Highlights: President Ram Nath Kovind urges all citizens to get vaccinated as soon as possible

Addressing the nation on the eve of the 75th Independence Day, President Ram Nath Kovind today said this year's Independence Day has special significance because we are celebrating the Amrit Mahotsav of Independence to commemorate the 75th anniversary of our Independence. Praising India's development, Kovind said when we look back at these 75 years, we see that we have made a lot of progress.

Here are the highlights from the President's address to the nation:
Earlier in the day, Kovind met with the Indian athletes who participated in the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics to appreciate their efforts and congratulated them.

"The entire country is proud of our Olympians for bringing glory to the nation. This team has won the highest number of medals for India in Olympics. The entire country is proud of this and many congratulations to you all," Ram Nath Kovind said while addressing the Indian contingent.

"We are especially proud of those daughters who even after facing so many problems displayed world-class performance. During the COVID-19 pandemic, you have given the country a reason to celebrate."