Page 7 - President Of India

Puri to celebrate 2-day 'Rath Yatra' after 53 yrs, Prez Murmu to be present

The seaside pilgrim town Puri is all set for smooth conduct of Lord Jagannath's annual Rath Yatra festival which will be a two-day affair from Sunday in 53 years. Along with lakhs of devotees, President Droupadi Murmu is also scheduled to witness the Rath Yatra on Sunday. The state government has made special arrangements for her visit. Officials said that the Odisha government has made elaborate arrangements for the smooth conduct of the festival which usually is organized in a single day. Some celestial arrangements have made it a two-day event which was last held for two days in 1971. In a departure from tradition, some of the rituals related to the festival involving three sibling deities - Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra - will also be held in a single day on Sunday. The chariots have been parked in front of the Lion's Gate of the Jagannath temple from where they would be taken to Gundicha temple where the Raths will stay for a week. The chariots will be pul

President Droupadi Murmu confers 10 Kirti Chakras, 26 Shaurya Chakras

President Droupadi Murmu on Friday conferred 10 Kirti Chakras, including seven posthumously, to personnel of the Army and paramilitary forces for displaying indomitable courage and extraordinary valour in the line of duty. Kirti Chakra is India's second-highest peacetime gallantry award. President Murmu, who is the Supreme Commander of the armed forces, also presented 26 Shaurya Chakras, including seven posthumously, to the personnel of the armed forces, Central Armed Police Forces and state/Union Territory police during a defence investiture ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the defence ministry said in a statement. Sepoy Pawan Kumar of The Grenadiers, 55th Battalion, the Rashtriya Rifles; Captain Anshuman Singh of the Army Medical Corps, 26th Battalion, the Punjab Regiment; and Havildar Abdul Majid, 9th Battalion, the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) from the Indian Army have been conferred the Kirti Chakra posthumously, according to the list of awardees shared in the ..

Modi govt failed to deliver on promises, alleges Congress MP Pramod Tiwari

Senior Congress leader Pramod Tiwari accused the Narendra Modi government on Tuesday of betraying people during its 10-year rule, saying it failed to deliver on promises, whether on bringing back black money, stopping corruption or controlling price rise. Participating in a discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the Motion of Thanks for the president's address to a joint sitting of Parliament, Tiwari said the prices of several commodities have touched a multi-decade high, but the issue found no reference in President Droupadi Murmu's speech. Similary, there is no roadmap to address the problem of unemployment, the rate of which is also at a multi-year high, and there was no mention of it in Murmu's address, the Congress leader said. He said the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) failed to deliver on any of the promises it made to people and it reflected in the results of the just-concluded Lok Sabha polls, where the party lost a significant number of seats. "You must ponder on why you .

Govt will investigate recent paper leaks, guilty will be punished: President Murmu | 18th Lok Sabha

Addressing the 18th Lok Sabha for the first time, the president said her government is working to create an environment to enable the youth of the country to dream big and achieve them.

Budget to see historic steps; major economic, social reforms: Prez Murmu

The pace of reforms will be accelerated in tune with the aspirations of people of India for rapid development, says Droupadi Murmu, President

Looking ahead

President points to the Budget for explicit policy agenda

Reforms in armed forces necessary to maintain supremacy during wars: Murmu

Nearly 70 per cent of the total procurement of defence forces was sourced from domestic firms last year, President Droupadi Murmu said on Thursday, outlining the government's focus to boost production of critical military hardware within India. In an address to a joint sitting of Parliament, Murmu said modernisation of the armed forces is essential for a strong India and that reforms in the military should be a continuous process to ensure that it maintains "supremacy" during wars. Listing steps to boost domestic defence production, she said the reforms undertaken in the sector have resulted in India now manufacturing defence equipment worth more than Rs one lakh crore. The president said the BrahMos missile deal with the Philippines has strengthened India's standing in the defence export sector. "Modernisation of our armed forces is essential for a strong India. Reforms in our armed forces should be a continuous process so that our forces maintain their supremacy during wars," sh

