question_answer

Direction: Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.

At the end of Narendra Modi's first year in government, a verdict on his performance would read something like this: He has done better than UPA-11, but he has under-delivered on the promise that brought him to power in May 2014 ?the promise of bringing a radically refreshing approach to governance and business. To be sure, the economy is reviving, but business confidence, while still positive, is now more muted than it was last year. There is also a sense that luck (especially falling oil prices) helped improve the economy's performance on growth, inflation, and the twin deficits (fiscal and current account), but the government has not shown enough pluck or the gumption needed to harness favourable winds to put the economy on a much higher trajectory. Luck without pluck is not a combination that can sustain. And incremental change?a little tweak here and a push in the right direction there?is not going to move the  economy to double-digit growth any time soon. It would be churlish to deny the government some of its obvious successes. The bill to increase foreign direct investment in insurance is law; so are the coal and mining and minerals amendments bills. The spectrum auctions have been a big hit, and the first phase of the coal mine auctions brought in big revenues for states with this mineral in sackfuls. Diesel prices have been decontrolled, and cooking gas subsidies are now paid directly into bank accounts (thanks to the speedy expansion of the Jan-Dhan inclusive banking scheme and the Aadhaar unique ID rollout). Two minor labour reform bills?one to exempt establishments with fewer than 40 employees from furnishing returns and maintaining registers, and the Apprentices Bill, to make it easier for factories to take on trainees?have also passed their respective legislative hurdles. In short, the crux of the problem faced by Modi at the end of his first year in office is simple: His economic agenda is hostage to politics, and it is his government's political failures that are slowing down his economic agenda. Modi made the mistake of taking for granted the indulgence normally shown to new governments by not pushing the politically difficult bills through in his first six months in office; now, he will have to pay a high political price for every concession he wins from his opponents for important bills. Modi and his party president, Amit Shah, spent the first six months trying to win state elections, and their political success brought them the undying enmity of ally and enemy.

What according to writer is slowing down the economic agenda of Narendra Modi?

A)  Political failure of his government

B)  Robust opponent

C)  Lack of economic knowledge and vision

D)  Absence of economists and experts in his government

E)  None of these