Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a trendsetter. After riding to victory in the 2014 general election on the moniker NaMo, he has unleashed a wave of pithy phrases and acronyms ever since he came to power. And now his ministers are following suit, by adding to our growing lexicon of LAME: List of Acronyms Modi Enjoys.
Over the last two days, the Railway Budget and Economic Survey have been released by the government and both these documents have brought to fore a new set of acronyms that we are likely to hear multiple times in times to come.
The idea is simple: Take a common word or a phrase and attach some jargon to each letter and then abbreviate it again to make it seem a flash of brilliance.
The Union Budget is scheduled to be tabled on Monday and there’s no doubt that it will bring forward some more pithy acronyms but before that, the railway budget and the economic survey of India have already brought forward at least 20 such acronyms. While some of these are being recycled from before, here's a handy ready-reckoner:
JAM: Jan Dhan - Aadhar - Mobile
Informing people about the progress of "the trinity solution" to link the banking sector with the unique identification project to provide citizens mobile access to the financial system. And the way to do that, according to the economic survey, is to “spread the jam across Indian economy.”
BAPU: Biometrically Authenticated Physical Update
Since the launch of the Jan Dhan scheme, questions have been raised about its effectiveness and the government’s formula to gauge it is through the BAPU index which will indicate the penetration of biometric information of citizens.
UDAY: Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana
UDAY is a financial turnaround project for electricity distribution companies in the country. But there's one more version of it, and that is:
UDAY: Utkrisht Double-Decker Air-conditioned Yatri express
UDAY Express is a double decker train service announced in the rail budget for dense routes which see a lot of traffic to ease burden.
AAY: Antyodaya Anna Yojana
TOT: Terms of trade
ELA: Expected levels of achievement
FIT: Flexible Inflation Targeting
G2B: Government to business
This is the complementary acronym to previously coined P2G2 or Pro People Good Governance.
HRIDAY: Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana
G-Sec: Government securities
LULUCF: Land use, Land-use Change and Forestry
PAT: Perform Achieve Trade
Simple call to action.
TEE: Town of Exports Excellence
VKGUY: Vishesh Krishi and Gram Udyog Yojana
Chakravyuha Challenge: Ease to enter, barriers to exit
The government’s way of describing the need to ease bankruptcy laws and help industries and companies exit much before they cease because of stressed assets.
4Rs: Recognition, Recapitalization, Resolution, and Reform
The four-point agenda to solve the problem of overburdened balance sheets of public sector banks and companies.
3Is: Interests, Institutions, Ideas/ideologies
The solution to the Chakravyuha problem. Expose vested interests, reform institutions and give up the socialist ideology which is holding back the industry.
3Rs: Reorganise, restructure, rejuvenate
Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu’s vision for the upcoming year to improve railways’ profitability and efficiency.
SMART: Specially Modified Aesthetic Refreshing Travel
SRESTHA: Special Railway Establishment for Strategic Technology & Holistic Advancement
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