Justice will be priority not punishment: Prez Murmu on new criminal laws

President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said the three new criminal laws, which are slated to come into force from July 1, will provide justice rather than punishment, which was the mindset during the British regime. Addressing the first joint sitting of Parliament after the constitution of the 18th Lok Sabha, she said the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023 and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023 will speed up the judicial process. These laws, enacted last year, are set to replace the British-era Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act respectively. "The Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita will come into force in the country from the 1st of July. During the British regime, there was the mindset to punish the subjects. Unfortunately, the same penal system of the colonial era continued for many decades after Independence," she said. The president said the idea of changing criminal laws was much talked about for many decades, but it i

Govt committed to fair investigation in paper leaks, says President Murmu

The government is fully committed to a fair investigation in the recent incidents of paper leaks and ensure that the guilty are punished, President Droupadi Murmu said on Thursday, asserting there is a need to rise above party politics and undertake concrete measures nationwide. In her address to the joint sitting of Parliament, Murmu said the government is working towards major reforms in all aspects of exam process and the functioning of examination-related bodies. Addressing the 18th Lok Sabha for the first time, the president said the examination process requires complete transparency and probity, whether it is competitive examinations or government recruitment tests. As she mentioned steps taken by the government on the education front, some opposition members were heard shouting "NEET", the medical entrance exam whose question paper was allegedly leaked according to an investigation by the Bihar Police. "Whether it is competitive examinations or government recruitment, there

Narendra Modi sworn in for third consecutive term as India's Prime Minister

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the third Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru and Atal Bihari Vajpayee to have a third term in the post

With Ramoji Rao's demise, India lost media titan: President Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday condoled the demise of renowned media tycoon Ramoji Rao and said his contributions to the industry will be long remembered. "With the demise of Shri Ramoji Rao, India has lost a titan of the media and entertainment sector," President Murmu said in a post on X. Rao, who revolutionised the news and entertainment industry, died at a hospital in Hyderabad early on Saturday. He was 88. An innovative entrepreneur, he pioneered a number of ventures, including the Eenadu newspaper, ETV news network and Ramoji Film City, President Murmu said. "Honoured with Padma Vibhushan, he succeeded as his vision was essentially rooted in society. His contributions to this industry will be long remembered. My condolences to his family and well-wishers," she said.

Modi meets Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi ahead of third term PM candidacy bid

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met BJP veterans L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi at their residences here on Friday, before staking claim to form the government at the Centre for a third consecutive term. Modi visited Advani soon after being chosen as the leader of the NDA parliamentary party, leader of the BJP parliamentary party and leader of the BJP in the Lok Sabha. After meeting Advani, he went to the residence of Joshi, a former president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Modi was later scheduled to go to the Rashtrapati Bhawan to call on President Droupadi Murmu for staking claim to form the government. While the BJP has got 240 seats, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has got 293 seats and enjoys majority in the 543-member Lok Sabha.

NDA MPs may elect Modi as their leader on Friday, pave way for his 3rd term

Newly elected MPs of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance are expected to meet on Friday to elect Narendra Modi as their leader, paving the way for him to take oath as prime minister for a third term. Sources said after Modi's election as the leader of NDA MPs, senior members of the alliance like TDP's N Chandrababu Naidu and JD(U)'s Nitish Kumar will join the prime minister for a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu to present her the list of parliamentarians supporting him. He may be sworn in over the weekend, possibly Sunday, they added. The NDA has 293 MPs, comfortably above the majority mark of 272 in the 543-member Lok Sabha. Senior BJP leaders, including Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, held deliberations through the day on Thursday as the party set in motion government formation efforts. They met at BJP president J P Nadda's residence in what was seen as part of the party's exercise to reach out to allies over issues like their share of ministerial berths a

Election Commission to give list of winning LS candidates to President

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu will on Thursday evening hand over the list of candidates who won the Lok Sabha elections to President Droupadi Murmu, sources said Thursday. Once the list is handed over to the President, the formal process to constitute the 18th Lok Sabha will commence. Accepting the recommendation of the Union Cabinet, the President had ordered the dissolution of the 17th Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is poised to form the government at the Centre for a third consecutive term after the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won majority in the just-concluded parliamentary polls. The NDA has won 293 seats, while the opposition INDIA bloc 234 seats. After handing over the list to the President, the Commission will pay floral tributes at Raj Ghat.

