Equality, Secularism at Core of India's Foundation, Says President Ram Nath Kovind in Address on Republic Day's Eve
The President also stressed on the importance of ending discrimination towards the girl child.
New Delhi, Jan 26: In his address on the eve of 69th Republic Day, President Ram Nath Kovind said equality and secularism are at the core of India's founding principles.
Recalling the contribution of India's freedom fighters, Kovind said they envisaged a nation free from all forms of social perils, including inequality, poverty, casteism and communalism.
The President also stressed on the importance of ending discrimination towards the girl child, stating that a nation could claim to be on the path of development only if it uplifts the female populace.
"Our Constitution framers were men and women with great foresight. They understood the majesty of the rule of law, and of rule by laws. They represented an important phase in our national life. We are fortunate to have inherited its legacy in the form of the Constitution and the Republic," Kovind said.
The President also described education and malnutrition as two major challenges before the nation. "Our aspiration must be to reform, upgrade and enlarge our education system – and to make it relevant to 21st century realities of the digital economy, genomics, robotics and automation," he added.
While lauding the efforts of successive governments in tackling the menace of hunger, the President said the issue of malnutrition still needs to be addressed.
"The challenge of malnutrition and of bringing the right micronutrients to the plate of every child is still there. This is important for both physical and cognitive development of our children – and for the future of our country. We simply have to invest in our human capital," Kovind said.
The 69th Republic Day celebrations will be held across the nation on Friday. For the Republic Day parade in Delhi, a total of 10 chief guests from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN have been invited.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 25, 2018 07:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).