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President mentions paper leak row, Emergency in address to Parliament
President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday addressed the joint sitting of the Parliament.
President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday mentioned the alleged irregularities in competitive exams, including the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET UG-2024), in her address to the joint session of the Parliament and promised that her government will conduct a fair probe into the allegations. She said those guilty of leaking question papers will get strict punishment. Follow Parliament live coverage
"My government is committed to conducting a fair probe and ensuring that those guilty of paper leak of a few exams recently get strict punishment. We have seen incidents of paper leak earlier in various states, there is a need to rise from party politics and take countrywide strong steps. The Parliament has also made a strong law against anomalies in exams," she said.
She added that sanctity and transparency are a must for all government recruitment drives and examinations.
President Murmu also touched upon the vexed topic of the imposition of the Emergency in 1975, saying the two-year-long period was the “biggest” and “darkest” chapter of the direct attack on the Constitution.
Shortly before her address, the President was welcomed at the Parliament building by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
The President said her government is working to create an environment to enable the youth of the country to dream big and achieve them.
"If due to any reason, there is obstruction in examinations it is not appropriate. Sanctity and transparency are a must in government recruitments and examinations," she said.
President Murmu advised all the members of the Parliament to not disrupt Parliamentary proceedings while opposing the government's policies.
"Opposing policies is different from disrupting Parliament's proceedings. People's interest should be paramount for all members," she added.
She announced that the government will make several big announcements during the upcoming budget.
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"The budget will have major economic and social decisions and many historic steps will be taken. The speed of reforms will be increased to fulfill the aspirations of people," she said.
She said her government believes there should be healthy competition between states for investment.
"This is in the spirit of competitive-cooperative federalism," she added.
"India has become the world's fifth-largest economy. There has been an average 8 percent growth in the last 10 years, even though these were not normal times," he said.
"This growth rate has been achieved despite a global pandemic and conflicts in different parts of the world. This is the result of the reforms of the last 10 years. India alone is contributing 15 percent to global growth. My government is working to make India the world's third-largest economy," she said.
