Source: Hueiyen News Service
New Delhi, January 25 2010:
With plans for a new security architecture under discussion, President Pratibha Patil on Monday said the government would provide high vigil and take necessary action to address country's internal security.
"Government is committed to maintaining high vigil and take appropriate measures to address internal security challenges," she said in her address to the nation on the eve of 60th Republic Day.
The President said the country has been a target of terrorism for more than two decades and the government has taken and will continue to take necessary steps to tackle threats emanating from terrorism.
"It will continue to work with the international community to combat this menace," she said.
Her remarks assume significance in the context of Home Minister P Chidambaram recently unveiling braoadlines of a new security architecture he would like to be in place to tackle terrorism.
Referring to the significant strides made by India and it becoming fourth largest economy of the world in terms of purchasing power parity, Patil said the country's target of achieving a double digit growth rate is plausible and realistic, given its impressive performance during the last decade and its resilience during the global economic downturn.
Highlights of President's address to the nation .
Out of the box thinking required to bring down food prices with focus on farm productivity through a second Green Revolution.
= Higher agriculture income will improve living standards of over 145 million rural households, in over 600,000 villages.
= Continue with policies that promote growth, and also take growth patterns to the bottom of the pyramid and those outside its purview.
= Empower the poor and the disadvantaged and enable them to move up the economic ladder, to join the ranks of the prosperous.
= Women need to be made full and equal partners in the growth process.
= Integrate linkages between agriculture and industry sectors.
= Weak implementation of policies and schemes, weed out corruption and bring in accountability.
= Public-private partnerships and Self-Help Groups important mechanisms for outcome-oriented action and for creating a wide network of stakeholders for growth.
= Eradication of social malpractices, especially those related to discrimination against women.