President Ram Nath Kovind (Express Photo By Amit Mehra)
Newly elected President Ram Nath Kovind is addressing the nation on Monday for the first time on the eve of India’s 71st Independence Day celebrated on August 15. Kovind was elected as the President on July 20 and he took oath as the 14th President on July 25 replacing Pranab Mukherjee.
Earlier in the day, after almost three weeks of taking over as the 14th President of India, Kovind has approved to six key legislations, including the one that extends the jurisdiction of trial in cases of maritime claims, arrests and detentions of ships to various courts. All the legislations, that got the presidential nod today were passed by Parliament during its recent monsoon session.
Watch the LIVE video here:
Here are the HIGHLIGHTS of his speech:
7:21 pm Talking about the importance of education, Kovind appeals people to try to educate as many children they can beside providing education to their own children.
7:18 pm Over 1 crore people gave away their subsidy on LPG cylinder on PM’s appeal. I salute those people. They listened to the conscience. We all should take inspiration from those people. Their sacrifice brought a change in the lives of poor people: Kovind.
7:17 pm Our soldiers selflessly perform their duty at border, we must respect their sacrifice: Kovind
7:16 pm Technology is important for rapid growth and development, it has to be used to eradicate poverty. There should be no place for poverty in new India: Kovind
7:15 pm: In the new India, the society should have no discrimination between boy and girl, their should be no religious or caste based discrimination: Kovind
7:14 pm We should pay special attention to our divyang brothers and sisters: Kovind
7:13 pm: It is important the the new India finds place in our DNA, the new India should be a society which should be sensitive and developed both: Kovind
7:12 pm: Govt can make, implement and strengthen laws but it is everyone’s duty to abide by them: Kovind
7:11 pm Government is campaigning for Beti Bachao movement but it is also our duty to empower women: Kovind
7:10 pm Govt launched the Swachh Bharat Campaign but keeping the country clean if our responsibility: Kovind
7.10 pm: Sardar Patel instilled in us the importance of national unity and integrity. Babasaheb Ambedkar urged the virtues of constitutional governance, of rule of law – and of the vital need for education. The generation that brought us to freedom was diverse: Kovind
7:09 pm: Mahatma Gandhi emphasised the moral character of India and of Indian society. The principles that Gandhiji spoke about are relevant even today. The principles that Gandhiji spoke about are relevant even today. At Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s word, millions of Indians joined the freedom movement and gave their all. Nehruji emphasised India’s age-old heritage & traditions could co-exist with technology and quest to modernise our society: Ram Nath Kovind
7:09 pm It is important for us to understand that the dream of an Independent India of our freedom fighters was for the overall development of the country. For this we owe so much to the countless freedom fighters who made great sacrifices to bring us here. From earliest days of our freedom struggle, we were blessed with a galaxy of revolutionary leaders who guided our country: Kovind
7:08 pm: It is time that we must take inspiration from those who gave their lives for the nation and move forward: Kovind
7:06 pm We are indebted to those who laid down there lives for our independence, says Kovind.
7:06 pm Kovind remembers freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of the country from the clutches of British rule. “It was much more than that; it was culmination of a dream for our country – a dream seen by forefathers and freedom fighters. We were free to imagine and build our nation anew,” said Kovind.
07.00 pm: My greetings to Fellow Citizens as we complete 70 years of our Independence . On August 15, 1947, we became a free nation; some have called this process a “transfer of power”: President Kovind
