President Droupadi Murmu has said that India’s G-20 presidency is an opportunity to promote democracy and multilateralism for shaping a better world and a better future. President Murmu expressed her confidence that G-20 will be able to further enhance its efforts to build a more equitable and sustainable world order. The President addressed the Nation yesterday on the eve of the 74th Republic Day. She described G-20 as an ideal forum to discuss and find solutions for global challenges as it represents about two-thirds of the world population and around 85 per cent of the global GDP. She added that as a result of a series of initiatives in recent years to transform all aspects of governance and unleash creative energies of people, the world has started to look at India with a new sense of respect. She said, India’s interventions in various world forums have started making a positive difference.
Drawing attention to the challenges of global warming and climate change, the President emphasised on developing and popularising alternative sources of energy while stressing the need for emerging economies to get the support of advanced nations in terms of financial support to effectively deal with the climate change crisis.
The President also emphasised the need to maintain a balance between development and the environment by reconsidering the basic priorities and focusing on the scientific aspects of traditional life values. She highlighted the need to bring changes in lifestyle, especially in the dietary pattern. On the International Year of Millets, the President said, millets were essential ingredients of people’s diet earlier and now the adoption of millets in the diet will help in conserving ecology and health. She said, coarse grains like millet are eco-friendly as they require less water to grow and yet they provide high levels of nutrition.
Appreciating the initiatives taken in recent years by the Government to transform governance, and the lives of people and achieve the Mission of Sarvodaya, the President said, great strides have been made on the economic, education, digital and technological fronts. She said, India has now become the fifth-largest economy in the world despite the economic uncertainties, global headwinds and challenges posed by the COVID pandemic. She said, most sectors of the economy have shaken off the pandemic effect and this has been made possible by timely and proactive interventions, especially the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative. Lauding the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana for ensuring food security for poor families, she said, the Government has undertaken the responsibility to take care of the weaker sections and enable them to benefit from economic development.
Highlighting the role of education in nation-building, President Droupadi Murmu highlighted the National Education Policy’s role in fulfilling the two-fold aims of education – first to become an instrument of economic and social empowerment and second to become the agent for exploration of truth. Exalting the progress made by India in the Digital and Space Technology sector, the President said, Digital India Mission is striving to make information and communication technology inclusive by bridging the rural-urban divide.
She spoke about how more and more people in far-flung places have been reaping the benefits of the internet and are receiving a variety of Government services. Mentioning the ‘Gaganyaan’ programme to carry Indian astronauts into space which is in progress, the President said India has been among the handful of pioneers in space technology.
The President observed that the progress made by India in the sphere of women’s empowerment and gender equality is evident in the growing participation and rising stature of women in every sector. She lauded the people’s active participation in the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign. Speaking about the strides taken by India in empowering the marginalised communities including the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, the President said the Government’s aim is not only to remove hurdles and help them in development but also to learn from them.
Terming India home to one of the oldest living civilisations and the mother of democracy, the President claimed that tiding over the countless challenges and adversities of the earliest days of Independence, India has succeeded as a democratic republic because of so many creeds and so many languages have not divided us but they united us. Reminding the nation that the Constitution which governs the Republic was the outcome of the freedom struggle, the President recalled that during the freedom struggle, revolutionaries and reformers had joined hands with visionaries and idealists to help us learn about our age-old values of peace, brotherhood and equality.
Lauding the role of Constitution makers, the President said, the nation will always remain grateful to Dr. BR Ambedkar, Jurist BN Rau, experts and officers who helped in making the Constitution. She said, their vision, as enshrined in the Constitution, has been continuously guiding India and now the country has transformed from a largely poor and illiterate nation to a confident nation marching on the world stage.