Union Budget Session | Two colleges established in the country every day, says President Murmu

Let us walk together, step by step, understand each other’s mind, and let there be a flow of unity in our resolutions. Let us fulfil the oath of the constitution by walking on our Kartavya path in this age of nation-building, Ms. Murmu says as she concludes her speech.

Since 2014, Ms. Murmu says, a medical college has come up almost every month in India. “During this period two colleges have been established in the country every day, one university has been established every week,” she says. She says that while there were only 725 universities in the country, in the last eight years more than 300 new universities have been added.

The number of graduate and post graduate seats for medical students has now doubled in the country as compared to earlier, she adds.

Ms. Murmu also highlights the country’s achievement in vaccinating the population against COVID-19. “In two years, India has given more than 220 crore vaccine doses.”

Ms. Murmu in her address says that since 2014, 11,000 houses of the housing scheme were built everyday for the poor in India.

“In the same period about 2.5 lakh people in India got connected to broadband connection every day,” she says, citing other achievements which include more than 55,000 gas connections were given everyday. Loans worth more than ₹700 crore were disbursed everyday under Mudra Yojana.

The President’s address now moves to speak on the infrastructural progress in the country, including in aviation and the railways.

She says that many inaccessible areas are being added to the railway map of the country, and that Indian Railways is fast moving towards becoming the largest electric railway network in the world.

The President also cites the metro network which she says has increased more than three times. “Work on metro trains is going on in 27 cities, and more than 100 new waterways are also being developed across the country. These new waterways will help in rejuvenating the transport sector in the country.”

Ms. Murmu says that her government has increased the solar energy capacity by nearly 20 times since 2014. “Today India ranks fourth in the world in terms of renewable energy capacity. The country has already achieved the target of generating 40% capacity of the country’s electricity from non-fossil fuels nine years ago.”

President Murmu in her address goes on to highlight India’s position in various indexes. She highlights the Global Innovation Index where India is at the 40th position.

The President also speaks about the country’s progress in Sports. “From Commonwealth Games to Olympics and Paralympics, our sportspersons have proved that their talent is second to none. Khelo India Games, Khelo India Centers to TOPS scheme are being run to find such talents in every nook and corner of the country, to enhance their talent.”

Speaking on the Made in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat campaigns, the President says that the country’s manufacturing capacity is increasing and manufacturing companies from all over the globe are coming to India. “Until a few years ago, we used to import mobile phones in large numbers. Today India has become a major exporter of mobile phones in the world. The import of toys in the country has decreased by 70%, while the export has increased by more than 60%,” she says. The President also speaks on defence exports, which she says have increased six times. “I am proud that today the first indigenous aircraft carrier in the form of INS Vikrant has also joined our army.”

Quoting the woman poet of Odia language, Kuntala Kumari Sabat, Ms. Murmu says that in ‘Utkal Bharti’ the poet declared about 100 years ago:

“Basundhara-Tale Bharat-Ramani Nuhe Heen Nuhe Deen Amar Kirti Koti Yuge Kebhen Jagtun Nohib Leen.” This she translates to: The woman of India is neither inferior nor humble compared to anyone on earth.

She says that her government has chosen to focus on the country’s heritage. “My government has chosen the path of consolidating heritage and giving priority to development,” she says, citing the change of name of Rajpath to Kartavya Path now. “Netaji’s statue stands tall to remind our Kartavya.”

Speaking on the topic of ‘Naari Shakti’ (woman empowerment), the President cites schemes such as ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’. “For the first time in the country, the number of women is more than men and the health of women has also improved more than before,” she says. “The President says that the recruitment of women “has been opened up in every sector, from mining to front lines in the army. From Sainik Schools to Military Training Schools, our daughters are now studying and training. It is my government which has increased the maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks.”

“I feel proud to see that today our sisters and daughters are hoisting their laurels at the world level according to the dreams of Utkal Bharti,” she adds.

The President in her address goes on to highlight schemes like the Ambedkar Utsav Dham, Amrit Jaldhara and Yuva Udyami Yojana. These, she says are being run for the socio-economic empowerment of Scheduled Castes.

Saying that for the first time the country is celebrating the birthday of Shri Birsa Munda as Tribal Pride Day, she adds that more than 36,000 tribal dominated villages are being developed under the Pradhan Mantri Adi Adarsh Gram Yojana. “Today more than 400 Eklavya model schools have opened in tribal areas in the country,” she says.

