President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated an All India Seminar on "Directive Principles of Indian Constitution and Inclusive Growth" organized by the Confederation of Indian Bar in association with Konrad Adenauer Foundation today at a function at Vigyan Bhavan here.
Speaking on the occasion, Mukherjee said that this was an occasion to "rededicate ourselves to the cause of inclusive growth through greater application of Directive Principles in policymaking."
He said that with the Chief Justice of India presiding over the inaugural session and senior judges of the apex court presiding over the working sessions, he was quite confident of innovative answers emerging from the seminar.
"The raison d'etre for our founding fathers to include the Directive Principles in the Constitution was the attainment of inclusive growth of the country through the development of every individual. It is the cherished goal of every democracy to ensure that each individual feels empowered to not only participate in the political process, but also become a part of the economic development and social change," Mukherjee said.
"Our development process has been marked by inclusiveness. Our efforts in prioritizing universal healthcare and education have been commendable. Citizens of this country have been empowered by providing them with security for food, education and job. They have been given entitlements backed by legal guarantees. These initiatives, driven by the principles of citizen welfare, have made inclusive development of India a reality," he added.
The first copy of the book 'Justice, Courts and Delays' written by Dr. Arun Mohan was presented to the President on the occasion.
Dignitaries present on the occasion were Justice P. Sathasivan, Chief Justice of India, Parvin H. Parekh, President, Confederation of Indian Bar and Harish N. Salve, Chairperson, Reception Committee.