RAJYA SABHA
Thursday, the 21st February, 20132nd Phalguna, 1934 (Saka)

The House met at thirty-eight minutes past twelve of the clock,
Mr. CHAIRMAN in the Chair.

The National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana’, was played.

MEMBERS SWORN
Shri K.C. Tyagi (Bihar)

Shrimati Rajani Patil (Maharashtra)

PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS - Laid on the Table

SECRETARY-GENERAL: Sir, I beg to lay on the Table a copy (in Hindi and
English) of the President's Address to both the Houses of Parliament assembled
together on the 21st February, 2013. [Placed in Library. See No L.T. 8383/15/13]

[Text of the Address delivered by the President Shri Pranab Mukherjee]
Honourable Members,

I welcome you to this session as I address this joint sitting of the two
Houses for the first time as President. I hope this session will be productive and

useful.

As I speak to you, I am aware that an aspirational India is emerging, an
India that demands more opportunities, greater choices, better infrastructure, and
enhanced safety and security. Our youth, our greatest national asset, are a
confident and courageous lot. I have no doubt that their passion, energy and

enterprise will take India to new heights.

Amidst these aspirations, we are also burdened by gathering anxieties about
economic slowdown, job security and employment prospects. People are concerned
about the security of our women and children. They are also anxious about timely

delivery of their entitlements and about persisting social and economic inequality.
2 President's [RATYA SABHA] Address

The past year has been a very difficult one for the global economy. Europe
is in recession. Most emerging markets are growing very slowly. It has been a
difficult year for India also. Both global and domestic factors have affected our
growth. We need to address the impact of both. My Government has responded to
the situation by taking several measures to revive investment activity and investor

sentiment.

An important initiative that my Government has taken recently is the rollout
of the Direct Benefits Transfer system. This would enable Government sponsored
benefits such as scholarships, pensions and maternity benefits to flow directly into
the accounts of beneficiaries, who can access them using their Aadhaar number. In
due course, the Direct Benefits Transfer System will also cover wages and
subsidies on food and LPG. This system will help cut down leakages, bring millions
of people into the financial system and lead to better targeting of beneficiaries. It
will be a trend-setter in the use of modern technology to bring benefits to our
poorest citizens, especially in rural areas. However, the Direct Benefits Transfer
System will not be a substitute for public services and will be complementary to

the Public Distribution System.

The average annual growth rate of GDP in the Eleventh Plan, which
concluded last year, was 8%. A notable feature of the Plan was the progress
towards achieving inclusiveness with a faster decline in poverty than in the
previous decade. The National Development Council has recently adopted the
Twelfth Five Year Plan, which further sharpens the focus on faster, more inclusive
and sustainable growth. The Twelfth Plan recognises that growth outcomes will
depend upon the extent to which we are able to take some difficult decisions. The
Plan proposes to consolidate Centrally Sponsored Schemes into a smaller number
and increase their flexibility. This will give States the much- needed freedom to

experiment and innovate.

The Indian economy is currently experiencing slower growth. Real GDP grew
by 5.4% in the first half of the current fiscal year. This is significantly lower than
the average of around 8% in the last decade. Our slower growth is the
consequence of a combination of global and domestic factors. My Government is
taking steps to deal with the factors responsible for the slowdown. Inflation is

easing gradually but is still a problem.
President's (21 February, 2013] Aditjess 3

In recent months, there have been positive developments too. There has
been a moderation in core inflation and recovery in growth is likely. Policy
measures announced during the year have also restored optimism at home and

abroad.

My Government has announced a roadmap for fiscal consolidation by
containing the current year's fiscal deficit at 5.3% of the GDP. The Government is
also working with State Governments to reach a consensus on the Goods and

Services Tax.

There is reason for cheer on the agricultural front. The growth in agriculture
and allied sectors during the Twelfth plan was 3.7% compared to 2.4% in the
Tenth Plan.

I am proud to mention that relentless efforts of farmers coupled with
conducive policies of the Government, have resulted in record foodgrain production
for two consecutive years with last year achieving a peak of 260 million tons. This
year, despite erratic and deficient rainfall, it is projected that we will produce more

than 250 million tons of foodgrains.

