President Pranab Mukherjee’s first year in office on Thursday will be marked by unveiling a bronze statute of Mahatma Gandhi, inaugurating a public library and a cricket ground in the President’s Estate and launch of digital initiatives linked to the Rashtrapati Bhavan website President Mukherjee will begin the day by unveiling Ram Sutar’s bronze sculpture of Mahatma Gandhi. Eighty-nine year-old Ram Sutar is considered a master of stone, marble and bronze sculpturing. Awarded the Padma Shri in 1999, his statutes of eminent leaders are installed in Parliament, important government buildings and other public places.
Later in the day, the President will interact with Governors across the country through a new video conferencing facility installed at Rashtrapati Bhavan and host a dinner for the Council of Ministers.
The library christened the ‘Pranab Mukherjee Public Library’ will be thrown open to the residents of the Estate. “A dilapidated building in the President’s Estate, which was scheduled for demolition, has been renovated and converted into the ‘Pranab Mukherjee Public Library’ for use by residents of the Rashtrapati Bhavan Estate and their children. This library will have a rich collection of books, newspapers and magazines for readers of all age groups as well as a special children’s section,” said Venu Rajamony, Press Secretary to the President.
The President’s Office will reach out to the masses through a video — ‘The Presidency: Glimpses of First Year’ — a compilation of important events over the last one year in Rashtrapati Bhavan and the President’s Estate.
“A Digital Photo Library with photographs of the first year of President Pranab Mukherjee’s Presidency is being added to the website,” Mr. Rajamony said.
