The government of India has announced seven day mourning in memory of former President Pranab Mukherjee.

“As a mark of respect to the departed dignitary, seven days State Mourning will be observed throughout India from 31.08.2020 to 06.09.2020, both days inclusive. During the period of State Mourning the National Flag will fly at halfmast on all buildings throughout India, where it is flown regularly and there will be no official entertainment,” a statement issued by Centre said.

A leader of vast experience and knowledge who strived for consensus in the polity and left an imprint on India's modern history, Pranab Mukherjee was India's 13th President and was conferred its highest civilian honour.

The 84-year old veteran Congressman who played a crucial role in the functioning of the UPA governments till he was chosen the President in 2012, Pranab Mukherjee reflected decency in politics that had no place for rancour, acrimony and personalised attacks even as he remained firmly committed to the party's ideology.

He oozed a natural warmth and his intellect, knowledge, power of persuasion, memory and skills made him a go-to man in the Congress, especially in the last about 15 years of his political life.

(With inputs from agencies)

The government of India has announced seven day mourning in memory of former President Pranab Mukherjee. “As a mark of respect to the departed dignitary, seven days State Mourning will be observed throughout India from 31.

The government of India has announced seven day mourning in memory of former President Pranab Mukherjee. “As a mark of respect to the departed dignitary, seven days State Mourning will be observed throughout India from 31.08.2020 to 06.09.2020, both days inclusive. During the period of State Mourning the National Flag will fly at halfmast on all buildings throughout India, where it is flown regularly and there will be no official entertainment,” a statement issued by Centre said. A leader of vast experience and knowledge who strived for consensus in the polity and left an imprint on India's modern history, Pranab Mukherjee was India's 13th President and was conferred its highest civilian honour. The 84-year old veteran Congressman who played a crucial role in the functioning of the UPA governments till he was chosen the President in 2012, Pranab Mukherjee reflected decency in politics that had no place for rancour, acrimony and personalised attacks even as he remained firmly committed to the party's ideology. He oozed a natural warmth and his intellect, knowledge, power of persuasion, memory and skills made him a go-to man in the Congress, especially in the last about 15 years of his political life. (With inputs from agencies)

Seven day State Mourning to be observed in memory of former President Pranab Mukherjee

President Pranab Mukherjee spoke out on Saturday out against the sudden increase in lynchings around the country.&nbsp;

When &ldquo;mob frenzy becomes so high and irrational, uncontrollable&quot;, he said, we &ldquo;have to pause and reflect&rdquo;, be &ldquo;vigilant&rdquo; to &ldquo;save the basic tenets of our country.&rdquo;

&ldquo;We shall have to ponder over, pause and reflect when we read in the newspapers or see on television screens that an individual is being lynched because of some alleged violation of law or not. When mob frenzy becomes so high and irrational, uncontrollable, we have to pause and reflect. Are you vigilant enough&hellip; I am not talking of vigilantism. I am talking of are we vigilant enough, proactively to save the basic tenets of our country,&rdquo; he said. &nbsp;

&ldquo;Because we cannot avoid it, posterity will demand an explanation from us about what have you done,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;

Mukherjee was speaking at the release of the commemorative publication of the National Herald.&nbsp;

&ldquo;I do believe that citizens&rsquo; vigilance, intellectual vigilance and media vigilance can act as the biggest deterrents to the forces of darkness and backwardness,&rdquo; Mukherjee said.&nbsp;

Mukherjee added that Jawaharlal Nehru had inscribed the words &ldquo;freedom is in peril, defend it with all your might&rdquo; below the masthead of the National Herald.

&ldquo;These words may have been written in 1939 but have its application and relevance for all time, whenever freedom is in danger and truly in peril. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty, and freedom and that vigilance can never be passive. It must be active, and active vigilance is the need of the hour,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;

'I do believe that citizens? vigilance, intellectual vigilance and media vigilance can act as the biggest deterrents to the forces of darkness and backwardness,' Pranab Mukherjee said.?