Our foodgrains position is, therefore, comfortable. The total stock of
foodgrains with the public sector agencies was 662 lakh tons on Ist February 2013,
including 307 lakh tons of wheat and over 353 lakh tons of rice. My Government
is committed to enacting the National Food Security Bill, having received the

recommendations of the Standing Committee.

Several specific initiatives have been undertaken under the Rashtriya Krishi
Vikas Yojna. Sugarcane and cotton production have touched record levels in
2011-12.

My Government will continue to lay emphasis on the development of rainfed
and degraded areas during the Twelfth Five Year Plan. An outlay of Rs. 29,296
crore has been earmarked under the Integrated Watershed Management Programme

during the plan period.

Horticulture production reached an all-time high of 251 million tons during
2011-12. The year 2012-13 has been declared as the 'Year of Horticulture’. A
National Centre for Cold Chain Development has been constituted to give a fillip to
the cold chain sector.

With 128 million tons of milk production in 2011-12, India continues to be the
4 President's [RATYA SABHA] Address

largest producer of milk in the world. In order to meet the rapidly growing demand
for milk, the Government has approved the National Dairy Plan Phase-I, which
will help meet the projected national demand of 150 million tons of milk by
2016-17.

To give a further boost to food processing, my Government has launched the
National Mission on Food Processing. Construction of godowns is being promoted
under Public Private Partnership mode. Storage capacity of about 181 lakh tons will
be created over the next two years across the country with additional storage
space of 5.4 lakh tons in the North East.

The recently approved New Investment Policy for urea is expected to create
nearly 100 lakh MT of additional production capacity in urea by 2017, making the

country self reliant in urea.

Around 34 lakh hectares of irrigation potential was created under the
Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme during the Eleventh Plan. During the
Twelfth Plan, an additional 87 lakh hectares of irrigation potential is planned to be
created under the Programme. The New National Water Policy adopted recently by
the National Water Resources Council emphasizes efficient use of water and the
need to align planning for water resources with the challenges of climate change,

equity, social justice and sustainability.

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme continues
to break new ground in my Government's effort to provide work to those who seek
employment during times of hardship. Around 5 crore households were provided

employment under the scheme in 2011-12.

In order to make available improved housing for the rural poor, the
Government has substantially enhanced the assistance under Indira Awas Yojana by
increasing it from Rs.45,000 to Rs.70,000 per unit in plain areas and from Rs. 48,500
to Rs. 75,000 per unit in hilly and difficult areas including Left Wing Extremism

affected areas.

My Government has recently introduced important official amendments to the
Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill. I am confident that the law

will be enacted.

The next phase of the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission is being
President's (21 February, 2013] Aazioss 5

finalized. Meanwhile, the tenure of the current Mission has been extended until
March, 2014 for completion of ongoing projects and for sanction of new projects
so as to maintain the momentum of development of urban infrastructure. In order to
give a push to capacity building efforts of Urban Local Bodies, the Government
has decided to create a separate fund of Rs. 1,000 crore.

My Government proposes to extend the Rajiv Awas Yojana to all small and

medium towns, with a target of one million houses in the Twelfth Plan.

My Government is giving priority to addressing the problem of contamination
of sources of drinking water. During 2012-13, 5% of the National Rural Drinking
Water Programme Fund has been earmarked for allocation to States facing this
problem. A Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project for Low Income States,
estimated at nearly Rs. 5000 crore, is being developed with the help of the World
Bank to assist States that are lagging behind in the coverage of piped water

supply.

Recognising its crucial role in reducing the burden of disease, my Government
has accorded increased priority to rural sanitation. The Total Sanitation Campaign
has been modified in the form of the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan with the goal of
providing access to sanitation for all rural households by the year 2022.

My Government has recently increased the pension for widows and disabled
beneficiaries under the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme and Indira
Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme from Rs. 200 to Rs. 300 per month. On
attaining the age of 80 years, beneficiaries of both the schemes now migrate to Indira
Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme where they get a pension of Rs. 500 per
month.

With a view to recognizing the contribution of street vendors and ensuring
uniformity in the legal framework for street vending across States, the "Street
Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2012" has
been introduced in Parliament.

Under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers
(Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, more than 32 lakh claims have been filed
and nearly 13 lakh titles have been distributed.

