(Image source from: indianexpress.com)

Former President Pranab Mukherji will be entrenched in the Indian roots forever with his impressive initiatives during his stint.

Born on December 11, 1935, Pranab Mukherjee was the son of a freedom fighter who was a journalist and a professor before he kept his legs in the shoes of politics.

He was introduced to politics by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and immediately formed his own Rashtriya Samajwadi Part upon Indira’s demise.

He was a hard worker who used to keep himself awake for 18 hours a day. His relentless struggle and hard work made him the 13th President of India making all his dreams turn into victory.

Here are some of the impressive initiative introduced by Pranab da during his stint as the President of India.

Relaxation of the rules inside Rashtrapati Bhavan

Pranab Mukherjee had brought sweeping changes in the functioning of Rashtrapati Bhavan. During his first year anniversary as the President in 2013, he announced the removal of the word ‘his excellency’ that is used for President and governor of the states.

The restrictions on visitors and guests have also been relaxed to a great extent. He started holding as many functions as possible in the Rashtrapati Bhavan itself to not disrupt the common man’s life.

Mercy Petitions and Ordinances

Pranab Mukherjee has promulgated or re-promulgated 26 ordinances, 5 in the last year, during his tenure. He rejected almost 30 mercy petitions of which include the pleas from Afzal Guru and Kasab.

Before him, only R Venkataraman had rejected 45 petitions during his tenure as the President of the country.

Making Rashtrapati Bhavan Accessible

He opened the Rashtrapati Bhavan for the common man and helped make it a prime tourist destination.

Around 1 lakh tourists have visited the place along with Mughal Gardens and the Rashtrapati Bhavan museum in the last year of his stint.

The in-Residence program was introduced for creative people to pursue their dreams. Several scholars, writers and artists have stayed in the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

As the President, he launched ‘4S’ initiatives for the welfare of the staff, employees and members of the families residing in the President’s estate.

An initiative ‘Sanskriti’ was launched for a group of children between 7 to 15 years for their wholesome development.

Another initiative ‘Samagam’ was launched for the elderly where yoga classes, free health checkups, counseling services and community singing were introduced.

Classes of painting, storytelling, and clay modeling were held inside Pranab Mukherjee’s library.

Rashtrapati Bhavan’s official Twitter

The twitter account of Rashtrapati Bhavan was opened on July 1, 2014 and had 33 lakh followers during the end of his presidency.

Museum

A state of the art museum was opened at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The museum focuses on landmark events commencing from Delhi Durbar of 1911 to Dr. Rajendra Prasad’s swearing-in ceremony.

Pranab Mukherjee Public Library

By restoring a weak structure of the Bhavan which was about to get demolished, Pranab Mukherjee started a public library for the welfare of the residents of the estate.

Pranab Mukherjee as a ‘Teacher’

He was perhaps the first President to teach children in the Rashtrapati Bhavan. He used his teaching skills in the last two years of his tenure. H taught class 11 and 12 students of Rajendra Prasad Sarvodaya Vidyalaya about the history and political science.

Rooftop Solar Power Panels

In a process to make Rashtrapati Bhavan more energy-efficient, roof top solar panels were installed in association with Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited and had a capacity of approximately 508 KW.

By Gayatri Yellayi