President Pranab Mukherjee spoke out on Saturday out against the sudden increase in lynchings around the country. When “mob frenzy becomes so high and irrational, uncontrollable", he said, we “have to pause and reflect”, be “vigilant” to “save the basic tenets of our country.” “We shall have to ponder over, pause and reflect when we read in the newspapers or see on television screens that an individual is being lynched because of some alleged violation of law or not. When mob frenzy becomes so high and irrational, uncontrollable, we have to pause and reflect. Are you vigilant enough… I am not talking of vigilantism. I am talking of are we vigilant enough, proactively to save the basic tenets of our country,” he said. “Because we cannot avoid it, posterity will demand an explanation from us about what have you done,” he added. Mukherjee was speaking at the release of the commemorative publication of the National Herald. “I do believe that citizens’ vigilance, intellectual vigilance and media vigilance can act as the biggest deterrents to the forces of darkness and backwardness,” Mukherjee said. Mukherjee added that Jawaharlal Nehru had inscribed the words “freedom is in peril, defend it with all your might” below the masthead of the National Herald. “These words may have been written in 1939 but have its application and relevance for all time, whenever freedom is in danger and truly in peril. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty, and freedom and that vigilance can never be passive. It must be active, and active vigilance is the need of the hour,” he said.

President on lynchings: 'Pause and reflect... save the basic tenets of our country'

Indian President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday condemned the recent clashes between right-and left-wing student groups in the capital&#39;s Delhi University, saying there should be no room in the country for the &quot;intolerant Indian&quot; in a country that had advocated free thought, speech and expression since ancient times.

&quot;Freedom of speech and expression is one of the most important fundamental rights guaranteed by our Constitution. There must be space for legitimate criticism and dissent,&quot; the President said in an address to lawmakers.

He advocated free thinking in university campuses and said students and faculties must engage in &quot;reasoned discussion and debate rather than propagating a culture of unrest&quot;.

He also said it was tragic to see students caught in the vortex of violence and disquiet.

&quot;It is tragic to see them (students) caught in the vortex of violence and disquiet,&quot; President Mukherjee said. He was speaking at the sixth K S Rajamony Memorial Lecture in New Delhi.

Underlining ancient glorious culture of universities in the country, he said, &quot;Our premier institutions of higher education are the vehicles on which India has to propel itself into a knowledge society.&quot;

&quot;These temples of learning must resound with creativity and free thinking,&quot; he said.

President Mukherjee&#39;s comments come amid the backdrop of the ongoing tussle between the right-wing ABVP and Left-backed AISA supporters in the Delhi University.

The President also cautioned against the &iacute;ntolerance&#39; against women.

His comments came in the backdrop of the raging debate over free speech and nationalism following recent tweets of&nbsp;Gurmehar Kaur, a Delhi University student who faced threats of rape and death after she launched a social media campaign against the ABVP violence.

Gurmehar was also trolled on social media for her statement on Twitter that &quot;Pakistan didn&#39;t killed my father but the war did&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
Pranab Mukherjee cautioned against the exploitation of &quot;fault lines&quot; in the society, intolerance and attack on women.

&quot;Protection and safety of our women and children must be a nationwide priority. The acid test of any society is its attitude towards women and children. India should not fail this test,&quot; he said.

In terse comments, Mukherjee said he does not consider a society or State to be civilised if its citizens&#39; behaviour towards women is uncivilised.

&quot;When we brutalise a woman, we wound the soul of our civilisation. Not only does our Constitution guarantee equal rights to women but our culture and tradition also celebrate the feminine as divine,&quot; he said.

The President said the country must be conscious of the fact that democracy required constant nurturing.

&quot;At no cost should we allow the exploitation of the fault lines. Those who spread violence must remember that Buddha, Ashoka and Akbar are remembered as heroes in history; not Hitler or Genghis Khan,&quot; he said.

The nation and the people must always come first, he said.

&quot;Let us strive to arrest the moral decline in our society and ensure that our core civilisational values find firm root. Let us exert ourselves to strengthen India&#39;s pluralism and diversity. Let us be uncompromising in rooting out violence, prejudice and hatred,&quot; he said.

President Mukherjee, who has been in public life for almost six decades, advised lawmakers and political activists to listen, engage, learn from people and respond to their needs and concerns.

He also asked lawmakers not to take people for granted and to raise issues of concern to the people as well as find solutions to their problems.

&quot;No one who holds any elected office has been invited by the voters to occupy that office. Each one has gone to the voters and pleaded for their votes and support. The trust placed by the people in the political system and those elected should not be betrayed,&quot; he said.

President Mukherji also criticised the ruckus in the Tamil Nadu state assembly during chief minister Palaniswamy&#39;s trust vote and said legislatures must not turn into arenas for combat.

&quot;Floor tests are not meant to be muscle tests. The opportunity to represent the people is not a right or entitlement but a moral obligation and duty. Our elected representatives owe it to the people of our country to act as models of exemplary conduct,&quot; he said.