To ensure the educational empowerment of minority communities, my
Government is implementing three scholarship schemes, with 30% of the funds in

each scheme earmarked for girl students. An amount of over Rs. 880 crore has
6 President's [RATYA SABHA] Address

been disbursed as scholarships to more than 55 lakh students till 31 December in
2012-13. To encourage students belonging to minority communities to take up
higher studies, an amount of Rs. 66 crore has been released under the Maulana
Azad National Fellowship Scheme. The Wakf Act is being amended and Wakf
Development Corporation will be set up for development and protection of Wakf

properties.

Under Prime Minister's New 15 Point Programme, the effort is to ensure that
15% of the targets and outlays of the identified schemes benefit the minority
communities. For financial inclusion, the flow of priority sector credit to minorities
at the national level during 2012-13 reached Rs. 1,71,960 crore as on 30/9/2012,
which was more than 15% of the total priority sector lending.

As promised by my predecessor last year, a new Bill for the elimination of
manual scavenging and rehabilitation of manual scavengers was introduced in the
Lok Sabha in September, 2012.

A centrally sponsored scholarship scheme has been introduced for Scheduled
Caste students studying in classes IX and X. It is expected to benefit about 40
lakh students.

My Government has created a separate Department of Disability Affairs. The
Government recently launched the Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship for students

with disabilities to enable them to pursue higher education.

For holistic development of children, the Government has approved the
restructuring and strengthening of the Integrated Child Development Scheme during
the Twelfth Plan with a total outlay of Rs. 1,23,580 crore.

My Government has enacted a path-breaking legislation, the 'Protection of
Children from Sexual Offences Act’, which provides for stringent punishment for

persons who commit or abet such offences.

For ensuring a safe and secure environment for women in work places, the
Government introduced the Sexual Flarassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention,
Prohibition and Redressal) Bill, 2012 in Parliament. The Bill has been passed by the
Lok Sabha. My Government is also deeply concerned about incidents of sexual
offences against women. After considering the recommendations of the Justice J.S.
Verma Committee, the Government has promulgated an ordinance, amending the
criminal law to provide for stringent punishment for heinous sexual offences against
President's (21 February, 2013] Address 7

women. The Government has also begun to implement a series of administrative

measures to improve the safety and security of women in the country.

The National Mission for Empowerment of Women will implement a pilot
project in public hospitals in 100 districts, called "One Stop Crisis Centre", a
specialized facility for providing all necessary services for women subjected to

violence.

The Mid-day Meal Programme today covers around 11 crore children in over
12 lakh schools. Several new initiatives have been taken by the Government to
make it more effective. My Government is committed to expanding coverage under

this programme to pre-primary schools in a progressive manner.

My Government is considering a strategic shift in central funding to states
for higher education through a new programme called the Rashtriya Uchchatar
Shiksha Abhiyan. This programme will encourage states to develop comprehensive
higher education plans in an integrated manner to address the issues of expansion,

equity and excellence.

My Government has taken major strides in accelerating our skill development
efforts. The number of ITIs that stood at 5114 in 2006-07, more than doubled to
10,344 by the end of 2012.

In January, 2013, we completed two years without detection of even a single
case of wild polio-virus. This is the longest polio-free period in the country ever

since eradication efforts were launched.

Tn health infrastructure, over 43,500 new construction and up-gradation works
of health facilities were taken up in the period 2005-06 to 2012-13 and nearly 70,000
additional beds have been added in Government health institutions. During the
same period, around 1.45 lakh medicare staff has been added in various States

under the National Rural Health Mission.

To overcome the shortage of nursing staff, Government has sanctioned over
200 nursing schools in remote and under-served districts in the last two years. To
increase the availability of doctors and specialists, several reforms were initiated,
resulting in a record increase of 46% MBBS seats and 70% Post Graduate seats in
the last five years. An overarching National Health Mission, covering both rural

and urban areas, is being finalized.
8 President's [RATYA SABHA] Address

Over 1.1 crore women benefited from the Janani Suraksha Yojana during 2011-
12. Under the Janani Sishu Suraksha Karyakram, pregnant women are entitled to

absolutely free care in public health institutions.

