President Pranab Mukherjee
On Thursday, President Pranab Mukherjee, in a speech, addressed the nation on the eve of India's Independence Day.
Here are the highlights from his speech:
- I convey greetings to Indians in the country and across theworld.
- India demands creative thinking that enables fast track development and social harmony.
- The nation has to be placed before parties and differences.
- Real solution lies in reinventing and restoring existing institutions for good governance.
- Fellow citizens, the economy is the material part of development. Education is the essential part of it.
- The poor cannot and will not wait for another generation.
- Benefits of economic development must percolate down to the poorest of poor.
- The focus of policies has to shift from alleviation of poverty to elimination of poverty.
- The stage is now set for our economy to move to a high growth trajectory.
- The prime minister's call to honor the memory of Mahatma Gandhi to make India a clean country by 2019 is commendable.
- By the end of the 12th Five Year Plan, we would have achieved 80 percent literacy.
- Why can't we keep our environment free of filth?
- The recent voter turnout shows vitality of democracy.
- We have to reject extremism in all its manifestation.
- We must defend our secular fabric with vigour.
- Good governance is critically dependent on rule of law, transparency & inclusiveness.
- Intolerance and violence is a betrayal of democracy.
- Stagnant minds create immobile systems which become roadblocks to growth.