mid-day Opinion: Make austerity a part of governance

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis (right) rides a motorcycle from Varsha to Vidhan Bhavan and Mantralaya on Thursday as a symbolic gesture backing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s austerity appeal. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Calling for austerity during a crisis is not a new idea in India. In the early 1960s, Jawaharlal Nehru urged citizens to conserve resources during a difficult period for the country. A few years later, Lal Bahadur Shastri called for sacrifice and self-discipline. In the 1970s, amid economic stress and the global oil crisis, Indira Gandhi asked people to reduce consumption and practise restraint.

Decades later, in the early 2010s, under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, then-Finance Minister P Chidambaram urged people to curb gold purchases to help reduce India's current account deficit and ease pressure on the rupee.

And now, in 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeated the same message: save fuel, cut unnecessary spending and use public money carefully.

The reasons may change. In the 1960s, 1970s, and 2013, the concerns were largely linked to India's own economic challenges. In 2026, the trigger is a geopolitical crisis involving the United States and Iran, which has pushed up global oil prices and increased pressure on import-dependent countries like India.

But the message remains the same. Every time India faces a crisis, leaders ask citizens to conserve resources. They take the Metro, use smaller vehicles, reduce their convoys and call for restraint.

And every time the crisis passes, the message is forgotten. The convoys become larger again. Foreign trips resume. Government spending returns to normal. The culture of saving fades, and waste once again becomes routine.

This has happened again and again in India. That is the real problem.

Austerity does not mean ministers must ride motorcycles every day. Symbolic gestures have value because they send a message. But the real goal is much bigger: to permanently reduce oversized convoys, unnecessary travel, avoidable luxury, and wasteful government expenditure.

If a few months of austerity can help reduce the fiscal deficit, imagine what could happen if governments followed the same discipline every day, year after year.

How much money could be saved? How many hospitals could be upgraded? How many schools could be improved? How many roads, bridges, and public transport projects could be completed with money that is now being wasted? These are not small questions.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent call for austerity has reopened an important debate. Leaders from the ruling alliance have tried to show they are willing to lead by example. Opposition parties have questioned whether these are genuine efforts or temporary optics. Both reactions are understandable. But the larger issue is much bigger than politics.

Austerity should not be a temporary response to war, rising oil prices or economic uncertainty. It should be a permanent principle of governance.

Every Indian family understands the importance of saving. Families do not wait for a crisis to switch off unused lights, avoid food waste, or postpone unnecessary purchases. Saving is a habit. It is part of responsible living. Government should work the same way.

Public money belongs to taxpayers. It is collected from millions of citizens and should be spent with the same care that families use when managing their household budgets.

Even small reductions in waste can lead to large savings over time.

If ministries reduce unnecessary travel, hold more meetings online, limit oversized convoys, and cut avoidable expenses, the savings could run into thousands of crores every year. That money could be used for education, healthcare, infrastructure, and welfare.

This is why symbolic gestures alone are not enough.

When leaders use public transport, they send a positive message. They show they are willing to practise what they preach.

But symbols do not change systems.

Real change happens only when austerity becomes part of government rules and budgets. There should be clear limits on non-essential spending. Departments should publish annual savings. Officials should be encouraged to reduce waste and improve efficiency.

Without these reforms, today's message will become tomorrow's forgotten slogan. India does not need a culture of austerity only during emergencies. It needs a culture of responsibility at all times.

A nation does not become stronger only by earning more. It becomes stronger by wasting less. If India can turn this temporary appeal into a permanent habit, the country will save thousands of crores, reduce its fiscal burden and free up more resources for schools, hospitals, roads, and public transport.

The real test will come after the crisis is over. If the old habits return, this will be remembered as just another headline.
But if governments continue to spend carefully even in normal times, 2026 could be remembered as the year India finally learned a simple but powerful lesson.

Public money is not meant to be displayed. It is meant to be protected.

Sanjeev Shivadekar is political editor, mid-day. He tweets @SanjeevShivadek

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The views expressed in this column are the individual's and don't represent those of the paper