To further improve child health, my Government has launched the Rashtriya
Bal Swasthya Karyakram for screening of children below 18 years for 30 different
types of diseases, disorders, deficiencies and disabilities. This national initiative will

eventually cover around 270 million children across the country.

Due to efforts of the Government, there have been significant reductions in
Maternal Mortality Rate, Infant Mortality Rate and Total Fertility Rate in recent
years. Life expectancy at birth has increased from 61.9 years in the period 1996-2000
to 66.1 years in the period 2006-2010.

The National AIDS Control Programme has been recognized globally as a
success story. The programme has reduced annual new HIV infections by 57% in
the last decade. Adult HIV prevalence has decreased from 0.40% in 2000 to 0.27%
in 2011.

Since the launch of the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana, more than 3.35
crore smart cards have been issued and more than 43.26 lakh persons have availed
hospitalization facility under the scheme. This insurance scheme has been extended
to building and other construction workers, street vendors, beedi workers and other

categories.

Lack of adequate and quality infrastructure is a major hurdle in the fast
growth of our economy. Therefore, it is imperative that the infrastructure deficit is
overcome and adequate investment takes place. Government has taken two major

steps to ensure that impediments in this area are eliminated.

The first is setting up of the Cabinet Committee on Investment to expedite
decisions on approvals and clearances for implementation of projects. The second
is the creation of Infrastructure Debt Funds to raise low-cost, long-term resources

for refinancing infrastructure projects.

My Government remains committed to increasing the share of manufacturing
to 25% of GDP and creating 100 million jobs within a decade. Under the National

Manufacturing Policy, 12 National Investment and Manufacturing Zones stand
President's (21 February, 2013] Address 9

notified, 8 of them along the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor and 4 others at
Nagpur, Tumkur, Chittor and Medak. The Government has also liberalized the FDI
policy in single-brand and multi-brand retail trading, air transport services, power
exchanges and the broadcasting sector. The E-Biz project has been launched to
serve as a 24x7 online single window system for providing services to investors

and businesses.

The National Electric Mobility Mission Plan-2020 has been prepared. It
envisages a roadmap for facilitating manufacture of electric and hybrid vehicles that

are environment friendly and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

My Government has notified the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy-2012 to
ensure availability of essential medicines at affordable prices even while providing
sufficient opportunity for innovation and competition to support the growth of the
industry. Six new National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research at
Hyderabad, Gandhinagar, Hajipur, Kolkata, Guwahati and Raebareli have started

functioning.

My Government has taken effective measures to incentivize exports and
provide support to labour intensive sectors. India became the largest exporter of
rice in 2012-13.

With a view to providing further support to handloom weavers, the
Government is considering a scheme for concessional credit for the handloom

sector to benefit about 10 lakh handloom weavers.

To promote Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, 20% of all Government
procurement is required to be from Micro and Small Enterprises. The Bombay Stock
Exchange and the National Stock Exchange launched Small and Medium Enterprises

exchange platforms in 2012, making access to capital markets easier.

As a major step forward in reforming our banking sector, the Banking Laws
(Amendment) Bill, 2012 was passed by both the Houses of Parliament in December,
2012. The Government amended the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 for

more effective prevention of money laundering.

Pursuing the Budget announcement of 2012-13, Government has notified the
Rajiv Gandhi Equity Savings Scheme for first-time retail investors. Through the
disinvestment policy, we have broad-based people's ownership of Government

enterprises.
10 ~~ President's [RATYA SABHA] Address

The tourism sector contributes substantially to the country's foreign exchange
earnings, which during 2012 were estimated at Rs. 94,487 crore, a growth of over
21% over the previous year. Foreign tourist arrivals in India in 2012 were estimated
at 6.65 million.

India is the ninth largest civil aviation market in the world. Kolkata and
Chennai Airports now have new terminals. My Government has given 'in-principle'
approval for setting up a greenfield airport at Aranmula in Kerala, apart from

airports at Navi Mumbai, Mopa and Kannur.

The Dedicated Freight Corridor project is an ambitious mega project
connecting our Eastern and Western Coasts with the interiors of the country and
will cover 3300 km of railway track. Construction of over 1000 km route length is
expected to begin shortly.

