📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Narendra Modi
Politics
Modi cites Gujarat’s top ranking, alleges Delhi pressure on researchers
✍️ India Today
🗓 13 Nov 2026, 01:32 AM
👁 8
Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted Gujarat’s leading position in a recent performance report and claimed that researchers faced pressure from Delhi officials to alter the findings.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at a public event, reiterated that Gujarat has secured the top spot in a recently released performance report covering various development indicators. He praised the state’s achievements in sectors such as infrastructure, health and education, attributing the success to the local administration’s policies.
During the same address, Modi asserted that researchers who compiled the report were subjected to undue pressure from officials in Delhi to modify or soften the data. He said the interference aimed to downplay Gujarat’s performance and create a narrative favorable to the central government.
The prime minister did not name any individual or department, but emphasized that any attempt to influence independent research undermines transparency and accountability. No official comment has been received from the central ministries regarding the allegation.
The statement adds to ongoing debates about the autonomy of state‑level data collection agencies and the role of the central government in overseeing such assessments.
During the same address, Modi asserted that researchers who compiled the report were subjected to undue pressure from officials in Delhi to modify or soften the data. He said the interference aimed to downplay Gujarat’s performance and create a narrative favorable to the central government.
The prime minister did not name any individual or department, but emphasized that any attempt to influence independent research undermines transparency and accountability. No official comment has been received from the central ministries regarding the allegation.
The statement adds to ongoing debates about the autonomy of state‑level data collection agencies and the role of the central government in overseeing such assessments.