Current govt steering India towards becoming developed nation, global innovation powerhouse: President Droupadi Murmu

India is on course to becoming the world’s third-largest economy and reaching the milestone of ‘Viksit Bharat’ (developed nation) with policies focused on the poor, middle class, women and farmers, President Droupadi Murmu said in her address to both houses of Parliament on Jan 31.

With her address, Murmu opened the first budget session of the Modi government’s third straight term in office.

The government has tripled the pace of work compared to previous administrations, with a determination to end “policy paralysis”, Murmu said, citing decisions on issues such as Waqf boards and one nation one election.

In her customary address, Murmu listed the achievements of the Modi-led Union government, stating that the government was steering India towards becoming a “global innovation powerhouse” and a developed economy.

“Today, India is making its presence felt as a major global player in the field of digital technology. Developed nations of the world are also impressed with the success of India’s UPI transactions. The government has used digital technology as a tool for social justice and equality,” Murmu said.

Her speech flagged off a session that will see the presentation of a highly anticipated Union Budget by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, which is expected to spell out measures to crank up growth and consumption amid a slowdown, while offering some tax relief to the middle class and businesses.

According to the Economic Survey presented soon after the presidential address, the government said India’s FY26 GDP growth is expected to be in the range of 6.3%-6.8% amid continuing global uncertainty.

In the third term of the government, Murmu said concrete steps had been taken to achieve the goal of providing ‘Housing for All’, and that the Centre was committed to fulfilling the dream of the middle-class to own affordable houses and providing interest subsidies on home loans.

“Extending the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, we have decided to provide new homes to an additional 3 crore (30 million) families. A budget of ₹5,36,000 crore has been allocated for this purpose,” she said.

In a nearly hour-long address to the joint sitting of Parliament, Murmu lauded the decade-long rule of the BJP-led NDA dispensation for all-round inclusive governance and said the past decade was one of the cultural revivals of the country.

“We have diverse states, diverse regions and diverse languages, yet as one nation, we have only one identity – Bharat. And we have only one resolution, one goal – Viksit Bharat!” she said.

She also said the government was working to ensure farmers got fair prices for their produce.

Development is “meaningful” when its benefits reach the poorest, Murmu said, adding, “Initiatives like the construction of 12 crore (120 million) toilets under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, 10 crore (100 million) free LPG connections under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, ration for 80 crore (800 million) needy citizens, the Saubhagya Yojana, and the Jal Jeevan Mission have given poor the confidence that they can live with dignity.”

Extolling the middle class, Murmu said, “The economic progress of a nation like India is defined by the aspirations of the middle class and the fulfilment of those aspirations. The bigger the dreams of the middle class are, the higher the nation soars. It is my government that has, for the first time, openly acknowledged and appreciated the contributions of the middle class on every occasion.”

She said this was evident in the government’s decision to constitute the Eighth Pay Commission for the welfare of government employees, 50% assured pension to lakhs of employees under the Unified Pension Scheme, enactment of RERA to safeguard the middle class, home loan subsidies and UDAN scheme that enables about 15 million people to fly.

Murmu said the government has decided to invest about ₹28,000 crore to set up 12 industrial nodes and develop 100 industrial parks near cities across the country.

Addressing the joint session, Murmu also referred to the ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) initiative, which she said made digital commerce more inclusive as small businesses now have equal opportunities to grow in the online shopping ecosystem.

“Under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the government decided to provide health insurance to 60 million citizens aged 70 years and above. The government has placed special focus on the education of the youth and creating new employment opportunities for them,” she said.

Murmu praised the government for launching ‘Mission Mausam’ to make India “weather ready and climate smart” and said this initiative would immensely benefit the farmers of the country.

Hailing India’s space mission, Murmu said “That day is not far when India will send an astronaut on the Gaganyaan”.

The government has set aside ₹2,000 crore for the implementation of the mission. As part of the celebrations marking the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) 150th foundation day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 14 launched ‘Mission Mausam’ which aims to improve weather understanding and forecasting through expanded observation networks, better modelling and advanced tools like artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Further, the President said that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir had seen positive changes after the abrogation of Article 370. “The government has made efforts to end the feeling of alienation in the people of the northeast.”

She also stressed the importance of fighting digital fraud, cybercrime and deepfake, which pose a challenge to “social, economic and national security”.

She made references to the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project, which connects Kashmir to Kanyakumari. “Under this ambitious project, the Chenab Bridge has been constructed, which is the highest railway bridge in the world,” she said, adding that work on the Shinkun La tunnel was also progressing successfully and upon completion, it will be the world’s highest tunnel, ensuring year-round connectivity between Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh.

By removing colonial-era laws, a ‘Nyaya Sanhita’ had been introduced in place of the Penal Code, the president remarked. With ‘Jan Vishwas’ (public trust) and ‘Jan Bhagidari’ (people’s participation), “my government is working to make the lives of citizens better”.

The president said the government was prioritizing women-led development and planned to 30 million “Lakhpati didi”.

The President arrived in Parliament in horse-pulled ceremonial buggy and was escorted by mounted presidential bodyguards. She was given a guard of honour on the lawns of the Parliament building and was escorted to the Lok Sabha chamber by Vice-President Dhankhar, PM Modi, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.

Murmu also offered condolences to devotees who died during the recent stampede at the ongoing Maha Kumbh while also paying her tributes to the late PM Manmohan Singh, who died last month.