A state of the art Coach Production Facility at Raebareli has been
commissioned for producing modern stainless steel coaches. Innovative approaches
under the PPP mode are being launched for first-and-last-mile projects and
development of railway stations. Construction of the Banihal-Qazigund tunnel in
Jammu and Kashmir has been completed and work on starting train services is in

progress.

In 2012-13, 2600 km of roads are expected to be constructed and contracts for
3000 km of new roads are expected to be awarded. A new approach to road
construction, the EPC mode, has been put in place. This will ensure significant
cost and time savings compared to traditional contracting methods. A length of
2900 km of highways will be put under the Operate, Maintain and Transfer system,
which will improve road maintenance. To improve connectivity from Kashmir Valley
to Kargil-Ladakh region, a tunnel of 6.5 km has already been approved and

another tunnel of 13 km is planned. This would ensure all weather connectivity.

In 2012-13, 42 PPP port projects have been targeted for award, involving an
additional capacity of 251 Million Tonnes Per Annum with an investment of 14,770
crore in 2012-13. The Government proposes to establish two new major ports, one
at Sagar Island in West Bengal and the other in Andhra Pradesh with a total
additional capacity of around 100 Million Tonnes Per Annum.

A number of steps such as technology development and modernization and

development of new coal blocks by engaging Mine Developer and Operator have
President's (21 February, 2013] Address 1

been taken to improve the productivity of Coal India Limited (CIL). After resolving
pending issues, 46 Fuel Supply Agreements were signed by CIL with power
utilities. Following the notification of the new Auction by Competitive Bidding
Rules, my Government is in the process of allocation of 17 coal blocks to

Government companies, as a first step.

My Government has taken important steps to harness our mineral resources.
Geological Survey of India has planned to complete the geophysical and
geochemical mapping of highly promising 5.71 lakh square km area during the
Twelfth Plan. For developing deep sea mineral exploration capability, an Ocean

Going Research Vessel is likely to be commissioned in 2013.

In the Eleventh Plan, 54,964 MW of electricity generation capacity has been
added which is about two and half times the capacity added during the 10th Plan.
The total installed capacity stood at about 2 lakh MW at the end of the Eleventh
Plan. To meet the projected demand by the end of the Twelfth Plan, the targeted
capacity addition in the Plan is 88,537 MW.

Under Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidyutikaran Yojana, more than one lakh un-
electrified villages have been electrified. Nearly 2,85,000 villages have been
intensively electrified and free electricity connections given to more than 2 crore
BPL households.

A scheme for financial restructuring of state owned distribution companies has
been notified by the Government of India to enable their turnaround and long-term
viability. This would help settle loans worth more than Rs. 1.85 lakh crore that the

power utilities owe to financial institutions.

Through suitable policy interventions, my Government is targeting significant
reduction of our dependence on imported oil and gas which is presently more than

75% of our requirement.

Renewable energy has to play an expanding role in achieving energy security
in the years ahead, The country has an installed capacity of over 26,400 MW from
various renewable energy sources, which is over 12% of the country's total power

generation capacity.

My Government's reform measures and proactive policies, as well as active
participation by the private sector have resulted in an unprecedented growth of
the telecom sector. With more than 935 million telephone connections, the Indian
12 President's [RATYA SABHA] Address

telecom network is the second largest in the world. Tele-density was 76.75% in
October, 2012 with rural tele-density crossing 40%. The Government approved the
National Telecom Policy-2012 which lays down the vision and strategic direction for
the telecom sector. Two and a half lakh Gram Panchayats will be connected with
broadband facility under the National Optical Fibre Network project by December
2014.

The Department of Posts is rolling out a rural ICT programme, through which
all post offices will be connected electronically. Computers will be provided to
1,30,000 post offices, which would facilitate both postal and banking services at

post offices.

In 2011-12, the Indian IT and IT Enabled Services industry showed
remarkable resilience by earning revenue of US$ 101 billion. The total employment in
IT Software and Services touched 2.8 million in 2011-12, with an annual growth of
about 9%.

My Government has approved the National Electronics Policy, 2012, covering
a comprehensive set of schemes with special focus on promoting domestic
Electronics System Design and Manufacturing. The National Policy on Information
Technology has been approved. It envisions strengthening and enhancing India's
position as a global hub for IT and using IT as an engine for rapid, inclusive and
sustainable growth. About 1,00,000 Citizen Service Centres are delivering IT services
to the people.

