New Delhi, Jan 25 (UNI) President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday said that the economic growth had “remained persistently high” in the recent years, which had created job opportunities for the youth and reiterated that the bold and far-sighted economic reforms will sustain this trend in the years to come.
Addressing the nation on the eve of 76th Republic Day, Murmu said, "Inclusion is the cornerstone of our growth saga, distributing the fruits of developments as widely as possible".
Highlighting the other initiatives, she added that the 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.
Calling the technology used in the field of finance has been "exemplary", the President said, "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".
She further noted that 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 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", Murmu noted.
The President also hailed the ‘One Nation One Election’ bill that was introduced in Parliament to synchronise election schedules in the country.
She said this measure promises to redefine the terms of "good governance"...adding that 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".
Touching upon the education sector, the President said, "The Government has increased its investment in education and made every effort to improve every parameter related to this sector".
"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 noted.
Murmu said that the Central government had “redefined the notion of welfare, making basic necessities including housing and access to drinking water a matter of entitlement.”
Reiterating her address last year, the President said that every effort was being made to help “the marginalised communities, particularly of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes”.
While calling inclusion “the cornerstone of our growth saga”, the President said that this included distributing fruits of developments as widely as possible.
She said that the Centre had continued to assign top priority to financial inclusion with schemes like ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana’, ‘Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana’, ‘Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana’, ‘MUDRA’, ‘Stand Up India’ and ‘Atal Pension Yojana’.
Praising the athletes who participate in the Olympics and Paralympics for their performances, Murmu said that India had sent its largest ever contingent to the Paralympics.
The President also hailed India’s chess players’ win at the FIDE Chess Olympiad, mentioning D Gukesh for becoming the youngest World Chess Champion. The President said that India’s victories in sports fields was a reflection of the nation’s confidence.
Murmu, in her speech last year, laid emphasis on social justice, while calling it a priority of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government. “The Modi government has taken numerous initiatives for welfare of SC, ST and marginalised sections. Social justice is the top priority of the Modi government,” She said.
The President also echoed Dr B R Ambedkar’s words, while saying that “political democracy cannot last unless there lies at the base of it social democracy”.
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