President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday backed moves on ‘One Nation One Election’ as she emphasised the role of the Constitution in providing the foundation of “our collective identity as Indians” and noted that India’s economy today influences the global economic trends.
In her address to the nation on the eve of 76th Republic Day, President Murmu said that 75 years of the Constitution are marked by an all-round progress of a young republic.
The President congratulated citizens on Republic Day. “My congratulations to the soldiers guarding our borders as well as police and paramilitary personnel keeping it safe within the borders. My congratulations also to the members of the judiciary, the bureaucracy and our missions abroad. My best wishes to you in all your endeavours,” she said.
Referring to the steps taken for boosting education and scientific research, she said the Indian Space Research Organisation has been taking giant leaps in space in recent years.
“This month, the ISRO once again made the nation proud with its successful Space Docking Experiment. India has now become the fourth country in the world to have this capability.”
The President said at the time of Independence and even later, large parts of the country had faced extreme poverty and also hunger but one thing we were not deprived of “was our belief in ourselves”.
“We set down to create the right conditions in which everyone would have the opportunity to flourish. Our farmers toiled hard and made our country self-sufficient in food production. Our labourers worked relentlessly to transform our infrastructure and manufacturing sector. Thanks to their sterling efforts, India’s economy today influences the global economic trends. Today, India is taking leadership positions in international forums. This transformation would not have been possible without the blueprint laid down by our Constitution,” she said.
President Murmu said that in recent years, the economic growth rate has remained persistently high, creating job opportunities for youth, putting more money in the hands of farmers and labourers, and also lifting more people out of poverty.
She said the bold and far-sighted economic reforms will sustain this trend in the years to come.
“Inclusion is the cornerstone of our growth saga, distributing the fruits of developments as widely as possible,” she said.
The President said that the government continues to assign top priority to financial inclusion and initiatives such as the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, MUDRA, Stand-Up India and Atal Pension Yojana have been expanded to provide more people access to a variety of financial support schemes.
“Equally importantly, the government has redefined the notion of welfare, making basic necessities such as housing and access to drinking water a matter of entitlement. Every effort is being made to extend a helping hand to the marginalized communities, particularly of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes.”
She said that focus on physical infrastructure development, including roads and railways, ports and logistics hubs, over the past decade has created a platform that will support growth for decades to come.
The way the government has used technology in the field of finance has been exemplary. A variety of digital payment options as well as the system of direct benefit transfer have promoted inclusion, bringing a significant number of people within the formal system. It has also brought unprecedented transparency in the system. In the process, within a few years we have created a robust Digital Public Infrastructure that is among the best in the world.”
The President said that the banking system has been in a healthy condition after a series of bold measures such as the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, effecting a substantial reduction in the Non-Performing Assets of Scheduled Commercial Banks.
She said another measure that promises to redefine the terms of good governance is the Bill introduced in Parliament to synchronise election schedules in the country.
“The ‘One Nation One Election’ plan can promote consistency in governance, prevent policy paralysis, mitigate resource diversion, and reduce the financial burden, apart from offering many other benefits,” she said.
“There has also been a fresh engagement with our civilisational heritage. The ongoing Maha Kumbh can be seen as an expression of the richness of that heritage. An exciting array of initiatives is underway in the domain of culture to preserve and revitalise our traditions and customs,” she added.
Noting that India is a hub of great linguistic diversity, she said Government has recognised Assamese, Bengali, Marathi, Pali and Prakrit as classical languages. “This category already includes Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia. The Government is proactively promoting research in 11 classical languages now.”
The President said she looked forward to the completion of India’s first Archaeological Experiential Museum in Vadnagar of Gujarat, being developed next to an excavation site that shows evidence of human settlement from around 800 BCE.
The museum will bring together in one place a wide range of arts, crafts and cultural elements from different eras, she said.
The President said the young generation will shape India of tomorrow.
“Education, in turn, shapes these young minds. Therefore, the Government has increased its investment in education and made every effort to improve every parameter related to this sector. The results so far are more than encouraging. The last decade has transformed education, in terms of quality of learning and physical infrastructure and digital inclusion. For the medium of instruction, the regional languages are promoted at more levels,” she said.
“It is not surprising that there has been a notable improvement in students’ performance. I am glad to learn that women teachers have played a crucial role in this transformation, since more than 60 percent of those who became teachers in the last decade are women,” she added.
Noting that India stands sixth in terms of intellectual property filings in the world, she said India has consistently improved ranking in the Global Innovation Index, moving from 48th position in 2020 to 39th in 2024.
“With rising self-assurance, we are increasing our participation in cutting-edge research with a series of initiatives. The National Quantum Mission aims to create a vibrant and innovative ecosystem in this new frontier of technology. Another noteworthy beginning is with the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical System, which plans to focus on several advanced technologies including artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics and cyber security. These technologies were called futuristic till recently, but they are fast becoming part of our daily lives,” she said.
The President said that Genome India Project has been not only an exciting venture in exploring nature; it is also a veritable defining moment in the history of science in India. Under its flagship programme, the genome sequencing of 10,000 Indians have been made available for further research only this month. This pathbreaking project will open new vistas in biotechnology research and also give a fillip to the public healthcare system, she said.
She said Indians sportspersons are also making a mark. “Our chess champions impressed the world, as our men and women won the gold at the FIDE Chess Olympiad. The achievements in the sports during the year 2024 were capped by D. Gukesh, who became the youngest World Chess Champion.”
Referring to Indians living abroad and People of Indian Origin, the President said they have taken “best of our culture and civilisation to different parts of the globe” and have made us proud with their achievements in diverse fields.
“They have always considered themselves to be a part of the India Story. As I said at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas earlier this month, I am confident of their proactive and enthusiastic participation in the making of a Viksit Bharat, a developed India, by the year 2047.”
She said due to substantial and concrete progress in a wide range of areas, “we are marching towards the future, holding our heads high”.
“The key to our future is our youth and especially the young women. Their dreams are moulding the India of tomorrow, when we will be celebrating the centenary of our Independence. And when today’s children will salute the tricolour on January 26 of 2050, they will tell their next generation that this great quest would not have been possible without our incomparable Constitution guiding them along the way,” she said.
The President urged citizens to make efforts to counter the global threat of climate change and referred to initiatives such as Mission Lifestyle for Environment and ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’.
The President cited Mahatma Gandhi and said “our future generations will also keep in mind the mission of Independent India in the world”.
“Today, let us reaffirm our commitment to strive to realise Gandhiji’s dreams. His watchwords, truth and nonviolence, will continue to remain relevant for the whole world. He also taught us that rights and duties are but the two sides of the coin – indeed, the true source of rights is duty. Today we recall his lessons in compassion too – compassion not only for our human neighbours but also for our other neighbours, namely, flora and fauna, rivers and mountains,” she said. (ANI)