The Government has successfully completed the first phase of Cable TV
digitization in three metro cities. This will be extended to other cities in a phased

manner.

We are commemorating 100 years of Indian cinema. The first phase of the
National Museum of Indian Cinema is proposed to be dedicated to the nation at

Gulshan Mahal, Mumbai.

During 2012, Government commemorated the 150th Birth Anniversaries of
Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, Shri Madan Mohan Malaviya and Shri Motilal Nehru
apart from undertaking preparatory work for observing the 150th Birth Anniversary
of Swami Vivekananda and the Centenary of the Gadar movement. A new

International Award, namely the "Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony", has been
President's (21 February, 2013] Address 13

instituted. The first award will be given posthumously to late Pandit Ravi Shankar.

A National Mission for Libraries commenced its work in 2012.

The Archaeological Survey of India celebrated 150 years of existence in 2012
and took up important initiatives in Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos for restoration

of temples there.

The performance of our athletes at the London Olympics and the Paralympics
was encouraging. My Government has decided to put in place a long-term plan for
training of sports-persons in select disciplines. My Government also intends to
put in place a new system for identification of sports talent from the panchayat to
the district level.

The Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development in Tamil Nadu has

been accorded the status of an institute of national importance.
Honourable Members,

Some parts of our country have in the recent past witnessed communal
incidents. My Government is determined to thwart any attempt at disturbing our

communal peace and harmony.

In July, 2012, incidents of violence took place in some districts of Assam, in
which about hundred persons were killed. In order to control the violence,
adequate army and paramilitary forces were deployed. The State Government set up
relief camps and provided basic amenities to the affected people. The Central

Government announced a package of Rs.300 crore for relief and rehabilitation efforts.

Incidents of Left Wing extremist violence have shown a declining trend. The
number of deaths in naxal violence declined from 611 in 2011 to 414 in 2012.

My Government is committed to dealing with Left Wing Extremism in a
comprehensive manner. It is pursuing a two-pronged approach of conducting
proactive and sustained operations against extremists and focussing attention on
development and governance issues in extremist affected areas. A new scheme for
construction and strengthening of 400 police stations has been started in the
affected areas. The first phase of the plan for improving road connectivity in 34
most affected districts at a cost of Rs.7,300 crore is likely to be completed by
March, 2015.

The security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the North East has shown
a perceptible improvement. The number of tourists visiting Jammu and Kashmir has
14 President's [RATYA SABHA] Address

increased from 8.99 lakh in 2011 to 12.37 lakh in 2012. Compared with 2011, the
number of fatalities in incidents of terrorist violence in 2012 declined by nearly
half. Under the placement linked scheme named Udaan, proposals of corporate
houses to train nearly 25,000 youth from Jammu and Kashmir have already been
approved. Under another placement linked skill development initiative called
Himayat, more than 1650 youth from the state have been trained, of which over

650 have been employed.

My Government has accorded high priority to Border Management. In
addition to the work of border fencing, roads and floodlighting along the borders
with Bangladesh, Pakistan and Myanmar, Government has decided to undertake the
construction of 509 additional border outposts along the Indo-Bangladesh and
Indo-Pakistan border. The Integrated Check Post at Attari was operationalised in
April, 2012.

In pursuance of the tri-partite agreement, an autonomous body called the
Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) has been formed in August, 2012 for the
Darjeeling Hill Areas. My Government will provide the GTA financial assistance of
Rs. 200 crore per annum for 3 years for development of socio-economic
infrastructure. This will be over and above the normal plan assistance to the State

of West Bengal.

My Government remains committed to ushering in reforms for greater
transparency, probity, integrity and accountability in governance. To this end, my
Government attaches priority to the enactment of legislation proposed in the
Whistle Blowers’ Protection Bill, the Prevention of Bribery of Foreign Public
Officials and Officials of Public International Organizations Bill, Citizens' Right to
Grievance Redress Bill, and The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, which already stand
introduced in the Parliament. My Government is also considering amendments to
the Prevention of Corruption Act to punish the guilty and protect the honest

public servants more effectively.

