Narendra Modi had begun his first regime in 2014 on a drought note. It was followed by another drought in 2015. This was said to be the first instance in a hundred years when India faced back-to-back drought years. Narendra Modi won a bigger mandate in 2019 and India is staring at another spell of drought if the current trend of rainfall shortage continues. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) data fuels this fear. In the pre-monsoon season or between March 1 and May 31, the rainfall deficiency was 25 per cent. It has been increasing since then. Between May 30 and June 6, the IMD data says, the rainfall deficiency increased to 40 per cent. According to the Drought Early Warning System, 43 per cent of India is currently under the spell of drought. Situation in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu is grim. It is not much better in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. About half of Maharashtra - including the districts of Latur, Beed and Osmanabad in Marathwada region - comprising