Droupadi Murmu to assume office of the President on July 25, 2022
New Delhi: The ceremony of assumption of Office by Droupadi Murmu, the President-elect will be held on Monday, July 25, 2022, at 10:15 AM in the Central Hall of Parliament House, New Delhi.
The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Members of the Council of Ministers, Governors, Chief Ministers, Heads of Diplomatic Missions, Members of Parliament and principal Civil and Military Officers of the Government of India will assemble in the Central Hall for the Ceremony.
The President, Ram Nath Kovind, and the President-elect will arrive in the Central Hall in a ceremonial procession. The President-elect will take the Oath of Office in the presence of the Chief Justice of India, followed by a 21-gun salute. The President will then deliver an address. At the conclusion of the ceremony in the Central Hall, the President will leave for Rashtrapati Bhavan where an Inter-Services Guard of Honour will be given to her in the Forecourt and courtesies will be extended to the outgoing President.
Meanwhile, President Kovind attended the farewell function in the Central Hall of Parliament here today. Speaking on the occasion, he said that Article 79 of our Constitution provides for a Parliament consisting of the President and the two houses. In keeping with this constitutional provision and adding his sentiment to it, he looks at the President as an integral part of the Parliamentary family. “As with any family, there are bound to be differences within this Parliamentary family too; there would be diverging views about how to proceed further. But we remain a family, and the interest of the nation remains our top priority,” he said. He added that political processes operate through the mechanism of party organisations, but the parties must rise above a partisan approach and consider what is good, what is essential for the common man and woman, with the spirit of ‘nation first’.
The President said that when the whole nation is considered as a family, differences are bound to crop up once in a while which can be resolved peacefully and harmoniously through dialogue. “Citizens and political parties have many Constitutional avenues open to them, including protests. After all, the Father of our Nation employed the weapon of Satyagraha for that purpose. But he was equally concerned about the other side. Citizens have a right to protest to press for their demands, but it should always be in the peaceful Gandhian mould,” he said.
Kovind said that looking back on his career in public service, and the efforts of the governments, “although much has been achieved yet so much more remains to be done to raise the living standards of the marginalised”. The country has been, slowly but surely, realising the dreams of Dr BR Ambedkar, he said.
The President said that he grew up in a mud house, but far fewer children have to live in thatched houses with leaking roofs now. More and more of the poor people have been shifting to pucca houses, partly with direct support from the government. “Our sisters and daughters walking miles to fetch drinking water is becoming a thing of the past because it is our endeavour that every house gets water from the tap. We have also installed toilets in every house, which are laying the foundation for building a clean and healthy India. Memories of lighting up lanterns and diyas after sunset are also fading as almost all villages have finally been provided electricity connections,” he said.
As the basic necessities are taken care of, aspirations are changing too, he said and stated that the dreams of average Indians have got wings now. “This has been made possible by good governance, which by definition is without any kind of discrimination. This all-round progress is in tune with what Babasaheb Ambedkar had visualised,” he said.
Kovind will address the nation tomorrow on the eve of demitting office which will be broadcast from 1900 hours on the entire national network of All India Radio (AIR) and telecast over all channels of Doordarshan in Hindi followed by the English version. The broadcast of the address in Hindi and English on Doordarshan will be followed by a broadcast in regional languages by regional channels of Doordarshan. AIR will broadcast regional language versions from 2130 hours onwards on its respective regional networks.
– global bihari bureau
