Vaccines, Cheetahs, Schemes: The Pattern Behind PM Modi's Birthdays

A birthday can mean cakes, gatherings and greetings. For Prime Minister Narendra Modi, however, September 17 has, over the years, been marked in rather different ways. From the release of cheetahs at Kuno National Park and a record vaccination drive to welfare initiatives and public service campaigns, his birthdays have frequently been associated with government and party programmes.

As Modi turns 76 on September 17, 2026, the Bharatiya Janata Party is preparing another elaborate month-long programme. This year’s celebrations will also mark 25 years of Modi’s service as Chief Minister and Prime Minister.

2026: A Month-long Seva Sankalp Abhiyan

The BJP will begin the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan across the country on September 17 and continue it until October 17, with the day observed as Seva Diwas.

Union Health Minister Jagat Parkash Nadda said the campaign would include cleanliness drives, blood donation and medical camps, with every booth witnessing at least 10 such service activities. The programme will also feature Seva Kalash Yatras, beneficiary conventions, a Seva Sindhu campaign and youth-focused innovation programmes.

BJP national president Nitin Nabin has appealed to citizens to light an ‘Aashirwad ka Diya’ at their homes between 6 PM to 7 PM on September 17, as a gesture marking Modi’s 25 years of public service.

On the same day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate SEMICON India 2026 at Yashobhoomi in New Delhi. The three-day event, themed ‘Silicon to Systems: Building the Ecosystem’, will feature more than 600 companies and representatives from 52 countries.

The celebrations will also include youth-led yatras linking Vadnagar and Varanasi, while a Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra involving digital creators will visit around 50 locations. The month-long campaign will conclude on October 17.

2025: Maternal And Child Healthcare In Focus

In 2025, when Modi turned 75, his birthday was marked by a focus on maternal and child healthcare.

He visited Dhar in Madhya Pradesh and interacted with locals while launching the Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan, aimed at improving maternal and child healthcare. The occasion also coincided with the launch of the eighth National Nutrition Month to combat malnutrition.

The birthday also saw the launch of the seventh edition of the Prime Minister’s Mementoes e-auction, featuring more than 1,300 gifts received by Modi. The auction, which ran from September 17 to October 2, was linked to the Namami Gange project.

2024: Housing And Women's Welfare

In 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spent his 74th birthday in Odisha, where he launched the state government’s flagship SUBHADRA scheme, expected to benefit more than one crore women.

He initiated the transfer of funds into the bank accounts of more than 10 lakh women under the scheme.

Modi also laid the foundation stone and dedicated railway projects worth more than ₹2,800 crore and laid the foundation stone for national highway projects worth over ₹1,000 crore.

He participated in Griha Pravesh celebrations for 26 lakh beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana across the country. He also launched the Awaas+ 2024 App for surveying additional households and the operational guidelines for PMAY-Urban 2.0.

2023: PM Vishwakarma And New Infrastructure

In 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked his 73rd birthday by launching the PM Vishwakarma scheme for traditional artisans and craftspeople on Vishwakarma Jayanti.

The scheme covered 18 categories of artisans and craftspeople, including carpenters, blacksmiths, goldsmiths, sculptors, potters, cobblers, tailors, masons, hairdressers and washermen. The government allocated ₹13,000 crore for the scheme.

Modi also launched its logo, tagline and portal, and distributed Vishwakarma certificates to 18 beneficiaries.

On the same day, he dedicated Phase 1 of the India International Convention and Expo Centre, Yashobhoomi, to the nation at Dwarka, New Delhi. He also inaugurated the extension of the Delhi Airport Metro Express line to Yashobhoomi Dwarka Sector 25.

2022: Eight Cheetahs Arrive At Kuno

In 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked his 72nd birthday at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, where he released eight cheetahs brought from Namibia.

The cheetahs were introduced under Project Cheetah, described by the government as the world’s first inter-continental large wild carnivore translocation project. Cheetahs had been declared extinct in India in 1952.

Modi also participated in a women’s Self Help Group (SHG) Sammelan at Karahal in Sheopur and inaugurated four Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group skilling centres under the PM Kaushal Vikas Yojana.

2021: A Record Vaccination Drive

Perhaps one of the most striking birthday-linked events came in 2021, when more than 2.5 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses were administered across India on September 17.

A total of 2,50,10,390 doses were administered that day, the highest single-day figure since India’s vaccination drive began. Karnataka, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat each accounted for more than 20 lakh doses.

Over the past five years, Modi’s birthdays have coincided with government initiatives, welfare programmes, public-service campaigns and other major events, including a nationwide vaccination drive, the release of cheetahs and the launch of schemes such as PM Vishwakarma and SUBHADRA.