"Goa's Common Civil Code Matter Of Pride, Example For Country": President

President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday hailed the "common civil code" in Goa, saying that it was a matter of pride for the state and a good example for the country.

She also noted that women enjoy an equal status in the state's cosmopolitan culture.

The president, who arrived in Goa for a three-day visit earlier in the day, was speaking at a civic reception hosted for her at Raj Bhavan.

Women are looked at with equality in Goa's cosmopolitan culture, the president said.

“The number of women students in higher education in Goa is more than 60 per cent, but there is a need to increase the participation of women in the workforce in the state,” she said.

"It is a matter of pride for Goa that the people here have adopted a common civil code," she added.

Goa has the colonial-era Portuguese Civil Code which is applicable to people of all religions.

“The common civil code which provides equal rights to women and men of all communities living in Goa is an example of the cosmopolitan culture here,” President Murmu said.

It was in line with the Constitution and a good example for the country, she added.

At the national level, the proposed Uniform Civil Code came under the spotlight recently when the Law Commission sought views of various stakeholders on the issue.

President Murmu, meanwhile, also hailed the 'Atmanirbhar Goa' initiative in the state, saying that the concept was appreciated across the country.

The coastal state has also done well on the sustainable development front, she added.

Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Union minister Shripad Naik were present on the occasion.

The president handed over letters under the Forest Rights Act to six members of tribal communities, giving them right to their lands.

Speaking on the occasion, Governor Pillai said Mahatma Gandhi had stressed the need for social freedom along with political freedom, and worked for people living in villages.

Gandhi would have been very happy to see Murmu as president of the country, he added. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)