President Murmu says that the priority of her government is “the 11 crore small farmers of the country.” She says that now every kind of effort is being made to make them strong and prosperous. “Under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, more than ₹2.25 lakh crore have been given to these small farmers,” Ms. Murmu says. The President says that of these beneficiaries, about three crore are women. “Due to this, women farmers have received about ₹54 thousand crore so far.”

Speaking about the Jal Jeevan Mission, President Murmu says, about 11 crore families have been connected with piped water supply in three years under “Poor families are getting maximum benefit from this,” she says. “By providing housing, piped water, electricity, gas connection and sanitation, we are helping the poor families to live a hassle free life. Children growing up in such a situation will have more self-confidence”

In her address, President Murmu says that under her government any basic facilities have either reached 100% population or is very close to that target. “My government has decided to run the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana further according to the new circumstances. This is the hallmark of a sensitive and poor-friendly government. Under the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, the government has spent about ₹3.5 lakh crore for free food grains to the poor,” she says adding that the scheme is being praised all over the world.

In her address to the Parliament, President Murmu goes on to highlight the ease that technology has provided in governance. Ms. Murmu cites the e-marketplace and income tax refunds, DBT as .examples.

“Earlier there was a long wait for tax refund. Today, refund is received within a few days of filing ITR. Today, along with transparency, the dignity of the tax payers is also being ensured through GST,” she says.

Over the years, in the form of DBT, in the form of Digital India, the country has prepared a permanent and transparent system.

Saying that money of more than 300 schemes is directly reaching the bank accounts of the beneficiaries, President Murmu says that with full transparency, an amount of more than ₹27 lakh crore has reached crores of people.

President Droupadi Murmu expressed her gratitude to the citizens for electing a stable government for two consecutive terms. “My government always kept the country’s interest paramount, showed the will to completely change the policy-strategy,” she says.

From the surgical strikes to the tough crackdown on terrorism, from the LoC to the LAC, from the abrogation of Article 370 to the triple talaq, my government has been recognised as a decisive government, she adds

Of the current government, the President says that there is a government that is stable, fearless, decisive and working for big dreams. Today India has a government that respects the honest. She adds that India today has a government working for permanent solution to the poor and their permanent empowerment.

The President outlines an idea for the country by 2047. She says, we have to create such an India - whose youth power and women power stand at the forefront to give direction to the society and the nation, whose youth walk two steps ahead of time.

An India whose diversity is more vivid, whose unity is more unshakable.

Lord Basaveshwar had said – Kayakve Kailas. That is, work is worship, Shiva is in the work itself. Following the path shown by him, my government is working diligently to fulfill the duty of nation building.

In her maiden address to the Parliament, President Droupadi Murmu says, this 25-year period of Amritkal is the golden century of independence and the period of building a developed India. These 25 years are for all of us and for every citizen of the country to show the culmination of our duties We have to build such a nation by 2047, which is associated with the glory of the past and which has every golden chapter of modernity, she says.

We have to make such an India which is self- reliant and which is also able to fulfill its humanitarian obligations. Such an India - in which there is no poverty, whose middle class is also full of glory, the President says in her speech

Credits: PTI

President Droupadi Murmu arrives at the Parliament to address the joint session of both Houses. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Speaker Om Birla and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar are present.

Credits: R.V. Moorthy

Ceremonial escort underway to President Droupadi Murmu to Parliament to address the joint session at the start of the Budget session. The distance between Rashtrapati Bhavan and Parliament Hall is hardly a kilometre.

Every year, the President takes a ceremonial journey accompanied by her Presidential Bodyguards in her limousine.

Several Congress MPs, including Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, will not be able to attend the President’s address to a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament on Tuesday due to delayed flights from Srinagar on account of inclement weather.

Party leader Jairam Ramesh said several Congress leaders and MPs are in Srinagar for the concluding events of the Bharat Jodo Yatra on January 30.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has said the President will address the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament in the existing building, putting to rest speculations that it could be held in the new building.

Amid reports that President Droupadi Murmu can address the joint session of both houses in the new building, Mr. Birla in a tweet said the New Parliament Building is still under construction.