He said if the Parliament and legislative assemblies became dysfunctional, it would result not just in the paralysis of those institutions but create an adverse impact across the system.

&quot;The debate and discussions which ought to take place in the open in the House of Parliament and assemblies cannot be replicated elsewhere. When they cease to function effectively, issues spill out onto the streets. The very basis of our democracy gets undermined,&quot; he said.

The President also raised an alarm about the frequent disruptions in Parliament, stating that interruptions had increased from 9.95 per cent in the 10th Lok Sabha to a shocking 41.6 per cent in the 15th Lok Sabha and about 16 per cent in the 16th Lok Sabha (up to the 10th session).

President Mukherjee said although the production of wealth must necessarily be one of the predominant objectives of state policy, it must be imbued with the principle of equality on which there can be no compromise.

&quot;An egalitarian society can only be created when growth is inclusive. It is important to ensure that there is justice and equality of opportunity and the state does not create conditions in which the privileged few gain at the cost of the multitudes who suffer endemic poverty,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from PTI)

His comment came in the midst of the ongoing tussle and clashes in Delhi University between left- and right-wing student groups

Indian President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday condemned the recent clashes between right-and left-wing student groups in the capital's Delhi University, saying there should be no room in the country for the "intolerant Indian" in a country that had advocated free thought, speech and expression since ancient times. "Freedom of speech and expression is one of the most important fundamental rights guaranteed by our Constitution. There must be space for legitimate criticism and dissent," the President said in an address to lawmakers. He advocated free thinking in university campuses and said students and faculties must engage in "reasoned discussion and debate rather than propagating a culture of unrest". He also said it was tragic to see students caught in the vortex of violence and disquiet. "It is tragic to see them (students) caught in the vortex of violence and disquiet," President Mukherjee said. He was speaking at the sixth K S Rajamony Memorial Lecture in New Delhi. Underlining ancient glorious culture of universities in the country, he said, "Our premier institutions of higher education are the vehicles on which India has to propel itself into a knowledge society." "These temples of learning must resound with creativity and free thinking," he said. President Mukherjee's comments come amid the backdrop of the ongoing tussle between the right-wing ABVP and Left-backed AISA supporters in the Delhi University. The President also cautioned against the íntolerance' against women. His comments came in the backdrop of the raging debate over free speech and nationalism following recent tweets of Gurmehar Kaur, a Delhi University student who faced threats of rape and death after she launched a social media campaign against the ABVP violence. Gurmehar was also trolled on social media for her statement on Twitter that "Pakistan didn't killed my father but the war did". Pranab Mukherjee cautioned against the exploitation of "fault lines" in the society, intolerance and attack on women. "Protection and safety of our women and children must be a nationwide priority. The acid test of any society is its attitude towards women and children. India should not fail this test," he said. In terse comments, Mukherjee said he does not consider a society or State to be civilised if its citizens' behaviour towards women is uncivilised. "When we brutalise a woman, we wound the soul of our civilisation. Not only does our Constitution guarantee equal rights to women but our culture and tradition also celebrate the feminine as divine," he said. The President said the country must be conscious of the fact that democracy required constant nurturing. "At no cost should we allow the exploitation of the fault lines. Those who spread violence must remember that Buddha, Ashoka and Akbar are remembered as heroes in history; not Hitler or Genghis Khan," he said. The nation and the people must always come first, he said. "Let us strive to arrest the moral decline in our society and ensure that our core civilisational values find firm root. Let us exert ourselves to strengthen India's pluralism and diversity. Let us be uncompromising in rooting out violence, prejudice and hatred," he said. President Mukherjee, who has been in public life for almost six decades, advised lawmakers and political activists to listen, engage, learn from people and respond to their needs and concerns. He also asked lawmakers not to take people for granted and to raise issues of concern to the people as well as find solutions to their problems. "No one who holds any elected office has been invited by the voters to occupy that office. Each one has gone to the voters and pleaded for their votes and support. The trust placed by the people in the political system and those elected should not be betrayed," he said. President Mukherji also criticised the ruckus in the Tamil Nadu state assembly during chief minister Palaniswamy's trust vote and said legislatures must not turn into arenas for combat. "Floor tests are not meant to be muscle tests. The opportunity to represent the people is not a right or entitlement but a moral obligation and duty. Our elected representatives owe it to the people of our country to act as models of exemplary conduct," he said. He said if the Parliament and legislative assemblies became dysfunctional, it would result not just in the paralysis of those institutions but create an adverse impact across the system. "The debate and discussions which ought to take place in the open in the House of Parliament and assemblies cannot be replicated elsewhere. When they cease to function effectively, issues spill out onto the streets. The very basis of our democracy gets undermined," he said. The President also raised an alarm about the frequent disruptions in Parliament, stating that interruptions had increased from 9.95 per cent in the 10th Lok Sabha to a shocking 41.6 per cent in the 15th Lok Sabha and about 16 per cent in the 16th Lok Sabha (up to the 10th session). President Mukherjee said although the production of wealth must necessarily be one of the predominant objectives of state policy, it must be imbued with the principle of equality on which there can be no compromise. "An egalitarian society can only be created when growth is inclusive. It is important to ensure that there is justice and equality of opportunity and the state does not create conditions in which the privileged few gain at the cost of the multitudes who suffer endemic poverty," he said. (WION with inputs from PTI)

