NEW DELHI: Asserting that social justice is the top priority of the government, President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said the spirit of inclusion pervades every aspect of social life in India and "affirmative action must be strengthened as an instrument of inclusion".
Addressing the nation on the eve of 78th Independence Day, the President said that tendencies which stoke discord based upon perceived social hierarchies have to be rejected. She said that India has been among the fastest-growing major economies with an average growth rate of 8 percent annually from 2021 to 2024.
"This has not only put more money in the hands of people, it has also drastically reduced the number of people living below the poverty line. As for those who continue to suffer from poverty, all efforts are being made not only to provide a helping hand to them, but also to bring them out of it," she said.
The President noted that PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, launched in the initial phase of Covid-19, continues to provide free ration to about 80 crore people, which also ensures that those who have recently come out of poverty are not forced back into it.
She said India has become the fifth-largest economy in the world and is poised to become one of the top three economies soon.
"This has been made possible only by tireless hard work of farmers and workers, by the farsightedness of planners and wealth-creators, and by the visionary leadership. Farmers, our Annadata, have ensured that agricultural production continues to beat expectations. With this, they have contributed immensely to making India self-reliant in agriculture and feed our people."
The President said infrastructure has received a boost in recent years and strategic planning and effective institutions have helped expand the network of roads and highways, railways as well as ports.
"Considering the great potential of futuristic technology, the Government has vigorously promoted a range of sectors, such as semiconductors and Artificial Intelligence, while also creating an ideal ecosystem for startups which will propel their growth. It has made India an even more attractive investment destination," she said.
"With greater transparency, the banking and financial sector has become much more efficient. All of these factors have set the stage for the next generation of economic reforms and economic growth that will catapult India among the developed nations," she added.
The President said that rapid but equitable progress has given India a higher stature in global affairs.
"After the successful completion of its G-20 Presidency, India has consolidated its role as the voice of the Global South. India intends to use its influential position to expand the scope of world peace and prosperity," she said.
Recalling the words of BR Ambekdar about the need of making country's political democracy a social democracy also, she said the steady progress of "political democracy testifies to the progress made towards the consolidation of social democracy".
"The spirit of inclusion pervades every aspect of our social life. We move together as a cohesive nation with our diversity and plurality. Affirmative action must be strengthened as an instrument of inclusion. I firmly believe that in a vast country like ours, tendencies that stoke discord based upon perceived social hierarchies have to be rejected," she said.
"Social justice is a top priority of the Government, and it has taken a number of unprecedented initiatives for the welfare of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other marginalized sections of society," she added.
There is provision of reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes in government jobs. There is also a provision of reservation for weaker sections in government-funded higher education institutions.
The President said that Pradhan Mantri Samajik Utthan evam Rozgar Adharit Jankalyan (PM-SURAJ) aims to provide direct financial assistance to the people from the marginalized communities and Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan has taken the form of a mass campaign for critical interventions to improve socio-economic conditions of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups.
She said that National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem or the NAMASTE scheme will ensure that no sanitation workers will have to manually engage in the hazardous task of sewer and septic tank cleaning.
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