18th Lok Sabha formation: CEC to provide list of new MPs to President

In the meantime, President Droupadi Murmu dissolved the 17th Lok Sabha on Wednesday, following the recommendation of the Union Cabinet

President Murmu hosts dinner for outgoing Union Council of Ministers

Prime Minister Modi, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, his wife Sudesh Dhankhar, and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla were pictured at the dinner in Delhi

President Murmu dissolves 17th Lok Sabha on advice of the Cabinet

President Droupadi Murmu dissolved the 17th Lok Sabha on Wednesday on the advice of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Cabinet, according to the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The Cabinet, in its meeting held on Wednesday, advised the President to dissolve the current Lok Sabha with immediate effect, it said. "The President has accepted the advice of the Cabinet on 05.06.2024 and signed the Order dissolving the 17th Lok Sabha in exercise of the powers conferred upon her by Sub-clause (b) of Clause (2) of Article 85 of the Constitution," a communique issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan read. The term of the current Lok Sabha was to end on June 16. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi tendered his resignation to President Murmu, who accepted it and asked him to continue till the new government assumes office. The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won a majority in the Lok Sabha election. While the NDA is comfortably above the majority mark of 272 in the 543-member Lok Sabha, the BJP

LS polls: President Murmu casts vote in New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency

President Droupadi Murmu cast her vote in the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency on Saturday, officials said. Murmu reached the polling booth at Dr Rajendra Prasad Kendriya Vidyalaya, inside the President's Estate, around 9 am, they said. After voting, Murmu held up her inked finger as she posed for photos for media persons outside the polling booth, which was decorated in pink and white colours. Voting for seven constituencies of Delhi -- Chandni Chowk, North East Delhi, East Delhi, New Delhi, North West Delhi, West Delhi and South Delhi -- began at 7 am. Murmu, who hails from Odisha, was sworn in as the 15th President of India on July 25, 2022. She received her new voter identification card with the updated address on November 28 last year. Her old voter ID carried her Odisha address.

Civil servants to continue to serve citizens with nation first spirit: Prez

President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday greeted civil servants on Civil Services Day, and expressed confidence that they will continue to serve fellow citizens with the spirit of "nation first". April 21 is celebrated as Civil Services Day and is an occasion for bureaucrats to rededicate themselves to the cause of citizens and renew their commitments to public service and excellence in work. "Greetings to all civil servants on Civil Services Day! You have carried forward the great legacy of working for the progress of the country with indefatigable spirit. Our civil services always face the challenge to adapt quickly to the dynamic environment, while upholding the three fundamental values Sardar Patel underlined in his speech on this day in 1947 dignity, integrity and incorruptibility," she said. "I am confident you will continue to serve the fellow citizens with the spirit of Nation First. My best wishes to you in this endeavour," Murmu said in a post on X. The day commemorates the ..

Let's pledge to spread love, harmony: Prez Murmu on eve of Mahavir Jayanti

President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday greeted citizens on the eve of Mahavir Jayanti and asked everyone to pledge to spread love and harmony in society. She said Mahavir Jayanti marks the birth anniversary of Lord Mahavir -- the epitome of "non-violence and compassion". "This festival gives us the message of love and peace. Lord Mahavir showed the path of non-violence, celibacy, truth and renunciation for creating an ideal and civilised society," Murmu said. His teachings will always remain relevant for the welfare of mankind, the president said. "On this occasion, let us pledge to spread love and harmony in the society and work with dedication for the development of the nation," Murmu said. "On the auspicious occasion of Mahavir Jayanti, I extend warm greetings and best wishes to all fellow citizens, especially to the Jain community," she said in her message.