No room for intolerant Indian in this country, says President Pranab Mukherjee

Congress leaders Digvijay Singh and Ajay Maken along with a group of JNU students today met President Pranab Mukherjee over the issue of recent amendments in the university&#39;s admission policy.

The students - part of the Congress&#39; student wing National Students Union of India (NSUI) - submitted a memorandum to the President who is also the Visitor to the university.

&quot;UGC notification on admission rules for PhD and MPhil programme has been imposed on the JNU community in the most undemocratic manner, systematically violating all norms of Academic Council (AC) and other decision-making bodies,&quot; the memorandum said.

&quot;Massive seat cuts and changes in the policy are being put in place that will strongly affect the students community without even seeking their opinions,&quot; it added.

The delegation sought the intervention of the President to ensure that there is no seat cut in the university and any amendments in the admission policy are made after wide consultations with the statutory bodies.

JNU administration and the student community have been at loggerheads ever since the decision was made last December.

While the university had clarified that the amendments will not be implemented retrospectively and will not impact the current students, the students union has been blockading the administrative block demanding rollback of the decision. 
 
(PTI)

The delegation sought the intervention of the President Pranab Mukherjee to ensure that there was no seat cut in the university

Congress leaders Digvijay Singh and Ajay Maken along with a group of JNU students today met President Pranab Mukherjee over the issue of recent amendments in the university's admission policy. The students - part of the Congress' student wing National Students Union of India (NSUI) - submitted a memorandum to the President who is also the Visitor to the university. "UGC notification on admission rules for PhD and MPhil programme has been imposed on the JNU community in the most undemocratic manner, systematically violating all norms of Academic Council (AC) and other decision-making bodies," the memorandum said. "Massive seat cuts and changes in the policy are being put in place that will strongly affect the students community without even seeking their opinions," it added. The delegation sought the intervention of the President to ensure that there is no seat cut in the university and any amendments in the admission policy are made after wide consultations with the statutory bodies. JNU administration and the student community have been at loggerheads ever since the decision was made last December. While the university had clarified that the amendments will not be implemented retrospectively and will not impact the current students, the students union has been blockading the administrative block demanding rollback of the decision. (PTI)

Congress leaders, students request Indian president to review JNU's new admission policy

Indian President Pranab Mukherjee kickstarted Budget 2017 by addressing a joint session of both the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday.&nbsp;

The President advocated for a constructive debate on simultaneous elections in the Lower House (Lok Sabha) and Assemblies, as well as funding of polls to eliminate money power.&nbsp;

&quot;Frequent elections put on hold development programmes, disrupt normal public life and impact essential services and burden human resource with prolonged period of election duty.

&quot;My government welcomes a constructive debate on simultaneous conduct of elections to Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. Funding of elections to eradicate misuse of money power also needs to be debated,&quot; he said.

In his speech, he praised people, especially the poor for showing &#39;&#39;resilience&quot; in the fight against black money and corruption.&nbsp;

He also listed various achievements of the government saying all initiatives target the welfare of the &#39;gareeb&#39;, &#39;peedit&#39;, &#39;Dalit&#39; and &#39;vanchhit&#39; (the poor, discriminated and deprived section).&nbsp;

The President assured that the government is committed to fulfilling the &quot;social and economic quality&quot; for the deprived sections of society.&nbsp;

He cited various schemes like Jan Dhan accounts, Pradhan Mantri Yojana, Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana and Deen Dayal Upadhayay Gram Jyoti Yojana which have aided the poor.&nbsp;

&quot;Under Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana, over Rs 16000 crore have been made available to SHGs in the current Financial Year,&quot; President Mukherjee said.

