Prez Murmu met 16,000 people, including 1,750 members of tribal groups, in first year in office

PTI, Jul 25, 2023, 5:17 PM IST

President Droupadi Murmu, who completed her first year in office on Tuesday, has met 16,000 individuals, including over 1,750 members of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, during her visits to states and at Rashtrapati Bhavan in her tenure, according to the data provided by the top office. Murmu, the first tribal woman to hold the top office, met about 1,750 members of the tribal groups during her visits to Rajasthan, West Bengal, Telangana, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh, among others, it said.

She has met more than 16,000 persons from various fields at Rashtrapati Bhavan and during her official visits to states and Union Territories in the last year, it said.

In the first year, the President visited six of eight north eastern states, during which she addressed state assemblies of Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram in addition to attending important functions like the platinum jubilee celebrations of the Gauhati High Court and statehood day celebrations of Arunachal Pradesh, it said. The President gave assent to 20 bills of the Union government and 23 bills of state governments, it said. A firm believer in transparency and effectiveness, Murmu, pushed for embracing technology and innovation to strengthen the connection between Rashtrapati Bhavan and the people, it said.

Over 90,000 persons visited Rashtrapati Bhavan during the year, while 1.7 lakh paid a visit to its famous museum as part of her vision to make the grand building accessible to people, it said.

The Supreme Commander of the armed forces also undertook a sortie of Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter jet at the Eastern front at the Tezpur Air Force Station besides visiting INS Vikrant, where she interacted with naval officers and sailors.

On the diplomatic and international front, the President received Suriname’s highest distinction, ”Grand Order of the Chain of the Yellow Star”, undertook the first State visit by an Indian President to Serbia, and attended the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in London.

The President hosted the President of Egypt on this year’s Republic Day celebrations besides receiving 14 Heads of State and Government at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, it said.

In a function at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday, marking the completion of her first year, Murmu initiated many projects on the President’s Estate, including the redevelopment of the Shiva temple on the campus, construction of a cricket pavilion at the Sports Ground of Dr Rajendra Prasad Kendriya Vidyalaya, an Artificial Intelligence gallery showcasing innovative solutions created by students and coaches, offering insights into the grandeur of the iconic building.

She also launched the Sutra-kala Darpan Gallery, a collection of antique textiles that narrated the rich legacy of Rashtrapati Bhavan, Janjatiya Darpan Gallery, offering a glimpse into the cultural richness and contributions of various tribal communities in building the nation.

The Rashtrapati Bhavan also launched a revamped website ”which will serve as a comprehensive platform for information and communication with the public” besides an e-book compilation capturing Murmu’s first year in office.

She received the first copy of a book titled ”Preserving Health, Embracing Traditions” which highlights the AYUSH Wellness Centre at the President’s Estate.

During the launch of the website, Secretary to the President, Rajesh Verma highlighted various citizen-centric initiatives undertaken by the Rashtrapati Bhavan during the past year that included opening Rashtrapati Niwas in Mashobra and Rashtrapati Nilayam throughout the year for the public, increasing visitor slots and the duration of opening of Amrit Udyan, and organising a Chintan Shivir to foster innovative thinking, among others.