My Government has taken significant initiatives including enhanced funding of
Rs. 4867 crore in the Twelfth Plan to strengthen the legal and judicial infrastructure
in the country. Over 14,000 District and Subordinate Courts are being equipped
with the tools of information and communication to provide quality citizen-centric

services to litigants. As one of its foremost priorities, Government will endeavour
President's (21 February, 2013] Address 15

to establish Gram Nyayalayas for ensuring affordable and expeditious justice to the
common man. My Government proposes to introduce the Judicial Standards and

Accountability Bill in this session as a significant initiative towards judicial reforms.

The people of India are grateful to our Armed Forces for their exemplary
professionalism, commitment and bravery in defending our nation. The country is
united in paying tribute to our soldiers who have made the supreme sacrifice by

laying down their lives for the country.

Our Armed Forces are fully prepared to defend the country against any
threat. My Government will continue to take all necessary steps to modernize and
equip our Armed Forces; bolster defence infrastructure, especially in the border
areas; encourage indigenous defence R&D; and expand domestic production of
defence equipment. The continuing progress in our missile programme has
strengthened our deterrence capability. Coastal security has also been further

strengthened.

My Government attaches the highest importance to the welfare of servicemen
and ex-servicemen. Significant steps have been taken to enhance the pay and
pension of serving and retired Services personnel and to remove disparities. This

will benefit over 13 lakh personnel.

My Government's foreign policy continues to be driven by the objectives of
creating an enabling environment for our national development, ensuring the

security of the nation and fulfilling our international responsibilities.

We continue to seek peace, stability, cooperation and economic development
in the sub-continent. We attach the highest priority to relations with our immediate
neighbours. With Pakistan, we have made progress towards normalization of
relations, strengthening mechanisms for bilateral trade and facilitating greater people-
to-people contact. While we remain committed to taking the process forward, it is
also important that Pakistan abides by its commitments and desists from acts that
contribute to a trust deficit. As Afghanistan prepares for the political and security
transition in 2014 and beyond, we will continue to help Afghanistan evolve

peacefully and fight terrorism and extremism.

My Government proposes to introduce a Constitutional Amendment Bill in

Parliament to give effect to the provisions of the Land Boundary Agreement with
16 ~—-~President's [RAJYA SABHA] Address

Bangladesh and its 2011 Protocol, which will strengthen border management and

our security.

We are making progress in our engagement with Sri Lanka, including in our
efforts to resettle and rehabilitate the internally displaced persons there and to

ensure a life of peace, dignity and equality for the Tamil people.

In West Asia and North Africa, my Government supports efforts to promote
peaceful settlement of conflicts and resolution of disputes in a manner that
accommodates the democratic aspirations of the people. We are also mindful of the
fact that the Gulf region is home to nearly six million Indians who live and work
there and that we depend on the region for the bulk of our energy requirements.
We have further enhanced our political engagement with and economic assistance

to countries of Africa.

At the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit in New Delhi in December 2012,
which marked the tenth anniversary of the annual ASEAN-India Summits, we
elevated our relations with ASEAN to a strategic partnership and concluded
negotiations on an ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement on services and

investment.

My Government intends to work with the new Chinese leadership to reinforce
the positive direction of our relationship. Our multi-faceted relationship with Japan,
which is also a major partner in our infrastructure development efforts, is making
good progress. The privileged and strategic partnership we have built with Russia
received a further boost during the visit of President Valdimir Putin in December
2012.

The Strategic Partnership with the United States has deepened, with progress
across all areas of our relationship and we look forward to intensifying this
engagement during the second term of President Obama. India's traditionally strong
relations with Europe will continue to develop. The visit of President Francois
Hollande to Delhi in February 2013, his first Asian destination as President, will

further strengthen our friendship and broad-based strategic cooperation with France.

As a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council during
the last two years, India played an important role in the Council's efforts to
promote international peace and security. We intensified efforts to generate
momentum for early reform of the United Nations Security Council. We are also
President's [21 February, 2013] Address 17

seeking concerted international action against piracy. In addition, a Piracy Bill was
introduced in the Parliament last year for prosecution in India of persons

committing piracy.

