5 min readJul 17, 2026 06:37 PM IST
First published on: Jul 17, 2026 at 06:37 PM IST
On July 17, 2016, I took oath as the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh. As I complete a decade in office, I find myself reflecting not on milestones alone, but on the enduring lessons that I have imbibed while serving this land and its remarkable people. There are 10 that stand out.
The first lesson is that leadership is service, or it is nothing at all. I have had the rare privilege of observing governance at close quarters under Prime Minister Narendra Modiji. What I have learnt from him is not merely his style of administration, but a way of thinking: That every decision must be rooted in seva. When the PM visits the Northeast more often than all his predecessors combined, it reflects a conviction that leadership begins by paying attention to those who have long remained at the margins.
The second lesson came from my party. The BJP gave me a simple yet profound philosophy of governance: Antyodaya, the commitment to serve the last person. In Arunachal Pradesh, where the last household may be a seven-day trek from the nearest road, antyodaya is a governing principle. That is why Arunachal became the first state in the Northeast to achieve 100 per cent Har Ghar Jal coverage.
The third lesson is that national security admits no compromise. Arunachal Pradesh has over 1,000 km of international borders. Every road we construct, every frontier village we strengthen, every child we educate in these regions contributes to India’s security. Our border villages are not India’s last villages; they are our first.
The fourth lesson required us to overcome an old and deeply held fear: Connectivity is a strength, not a vulnerability. For decades, development in Arunachal was constrained by the belief that better roads might one day benefit an adversary. Our government chose to reverse that mindset. It took 75 years for Itanagar to get an airport; today, Donyi Polo Airport connects us to Delhi in just three hours. The Sela Tunnel, the Trans-Arunachal Highway and the Frontier Highway are pathways to opportunity.
The fifth lesson is that lasting prosperity is the only sustainable answer to poverty. Over the past decade, Arunachal’s GSDP has grown two-and-a-half times, while our own revenues have increased fivefold. Today, hydropower projects totalling about 19,000 MW are under development. Our future lies in entrepreneurship, sustainable tourism and the responsible use of our natural resources. The Prime Minister has described the eight northeastern states as India’s Ashtalakshmi, the eight forms of prosperity.
The sixth lesson is that environmental stewardship is not an obstacle to development; it is the very foundation of it. With nearly 80 per cent forest cover, Arunachal Pradesh is one of the world’s great natural carbon sinks. Our Pakke Declaration 2047, adopted by the cabinet inside a tiger reserve, a first for any Indian state, commits us to building a climate-resilient economy.
The seventh lesson is that institutions outlast individuals. I assumed office at a time when frequent political instability had disrupted continuity and stability in governance. The past decade has therefore been devoted to building systems that are transparent, stable and accountable.. That stability is perhaps the most enduring accomplishment of these 10 years.
The eighth lesson is that trust can only be earned through transparency. We established the Staff Selection Board through legislation to eliminate favouritism in recruitment, and we rebuilt the Public Service Commission after past irregularities. Zero tolerance towards corruption is becoming part of our administrative culture.
The ninth lesson is that the government must reflect the aspirations of its people. Through initiatives such as Sarkar Aapke Dwar and cabinet meetings held across district headquarters, we have sought to bring governance closer to citizens, right at their doorsteps. Democracy acquires greater meaning when people can see their own hopes and aspirations reflected in public policy.
The 10th and perhaps most important lesson is this: Invest in the young. Our reforms in health and education, our efforts to build high-quality schools and medical colleges and our investments in sports are not expenditures; they are our most valuable investments. A child growing up in Tawang or Tirap deserves the same opportunities and the same horizon as a child in Delhi or Bengaluru.
Ten years ago, I inherited a state seeking stability. Today, I have the privilege of serving a state defined by confidence and aspiration. As India advances towards the goal of Viksit Bharat, Arunachal Pradesh will continue to demonstrate that the nation’s frontiers are not its periphery; they are where its future is being written first.
The writer is Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh
Our future lies in entrepreneurship, sustainable tourism and the responsible use of our natural resources. 
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