pledges under its Clean India campaign.
We've taken a look at a scheme to encourage the use of cleaner domestic fuel for cooking. These included the provision of toilet facilities to address a widespread lack of clean sanitation, and cleaner cooking fuel in the form of subsidised gas cylinders to reduce the amount of kerosene and wood being used in household kitchens.
In 2016, a programme was launched by the government to supply cylinders of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) to tens of millions of rural households to discourage the use of dirtier fuels like kerosene, wood and cow dung. Many households have switched to the cleaner fuel, so this was a considerable success.
Many households switched to the cleaner fuel, so this was a success. But the longer-term success of the project has been tempered by the tapering off of subsidies on gas cylinder refills, and many households have reverted to using dirtier fuels.
But there are also indications that the cost of having cylinders refilled is acting as a deterrent to the continued use of LPG. As for toilets, the prime minister has said that 90% of Indians now have access to a toilet - up from 40% before he came into office in 2014.
We looked at the issue here: While its true that many more household toilets have been constructed across the country, there is also evidence that not all are working properly, and that - for a variety of reasons - they do not always get used.
Building India's toilets
Open defecation and a lack of sanitary facilities have long been problems in India.
The prime minister said under his Clean India programme, 90% of Indians now have access to a toilet - up from 40% before he came into office in 2014.
Government data shows how the project has progressed.
The BJP government has indeed built many more household toilets during its term in office.
But it's also true that not all toilets are working properly, and there's evidence that - for a variety of reasons - they don't always get used.
Read our story to find out why:
Cleaning up the GangesCleaning up the Ganges
One of the biggest Clean India projects was focused on the River Ganges, which is holy to millions of Hindus.One of the biggest Clean India projects was focused on the River Ganges, which is holy to millions of Hindus.
Mr Modi has thrown $3bn (£2.3bn) at the plan to clean up the river by 2020. The Ganges has been blighted for years by pollution and over-use. The Ganges has been blighted for years by pollution and overuse.
But Reality Check discovered that although a lot more money has been made available, only a small proportion has so far been spent. Reality Check discovered that although a lot more money has been made available, only a small proportion has so far been spent.
So despite some improvements, the river is very unlikely to be completely clean by next year.
Watch our Reality Check video explaining why cleaning one of the world's great rivers is such a monumental challenge:
Would you like to read more about the biggest issues in the India 2019 election?
Here are all of Reality Check's stories so far:
Farmers and rural India: Kitchen clean-up, Toilets, Farm loan waivers, River Ganges, Farmers' income
The economy: Inflation, Demonetisation, Manufacturing, Space exploration
Society and security: Are women safer?India's internal security
Transport and infrastructure: Bullet train, Roads, Broadband, Housing, Smart Cities, Electricity, Airports
Read more from Reality CheckRead more from Reality Check
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