India also remained constructively engaged in global multilateral diplomacy.
We hosted the fourth BRICS Summit in New Delhi in March, 2012 and the
ministerial meet of the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation in

October, 2012.

As our development partnership expands and assumes an increasingly vital
role in our foreign policy, my Government has established a Development
Partnership Administration in the Ministry of External Affairs for more efficient and
effective administration of our wide-ranging assistance programme, which covers
financial aid, capacity building and training and the sharing of our development

experience and expertise.

My Government has successfully completed the implementation of the
Passport Seva Project, one of the mission-mode projects under the National
e-Governance Plan, to deliver passport related services to our citizens in a timely,

convenient and transparent manner.

My Government is deeply committed to promoting the interests and welfare
of overseas Indians. The Government launched the Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi
Suraksha Yojana on a pilot basis in May, 2012 to provide emigrant Indian workers
benefits like life insurance cover, pensions and Return and Resettlement savings.
We also signed Social Security Agreements with Finland, Canada, Japan and

Sweden. Similar agreements with Austria and Portugal will be signed soon.

Our space programme epitomizes India's scientific achievements and benefits
the country in a number of areas. The launch of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
on 9 September, 2012 marked our 100th space mission. India's first remote sensing
satellite RISAT-1, with all-weather imaging capability, was also launched in 2012.
Several space missions are planned for 2013, including India's first mission to Mars

and the launch of our first navigational satellite.

The country continues to make progress in the field of nuclear energy.
Electricity generation from nuclear power plants increased by about 23% in 2011-12

over the previous year. This year, two units of the nuclear power plant at
18 President's [RATYA SABHA] Address

Kudankulam, established with Russian collaboration, will be commissioned. My
Government attaches the highest priority to the safety of nuclear power plants. A
Bill to set up a Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority has been introduced in
Parliament. We have also conducted internal technical reviews of all safety systems
of nuclear power plants in the country. In addition, we are working with the

International Atomic Energy Agency on all nuclear safety issues.

The Government has unveiled the Science, Technology and Innovation Policy
2013 to accelerate the pace of discovery, diffusion and delivery of science-led
solutions for faster, sustainable and inclusive growth. In order to popularize science
education in schools, nearly 7.30 lakh scholarships have been awarded under a
scheme called Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research. About 48% of
the awardees are girls and 25% belong to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
A new PPP doctoral fellowship titled "Prime Minister's Fellowship Scheme for

Doctoral Research" has been implemented this year.

The Government is setting up a dedicated Seismological Research Laboratory
and has launched a first-of-its-kind research programme in the earthquake-prone
Koyna-Warna region of Maharastra to study precursor changes. The Indian tsunami
early warning system was recognized as the Regional Tsunami Service Provider for
the Indian Ocean region in October, 2012. India's third permanent station in

Antarctica was commissioned in March 2012.

India successfully hosted the eleventh Conference of Parties to the
Convention on Biological Diversity in Hyderabad in October, 2012. The event
provided India with an opportunity to consolidate, scale-up and showcase its
strengths in the field of biodiversity. One of the most important outcomes of this
Conference was the commitment made by the Parties to double the total
biodiversity-related international financial resource flows to developing countries by
2015. At the Conference, the Prime Minister launched the 'Hyderabad Pledge’,
wherein he announced earmarking US $ 50 million during India's presidency of the
Conference of Parties to strengthen the institutional, technical and human
capabilities for biodiversity conservation in India, and to promote similar capacity

building in other developing countries.

At the recently held Doha Conference on Climate Change, India played a lead
role in ensuring that the principles of equity and common but differentiated
responsibility continue to be recognized as the basis of the Parties’ efforts under
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
President's [21 February, 2013] Address 19

Honourable Members,

India stands tall as a nation because we are seen as a liberal and plural
democracy, which has faced and overcome tremendous odds. The world recognizes
India's demonstrable democratic and secular practices as a major achievement.
While we should rejoice in the benefits that our plurality brings, the challenge is
to relentlessly pursue our efforts to accelerate economic growth and widen
opportunities within our democratic framework. It is only if we constantly renew
and defend the democratic values that define our nationhood that we will be able
to face the great challenges that lie before us. On behalf of my Government, I
appeal to all of you to support our endeavours in marching ahead as a proud

nation.

Jai Hind