The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu inaugurated Conference of Governors at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi today (August 2, 2024). The conference will cover a wide range of issues that play a critical role in not only shaping the centre-state relations but also promoting welfare schemes for common people.

In her opening remarks, the President said that the agenda for this conference included carefully chosen issues that are crucial in achieving our national goals. She said that the deliberations of this conference would be an enriching experience for all participants and help them in their functioning.

The Vice President, the Prime Minister and the Union Minister for Home Affairs also addressed the inaugural session. The Vice President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, referred to the oath of the Governors and urged them to discharge their constitutional responsibility of making people aware of social welfare schemes and incredible development that have taken place during the last decade.

In his address, the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, urged the Governors to play the role of an effective bridge between the Centre and the State and interact with people and social organisations in a manner to co-opt those who are underprivileged. He said that the post of the Governor was an important institution which could play a crucial role in the welfare of people of the State within the framework of the Constitution, particularly with reference to tribal areas. The Union Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah, delineated the course of discussions that the two day-conference will take and urged the Governors to visit Vibrant Villages and Aspirational Districts to instill confidence among people and give fillip to developmental work.

The President, while declaring the conference open, said that with the implementation of three new laws related to criminal justice, a new era of the justice system had begun in the country. She stated that the change in our thinking was evident from the names of the laws: Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam.

The President said that for the smooth functioning of democracy, it was crucial that the various central agencies work with better coordination across all the states. She advised the Governors to think about how they, as the constitutional heads of the respective states, can promote this coordination.

The President said that quality higher education was an intangible asset as it promoted individual development and social change as well as innovation and economic progress. She said that the National Education Policy emphasised upon improving the Accreditation and Assessment system of educational institutions. She urged the Governors to contribute to this reform process in their capacity as the chancellors of state universities.  

The President said that the Government of India had been giving utmost priority to the development of the poor, the border areas, the deprived sections and areas, and people left behind in the development journey. She pointed out that a large section of our tribal population lives in the Scheduled and Tribal areas, and urged the Governors to suggest ways to achieve inclusive development of the people of these areas.

The President said that ‘youth development’ and ‘youth-led development’ would gain more momentum if the energy of the youth could be channelised into positive and constructive work. The ‘MY Bharat’ campaign provides a well-thought-out system for this purpose. The Governors should encourage the people associated with this campaign so that more and more youth get benefitted, she said.  

Referring to the ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ campaign, she noted that it enabled the people of different states and UTs to understand each other and connect with each other. She urged the Governors to contribute in further strengthening the spirit of unity.

The President said that many efforts are being made to deal with the challenges such as climate change and global warming. The Governors can contribute to this by making the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign a people's movement on a larger scale.

The President said that by encouraging natural farming, we can increase soil fertility and enhance farmers’ income. She stated that to promote natural farming, the Raj Bhavans can lead by example.

The President expressed the confidence that all the Governors will continue to contribute to the service and welfare of the people, doing justice to the oath taken by them.

The conference is designed to have breakaway sessions in which sub-groups of Governors will deliberate on each agenda item. Apart from the Governors, such sessions will also be attended by Union Ministers and officials of the Ministries concerned. The observations and suggestions of the sub-groups will be presented before the President, Vice President, Prime Minister and other participants during the concluding session tomorrow (August 3, 2024). 

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DS/SR