Speech by Her Excellency the President of India, Shrimati Pratibha Devisingh Patil, at the Civic Reception in Her Honour

I am very happy to be here amidst the friendly people of this beautiful State. My warm greetings to all of you. I am particularly pleased being in Himachal, the State located in the lap of the Himalayas, and known as the land of the Snowy and Green Mountains, and more so being in the Capital city of Shimla, which is admired widely as the Queen of the Hills.

Himachal's scenic beauty, its majestic mountains, its many rivers have captivated the hearts of millions. Its gently flowing rivers, its green pastures and its forests are particularity enchanting. On meeting the generous, good hearted and peace loving people of this State one gets a feeling of great satisfaction.

Nestling in the majestic mountains, Shimla is a beautiful and unique manifestation of nature. The snow capped peaks surrounding it, make the town even more beautiful. The mighty mountains not only beckon men to scale them but remind humans that they must aspire to reach the lofty heights of excellence.

I would like to say that destiny beckons our nation and all of us have to work collectively and to the best of our abilities to build a new, strong and resurgent India. Today, our country is counted among the major economies of the world. Due to our technically competent and talented human resource, it is a global IT leader. Our objective is to sustain a high economic growth rate and to have an inclusive growth process. It is my wish that growth and prosperity reaches every State, every district, every city, every town and every village of the country. Growth must also better the lives of all segments of society. No one should be left behind as the nation progresses. The needs and concerns of the weaker sections, the disadvantaged and the vulnerable population of the country must get our priority attention. Similarly, the women of the country must be empowered so that they can fully participate in the development process. They must be given opportunities of education and growth. It is unfortunate that even today social evils like dowry, child marriage, female foeticide, female infanticide, addiction and other social evils continue to exist in our society. They need to be dealt with sternly and they can be uprooted by undertaking public awareness campaigns. I am confident that all of us can collectively do so. Indian society has a tradition of being progressive and forward-looking when dealing with societal practices that require modification or elimination. It important that we and the succeeding generations preserve our age old traditions of tolerance, compassion, respect for fellow human beings and living in harmony with nature.

A strong education system that can provide education facilities to all and has committed teachers, who not only give knowledge but also a good value system to their students, is necessary. Education and having skill sets will enable our youth to get gainful employment and to deal with the challenges of the future. I understand that Himachal has a literacy rate of about 77 per cent, it is increasing and I am confident that the State will achieve full literacy.

The progress and prosperity of the country requires that we have a vision of development and a focus on priority areas with each State and Union Territory playing its part. Himachal is blessed with many resources like forests, rivers and an ecological system, which are valuable to the nation and provide a basis for growth.

Nearly 70 percent of Himachal's population derives its income from agriculture. It is important that the needs of the rural population are addressed and efforts made to increase agricultural productivity. Issues relating to food security are very important. The first Green Revolution of the 1960s made the country self-sufficient in food. We now need a Second Green Revolution in the face of a possible global food crisis. The presence of three universities in the State and six centrally funded Research and Development Institutes must step up research in agriculture, including on various aspects of biotechnology.

The apple orchards of Himachal Pradesh are well known throughout the country. With its wide range of agro-climatic conditions, which enable cultivation of a large variety of fruits, Himachal can become the fruit bowl of India. Efforts to increase the area under horticulture should continue. However, along with increased fruit production, what is needed is the establishment of food-processing units and downstream links with markets including by making use of cold storage chains.

Himachal Pradesh is an enormous storehouse of biological wealth and it has a vast scope for the cultivation of herbs, particularly medicinal and aromatic plants. I would like to share with you that during my recent visit overseas to Brazil, Mexico and Chile, I discussed the ayurvedic system of medicine with the leaders there, who showed a great deal of interest in ayurveda. The world over, there is a growing demand for holistic and nature based treatments. We must take advantage of this and Himachal naturally endowed with medicinal plants should be a leader in this field. However, patenting and standardization of ayurvedic products as well as detailed pharmacopoeia is necessary, so that these products become more easily acceptable abroad. Efforts in this direction should be hastened to tap the existing and growing demand.

The State Government has a ready instrument to spread awareness about its potential both in India and globally through the large number of tourists that visit the State. I am informed that the State receives 70 lakh tourists in a year, which is nearly as much as its population. There is a tremendous opportunity for increasing revenue for the State from the tourism sector. The Government has been taking a number of measures and its promotion of the State as "A destination for all Seasons and All Reasons" is appealing. Whether it be summer or winter, there are many activities which tourists can pursue here, amongst these are - skiing, river rafting, golfing, mountaineering, adventure tourism. Special attention must be paid to building of requisite infrastructure for tourism such as roads, airports, transport facilities communications networks and recreational facilities to promote tourism.

Himachal Pradesh has made progress in industrialization over the past few years. At present the sector contributes around 14 percent to the State Domestic Product. Himachal Pradesh with its tranquility and good sources of electric power, - advantages which any entrepreneur looks to - can attract investment in industry. India has emerged as a giant in the field of Information Technology over the past one decade. What began as a ripple has now become a wave, which has helped establish India as a global leader in this field. Many States have taken advantage of this area due to our highly talented and well educated youth in the technical subjects. Himachal Pradesh should also move ahead with its plans to attract investment in IT. The added advantage being that the IT industry is a high revenue earner, yet at the same time is pollution free. In this context, I am happy to note that the State Government has already developed an IT Vision - 2010 in collaboration with NASSCOM to make it an IT destination. Information Technology will not only help the State through the generation of jobs and incomes, but also have a spin-off effect, in that it can spread e-governance, making the lives of the common citizen easier and more efficient.

Globally and within the country there is a growing trend towards urbanization and the number of cities is growing. Haphazard construction and lack of planned civic amenities cause great inconvenience to the population and also deprive towns of their character. In this context, it is important to follow systematic urban planning and proper urban governance. To keep cities clean each person can make a contribution. From waste management, to energy and water conservation, to planting trees - all these can be successful only with citizens' participation. I have great confidence in the people of the State. I would call on all stakeholders to work together to keep Shimla clean and to maintain its heritage, its beauty, its healthy environment and goodwill towards each other.

The unique scenic beauty and the climate of Shimla have charmed me. The memories of the picturesque settings, friendly people and scenic beauty will remain etched in my memory.

I would like to thank the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and the Councilors of the Shimla Municipality and the people of Shimla for this civic reception. My good wishes and felicitations to you all.

Thank You.

Jai Hind.