NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu addressed the joint session of both houses of Parliament after the constitution of the 18th Lok Sabha, where she spoke about a wide range of topics, including recent paper leak cases, higher voter turnout in Kashmir valley during recently held Lok Sabha polls, concerns over EVMs, India's agriculture and forthcoming budget.

In her first presidential address after the formation of the BJP-led NDA government for the third time at the Centre, the president said that the newly formed NDA government's first budget will be futuristic and will facilitate fast-tracked reforms. 

She said, “In the upcoming sessions, this government is going to present the first budget of this term. This budget will be an effective document of the government's far-reaching policies and futuristic vision. Along with big economic and social decisions, many historic steps will also be seen in this budget.”

The opposition parties raised slogans against the center's policies during the address. Key issues addressed included the Manipur violence, NEET paper leak, and new criminal laws set to come into force in July against which the slogans were raised.

In her address, President Murmu invoked Emergency calling it "an attack on the Constitution and a source of chaos and panic in the country". 

"The Constitution of India withstood all hurdles that came it's way when it was being formulated and implemented. It also overcame attacks that it faced after independence, in the form of National Emergency imposed in the country 50 years ago," she said.

Referring to the recent irregularities in the NEET-UG examination and other paper leaks, President Murmu said that the government is committed to a fair investigation of the recent incidents of paper leaks as well as stringent punishment for the guilty. 

"It is a continuous effort of the government to ensure that the youth of the country gets adequate opportunity to display their talent. My government is committed to a fair investigation of the recent incidents of paper leaks as well as stringent punishment for the guilty. Even before this, we have seen paper leaks in different states. Rising above partisan politics, a nationwide concrete solution is needed for this. Parliament has formed a strict law against irregularities in examinations."

Amid concerns raised over Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) by the opposition, President Murmu praised the EVMs in her address and said the "misinformation campaign was unfortunate". 

She said EVMs were used in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls "to ensure the sanctity of the electoral process" and praised the Election Commission of India for holding the "largest election in the world". "The EVM has passed every test, from the Supreme Court to the people's court, in the last few decades," she said.

The president further highlighted that the process of reforms in the Armed Forces should continue to keep it combat-ready. "For a capable India, modernity in our armed forces is essential. We should be the best in the face of war - to ensure this, the process of reforms should go on continuously in the armed forces. With this mindset, my government took several important steps in the last 10 years. With reforms, India is indulging in defence manufacturing of more than ₹1 lakh crore. In the last 1 decade, our defence exports have increased by 18 times and touched ₹21,000 crores," President Murmu said.

The president also highlighted the high voter turnout in Jammu and Kashmir in the Lok Sabha elections and said Kashmir has given a befitting reply to the enemies of India by breaking polling records of many decades. 

"Enemies of India continued to spread false propaganda at global fora, projecting it as the opinion of Jammu and Kashmir. But this time, the Kashmir Valley has given a befitting reply to every such element within the country and outside," the President said.

President Murmu also highlighted the fact that today's India provides solutions for global issues ranging from climate change to food security and from nutrition to sustainable agriculture. 

She said that India achieved its climate-related targets much ahead of schedule and the country's initiatives to become a Net Zero economy are an inspiration for many countries. 

"We are providing various solutions for issues ranging from climate change to food security and from nutrition to sustainable agriculture. We are also running a campaign to popularise our coarse grains – Shree Anna – as a superfood across the world. On India’s initiative, the year 2023 was celebrated as the International Year of Millets worldwide," she said.

She also said that now India is changing its agriculture system keeping in mind its current needs. "My government has provided ₹3.20 lakh crores to the farmers of the country under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. Since the beginning of the new term of my government, an amount of more than ₹20,000 crores has been transferred to the farmers. The government has also made a record increase in the MSP for Kharif crops. Today's India is changing its agriculture system keeping in mind its current needs," the President said.

Cautioning against disruptive forces conspiring to weaken democracy and create fissures in society, President said new ways and means were needed to address this challenge. 

"In this era of communication revolution, disruptive forces are conspiring to weaken democracy and create fissures in the society. These forces are present within the country and are also operating from outside the country," she said. Murmu said such disruptive forces resort to rumour-mongering, misleading the people.

She also hailed the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) saying that it will prove to be one of the "biggest game-changers" of the 21st century. Murmu also said that the global order is taking a "new shape" and that the government's efforts are resulting in "Bharat" giving a new confidence to the world as a "Vishwa-Bandhu" (friend of the world).

In the end,  President Murmu conveyed her best wishes to Indian athletes who would be competing in next month's Paris Olympics, and backed the country's audacious bid to host the 2036 Games. 

"Due to effective efforts of my Government, young Indian players are winning a record number of medals at global platforms. The Paris Olympics is also going to start in a few days. We are proud of every athlete representing India at the Olympics. I convey my best wishes to them. To take these achievements further, the Indian Olympic Association is also preparing to host the 2036 Olympic Games," she added.