NEW DELHI, June 26: A month from now, President Pranab Mukherjee completes an eventful one year in office on July 25, a period dominated by some bold steps, and one of his first important directions after assuming office was to drop the age-old honorific ‘His Excellency’, encouraging state Governors to follow suit.
The period, marked by transparency and democratisation of the Institution of Presidency, involved making Rashtrapati Bhavan more accessible to common man through tours open to public three times a week, media outreach and use of social media, monthly cultural programmes, throwing open to public new ‘Change of Guard’ ceremony every Saturday and Trumpet Banner Ceremony by the Prersident’s Bodyguard and initiating a programme of interns in the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
He also took difficult decisions on mercy petitions which had been hanging fire for many years and disposed them of quickly.
Two most crucial decisions were rejection of mercy petitions of Pakistani national Ajmal Kasab who was involved in the Mumbai terror attack, and Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
Mr Mukherjee who was part of the UPA government in various capacities before becoming the President, held the Ministries of Finance and External Affairs but was the government’s main trouble-shooter and man of crisis.
He received 39 foreign dignitaries and visited two foreign countries.
Having a six-decade political experience, Mr Mukherjee strongly disapproved repeated disruptions of Parliament and called upon judiciary to maintain delicate balance of power provided for in the Constitution.
During some important speeches in various state assemblies, the President highlighted issues like need to avoid disruption to proceedings in Assemblies and Parliament, need for greater attention to financial matters, devoting more time to legislation and avoiding rule by ordinances.
On the economic front, Mr Mukherjee, an acclaimed economist and who, as Finance Minister, steered India’s economy through the most volatile crisis of global meltdown, emphasised in important speeches to various Business bodies the strengths of Indian economy, its sound long-tern fundamentals and need to avoid gloom and despondency.
In the aftermath of the December 16, 2012, horrific gangrape incident in Delhi which shook the entire country and sent ripples across the world, the President made several strong statements and comments highlighting the need for greater efforts towards gender sensitiveness and the need to protect safety and security of women.
He revived debate on the moral compass, what it entailed and involved.
Mr Mukherjee was the first President to interact and mingle with the crowds freely during ‘At Home’ celebrations on Republic Day and Independence Day at the Rashtrapati Bhavan lawns.
Travelling extensively within the country, the President visited 23 states/Union Territories during the year including restive Jammu and Kashmir and Northeast.
An ardent advocate of educational, moral and scientific uplift of Indian people, particularly students, the President visited 32 educational institutions, reaching out to the youth, and laid emphasis on education through organisation of Vice Chancellors’ Conference and speeches.
A Conference of Vice Chancellors of central universities
Was held in Rashtrapati Bhavan after ten years which made several recomendations which are being implemented by the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry. (UNI)
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