President Murmu's Maiden Address to New Parliament in 10 Points

In her maiden address to the joint session of Parliament in the new building, President Droupadi Murmu highlighted India's socio-economic achievements and outlined the development agenda of ‘Viksit Bharat’ in the Amrit Kaal of independence for the next 25 years. She touched upon infrastructure growth, UPI boom, Agricultural boost and legislative reforms among others. Here are the key takeaways.

New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu commenced her speech in the New Parliament by saying that the new premises is imbued with the fragrance of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ and is a testimony to India’s advanced civilization and culture.

Key takeaways from President's Speech:

1. The new Parliament Building will be witness to productive dialogue on policies that will shape ‘Viksit Bharat’ in the Amrit Kaal of our independence.
2. This year marks the 75th year of the adoption of the Constitution. It was a period of 'Amrit Mahotsav' when the young generation took out a special campaign. Amrit Kalash containing soil from every village of the country was brought to Delhi under the ‘Meri Maati, Mera Desh’ campaign. Over two lakh plaques were installed. More than three crore people took the oath of the ‘Panch Pran’ and around 70,000 Amrit Sarovars were built. Construction of more than two lakh “Amrit Vatikas” was completed. Besides, over two crore trees were planted and a statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was installed on “Kartavya Path”.
3. Amidst serious global crises, India emerged as the fastest-growing major economy, consistently maintaining a growth rate of over 7.5 per cent for two consecutive quarters. India became the first country to hoist its flag on the south pole of the Moon. India also won more than 100 medals in Para Asian Games. Adding to the list, an Indian Airline company executed the world’s largest aircraft deal.
4. Legislative changes were made and the criminal justice system rooted in the era of slavery was finally amended. "Now, justice takes precedence over punishment. The nation has got a new Nyaya Sanhita based on the principle of Justice First". Besides, the Central University Act was amended which paved the way for setting up a Sammakka Sarakka Central Tribal University in Telangana. A strict law was enacted against ‘Triple Talaq’ and a law to grant citizenship to persecuted minorities from our neighbouring countries. For the first time, a Chief of Defence Staff was appointed for India’s defence forces.
5. In the realm of growth, Capex has increased 5 times to Rupees 10 lakh crore. Fiscal Deficit has come under control. "Today, we have Forex reserves in excess of 600 billion US dollars. Our banking system, which was in a very bad shape earlier, has today become one of the strongest banking systems in the world. NPAs of banks which used to be in double digits in the past are today around only 4 percent. Today, India is the world’s second-largest producer of mobile phones. During the last decade, there has been a five-fold increase in mobile phone manufacturing. A few years ago, India used to import toys, today India is exporting Made in India toys. India’s defence production has crossed Rupees one lakh crore."
6. Speaking of the digital boom, the President said that 46 per cent of the world’s total real-time digital transactions take place in India. She added, "A record 1200 crore transactions were done through UPI last month. This amounts to a record transaction of Rupees 18 lakh crore. Other countries of the world are also now providing the facility of transactions through UPI."
7. Moving on to socio-infrastructural development, around 4 crore 10 lakh poor families have got their own pucca houses and about Rs 6 lakh crore have been spent on this initiative. "For the first time, piped water has reached about 11 crore rural families costing Rupees 4 lakh crore. About 10 crore Ujjwala gas connections have been provided to date. These beneficiary sisters are also being provided cooking gas at very cheap rates. The Government has spent around Rupees 2.5 lakh crore on this scheme. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, 80 crore countrymen have been given free ration."
8. Speaking of what the Government has done for the farmers, she said that under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, farmers paid a premium of Rs 30 thousand crore. In return, they received a claim of Rs 1.5 lakh crore. "In the last 10 years, farmers have received nearly Rs 18 lakh crore as MSP (Minimum Support Price) for paddy and wheat crops. This is 2.5 times more than the preceding 10 years before 2014. Previously, the government procurement of oilseeds and pulses crops was negligible. In the last decade, farmers producing oilseeds and pulses have received over Rupees 1.25 lakh crore as MSP. It is our government that has formulated the Agricultural Export Policy in the country for the first time. This has led to agricultural exports reaching up to Rupees 4 lakh crore. In 10 years, more than Rupees 11 lakh crore have been spent to provide fertilizers to farmers at affordable prices. The government has established more than 1.75 lakh Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samriddhi Kendra. So far, around 8,000 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) have been formed. The government is promoting cooperatives in agriculture. Therefore, a Ministry of Cooperation has been established for the first time in the country. The world’s largest Grain Storage plan has been launched in the cooperative sector," she added.
9. India claimed its space in the world by increasing the scope of its foreign policy. "Today India is a respected member of many global organisations and a leading voice in the world against terrorism. Today India responds strongly and takes initiatives for humanity caught in crises. Wherever there is a crisis in the world today, India tries to respond promptly. My government has instilled new confidence in Indians working across the world. Wherever crisis occurred, we have evacuated every Indian safely through campaigns like Operation Ganga, Operation Kaveri, Vande Bharat."
10. Lastly, she said that on January 22, the country created history as Ram Lalla was enshrined in a grand temple in Ayodhya after a wait for centuries. "This was a matter of aspirations and faith for crores of our countrymen and the resolution of this has been accomplished harmoniously," she said.

The President ended her speech by saying that many of her friends will not be in this House to witness the year 2047. "However, our legacy should be such that the future generations should remember us," she added.

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