New Delhi: The people of India have given a clear and stable mandate to the Modi government for a third time, President Droupadi Murmu said on Thursday as she addressed a joint sitting of Parliament.
The President also congratulated the people of Jammu and Kashmir for the high voter turnout recorded in the union territory in the recent Lok Sabha elections and lauded the Election Commission for holding the world's biggest democratic exercise.
Congratulating the new MPs in her first address to the joint sitting of Parliament after the constitution of the 18th Lok Sabha, Murmu said she hoped they would act as the medium for fulfilling the aspirations of the people of India.
"A very good outcome has emerged from Jammu and Kashmir in this election. Voting records of decades have been broken," she said.
"In the last four decades, we only saw low voter turnout in Kashmir amid strikes and shutdowns. Enemies of India used to project it as the opinion of Jammu and Kashmir on the global stage. This time, the people of Jammu and Kashmir gave a befitting reply to such forces," she said.
Murmu said the whole world is talking about the 2024 elections.
"The world can see Indians have for the third time formed a government with a stable and full mandate," she said.
"This has happened after six decades. People have shown trust in my government for the third time. People of India are confident that only my government can fulfil their aspirations," she said.
"This is a stamp of approval for the mission of service and good governance that my government has run for the last 10 years," the President said.
The President added that many historic and major economic decisions will be taken in the upcoming budget.
The budget that will be presented by the government in the next Parliament session will be a document of its futuristic vision, the President said in her first address to the joint sitting of Parliament after the constitution of the 18th Lok Sabha.
"The budget will have major economic and social decisions and many historic steps will be taken. The speed of reforms will be increased to fulfil the aspirations of people," she said.
She said her government believes there should be healthy competition between states for investment. "This is in the spirit of competitive-cooperative federalism," she added.
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Murmu further said, "India has become the world's fifth-largest economy. There has been an average 8 per cent growth in the last 10 years, even though these were not normal times."
"This growth rate has been achieved despite a global pandemic and conflicts in different parts of the world. This is the result of the reforms of the last 10 years. India alone is contributing 15 per cent to global growth. My government is working to make India the world's third-largest economy," she said.
Amid the NEET row, President Murmu assured during her address that the government is fully committed to investigating the recent incidents of paper leaks and ensure that the guilty are punished.
Addressing the 18th Lok Sabha for the first time, the president said her government is working to create an environment to enable youth of the country dream big and achieve them.
As she mentioned steps taken by the government on the education front, some opposition members were heard shouting "NEET".
"If due to any reason there is obstruction in examinations it is not appropriate. Sanctity, transparency are a must in government recruitments and examinations," she said.
"The government is committed to conduct fair investigation and ensure the most stringent punishment to those guilty in the recent incidents of paper leak," she said.
There were incidents of paper leaks in some states earlier as well, the president said, stressing that there is need to rise above partisan politics and take strong steps at the national level.
The president added that Parliament has also made a strong law against paper leaks.
She added that the government is working to bring reforms in the examination process.
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