&quot;Under Deen Dayal Upadhayay Gram Jyoti Yojana over 11,000 villages have been electrified in a record time,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

The President also spoke on women empowerment, saying &quot;naari shakti&quot; intrinsic part of India&#39;s development.&nbsp;

He referred to the Save the girl child scheme (Beti Bachao Beti Padhao) produced &quot;encouraging results&quot; and the &quot;Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (free health check-ups for pregnant women) will provide comprehensive ante-natal care to all pregnant women.&quot;

The President said the government will combat terrorism and ensure that the perpetrators do not go unpunished. He praised the government&#39;s decision to carry out surgical strikes against militant launch pads along the Line of Control as a fitting reply to the repeated incursions. He said the country was proud and &quot;owed a debt of gratitude&quot; to the soldiers for their bravery.&nbsp;

The Economic Survey will be tabled later in the day while the Rail and General Budget will be presented together on Wednesday, a departure from tradition.&nbsp;

Some 34 bills will also be introduced for passing and consideration. These include three ordinances which will be replaced through bills: The ordinance&nbsp;of Enemy Property, Payment of Wages and Specified Bank Notes.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

The Economic Survey will be tabled later in the day while the Rail and General Budget will be presented together on February 1

Indian President Pranab Mukherjee kickstarted Budget 2017 by addressing a joint session of both the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday. The President advocated for a constructive debate on simultaneous elections in the Lower House (Lok Sabha) and Assemblies, as well as funding of polls to eliminate money power. "Frequent elections put on hold development programmes, disrupt normal public life and impact essential services and burden human resource with prolonged period of election duty. "My government welcomes a constructive debate on simultaneous conduct of elections to Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. Funding of elections to eradicate misuse of money power also needs to be debated," he said. In his speech, he praised people, especially the poor for showing ''resilience" in the fight against black money and corruption. He also listed various achievements of the government saying all initiatives target the welfare of the 'gareeb', 'peedit', 'Dalit' and 'vanchhit' (the poor, discriminated and deprived section). The President assured that the government is committed to fulfilling the "social and economic quality" for the deprived sections of society. He cited various schemes like Jan Dhan accounts, Pradhan Mantri Yojana, Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana and Deen Dayal Upadhayay Gram Jyoti Yojana which have aided the poor. "Under Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana, over Rs 16000 crore have been made available to SHGs in the current Financial Year," President Mukherjee said. "Under Deen Dayal Upadhayay Gram Jyoti Yojana over 11,000 villages have been electrified in a record time," he said. The President also spoke on women empowerment, saying "naari shakti" intrinsic part of India's development. He referred to the Save the girl child scheme (Beti Bachao Beti Padhao) produced "encouraging results" and the "Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (free health check-ups for pregnant women) will provide comprehensive ante-natal care to all pregnant women." The President said the government will combat terrorism and ensure that the perpetrators do not go unpunished. He praised the government's decision to carry out surgical strikes against militant launch pads along the Line of Control as a fitting reply to the repeated incursions. He said the country was proud and "owed a debt of gratitude" to the soldiers for their bravery. The Economic Survey will be tabled later in the day while the Rail and General Budget will be presented together on Wednesday, a departure from tradition. Some 34 bills will also be introduced for passing and consideration. These include three ordinances which will be replaced through bills: The ordinance of Enemy Property, Payment of Wages and Specified Bank Notes. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Budget 2017: President Pranab Mukherjee welcomes debate on simultaneous Lower House and Assembly elections

Indian President Pranab Mukherjee started off budget 2017 by addressing both the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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Budget session of Parliament begins with President Pranab Mukherjee&#39;s address to members of both the houses. <a href="https://t.co/glkplFHeEb">pic.twitter.com/glkplFHeEb</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/826302621698842624">January 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The Economic Survey will be tabled later in the day while the Rail and General Budget will be presented together on Wednesday, a departure from tradition.&nbsp;

Some 34 bills will also be introduced for passing and consideration. These include three ordinances which will be replaced through bills: The ordinance&nbsp;of Enemy Property, Payment of Wages and Specified Bank Notes.

