President Ramnath Kovind on Monday lauded the health care professionals, the government’s massive vaccination drive against COVID–19 aided by the indigenous production of vaccines and the citizens “who displayed profound faith in the democratic values, discipline and sense of responsibility” during the pandemic entering its third year, in his address to the joint Houses of Parliament at the start of the Budget session.
The term of President Kovind will end mid year and this was possibly his last address to the joint Houses of Parliament. He chose to begin his address marking the country entering the third year of the pandemic and having gone through a horrific second wave last year. “The Covid pandemic affected the entire world and in India too many of our loved were snatched away from us. In these circumstances, the Central government, State governments, local governments and administration, our doctors, nurses and health workers, our scientists and entrepreneurs have worked as a team,” he said. He did however express hope, based on figures, that the economy was back on track to becoming one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
