"India is moving ahead with confidence," the President said in her address.
President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday exuded confidence that the extraordinary performance of the Indian economy witnessed in recent years will continue in 2024 and beyond.
The Indian economy grew by 9.1 per cent in 2021-22 and 7.2 per cent in 2022-23. The economy is projected to record a growth of 7.3 per cent in the current financial year. India has remained the fastest-growing major economy in the world.
"India is moving ahead with confidence," the President said in her address to the nation on the eve of the 75th Republic Day.
The country's GDP growth rate, she said, "has remained highest among major economies in recent years, and we have all reasons to believe that this extraordinary performance will continue in the year 2024 and beyond".
The President said particularly noteworthy is the far-sighted planning of the government that fuels the economy while giving a push to the welfare drive to make the development inclusive in every sense of the term.
She also said the government has increased the scope of welfare schemes to provide free food to the weaker sections of society during the pandemic days and continued the measures to extend a helping hand to the vulnerable population to come out of the crisis.
Expanding the scope of that initiative, the government has decided to provide free food grains to over 81 crore people for five years, she said, adding "this may be the biggest welfare initiative of its kind in history".
The government, she said, has not only expanded and enhanced the welfare schemes, but it has redefined the idea of welfare itself.
"It will be a proud day for all of us when India becomes one of those few countries where homelessness is a rarity," the President said.
Further, President Murmu said the government has taken a number of mission mode schemes to increase the ease of living for all citizens.
Matters like the availability of safe and adequate drinking water at home are basic minimum requirements and not privileges, she said and added that these matters are beyond any political or economic ideology and must be seen from a humanitarian perspective.
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