Here are some key quotes from the Indian President&#39;s speech:&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Resilience demonstrated by our countrymen particularly the poor, in the fight against black money and corruption, is remarkable.</li>
	<li>Postal network has wider network with over 1.5 lakh crore reach.</li>
	<li>Under Deendayal Upadhyay Yojana, deprived sections have been provided 16,000 crore.</li>
	<li>Over 1.2 crore consumers have voluntarily given up their subsidy and it has helped the poor.</li>
	<li>1.4 lakh villages, over 450 cities, 70 districts and 23 states have declared them open defecation free.</li>
	<li>&nbsp;At the core of all my government policies, is the welfare of &#39;gareeb&#39;,&nbsp;&#39;peedit&#39;, &#39;Dalit&#39;, &#39;vanchhit&#39;.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>26 crore plus Jan Dhan accounts have been opened. Over 20 crore RuPay card have been given to enable cashless scheme.</li>
	<li>My government has taken various initiatives to improve the quality of life of poor.</li>
	<li>My government is committed to provide shelter to the homeless under Pradhan Mantri&nbsp;Aawas Yojna.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>In farmer&rsquo;s welfare lies the country&rsquo;s economic prosperity. &nbsp;My government has taken many steps to improve the lives of farmers.</li>
	<li>Affordable credit, improved irrigation facilities, improved productivity through soil health care cards. Three crore Kisan or farmer cards will be converted to rupee debit cards.</li>
	<li>My government is making &quot; naari shakti&quot; an integral part of our development journey, they deserve equal opportunities.</li>
	<li>
	PV Sindhu, Sakshi Malik, Deepa illustrate strength of our women.
	</li>
	<li>
	Social and economic equality for deprived sections is the first promise of our constitution, our Govt is committed to fulfilling it.
	</li>
	<li>
	Through the Stand-Up India initiative, the govt plans to empower over 2-and-a-half lakh SCs, STs and women entrepreneurs.
	</li>
	<li>
	North East is our gateway for trade and communication with South East Asia.
	</li>
	<li>
	India has been facing grave challenge of terrorism, threat to global community.
	</li>
	<li>
	India gave a befitting reply to repeated incursions by conducting successful surgical strikes.
	</li>
	<li>
	J&amp;K affected by terrorism sponsored and supported from across the border.
	</li>
</ul>

(Agencies)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The President called this session 'historic'

Indian President Pranab Mukherjee started off budget 2017 by addressing both the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday. Budget session of Parliament begins with President Pranab Mukherjee's address to members of both the houses. pic.twitter.com/glkplFHeEb — ANI (@ANI_news) January 31, 2017 × The Economic Survey will be tabled later in the day while the Rail and General Budget will be presented together on Wednesday, a departure from tradition. Some 34 bills will also be introduced for passing and consideration. These include three ordinances which will be replaced through bills: The ordinance of Enemy Property, Payment of Wages and Specified Bank Notes. Here are some key quotes from the Indian President's speech: Resilience demonstrated by our countrymen particularly the poor, in the fight against black money and corruption, is remarkable. Postal network has wider network with over 1.5 lakh crore reach. Under Deendayal Upadhyay Yojana, deprived sections have been provided 16,000 crore. Over 1.2 crore consumers have voluntarily given up their subsidy and it has helped the poor. 1.4 lakh villages, over 450 cities, 70 districts and 23 states have declared them open defecation free. At the core of all my government policies, is the welfare of 'gareeb', 'peedit', 'Dalit', 'vanchhit'. 26 crore plus Jan Dhan accounts have been opened. Over 20 crore RuPay card have been given to enable cashless scheme. My government has taken various initiatives to improve the quality of life of poor. My government is committed to provide shelter to the homeless under Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojna. In farmer’s welfare lies the country’s economic prosperity. My government has taken many steps to improve the lives of farmers. Affordable credit, improved irrigation facilities, improved productivity through soil health care cards. Three crore Kisan or farmer cards will be converted to rupee debit cards. My government is making " naari shakti" an integral part of our development journey, they deserve equal opportunities. PV Sindhu, Sakshi Malik, Deepa illustrate strength of our women. Social and economic equality for deprived sections is the first promise of our constitution, our Govt is committed to fulfilling it. Through the Stand-Up India initiative, the govt plans to empower over 2-and-a-half lakh SCs, STs and women entrepreneurs. North East is our gateway for trade and communication with South East Asia. India has been facing grave challenge of terrorism, threat to global community. India gave a befitting reply to repeated incursions by conducting successful surgical strikes. J&K affected by terrorism sponsored and supported from across the border. (Agencies)

Budget 2017: President Pranab Mukherjee addresses joint session of Parliament