'Youth, women, farmers and poor are four pillars of developed India': President Droupadi Murmu

Applauding India's position among the top 5 global economies, President Murmu emphasized the strength of the banking system and the success of initiatives like Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat.

President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday (January 31) addressed the joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, highlighting India's economic achievements. Commending the country's GDP growth above 7.5% in the last two quarters, she also noted a significant reduction in the inflation rate from 8% to 5.10% in the past ten years.

President Murmu underscored the successful efforts in poverty eradication, with 25 crore people lifted out of poverty during her government's tenure.

Applauding India's position among the top 5 global economies, President Murmu emphasized the strength of the banking system and the success of initiatives like Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat. She highlighted the growth in mobile manufacturing and praised the four pillars of youth power, women power, farmers, and the poor as the foundation for a developed economy.

Addressing social welfare measures, the President mentioned the distribution of free ration to 80 crore people since COVID-19 and the construction of "pakka" houses for 4 crore poor families.

Digital India's success was lauded, with advancements in digital infrastructure, ease of business, banking, and trading. The President highlighted the global recognition of UPI, citing 1,200 crore transactions in the last month.

Acknowledging Tejas as a strength and praising the forces, President Murmu noted that defence production crossed the 1 lakh crore mark. She emphasized the government's efforts for internal peace, resulting in a secure atmosphere in Jammu & Kashmir and a significant drop in incidents of naxal violence.

The upcoming Interim Budget, a 'vote-on-account,' aims to ensure the continuity of administrative operations. This temporary measure grants the new government authority to utilize funds from the Consolidated Fund of India for a limited period, typically two months, addressing immediate expenses like salaries and ongoing welfare programs.