It is what the president said:

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. However, the Direct Benefits Transfer System will not be a substitute for public services and will be complementary to the Public Distribution System.

The 12th Plan recognises that growth outcomes will depend upon the extent to which we are able to take some difficult decisions.

Inflation is easing gradually but is still a problem.

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.

The growth in agriculture and allied sectors during the 11th plan was 3.7% compared to 2.4% in the 10th Plan.

My Government is committed to enacting the National Food Security Bill, having received the recommendations of the Standing Committee.

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 & Sanitation Project for Low Income States, estimated at nearly `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.

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.

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 ` 880 crore has 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 `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 `1,71,960 crore as on 30/9/2012, which was more than 15% of the total priority sector lending.

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 Harassment 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 women. The Government has also begun to implement a series of administrative measures to improve the safety and security of women in the country.

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.

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.

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 & Manufacturing Zones stand 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.

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.

To promote Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, 20% of all Government procurement is required to be from Micro & Small Enterprises.

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.

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 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.

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’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.

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.