Former President Pranab Mukherjee passed away at the age of 84 after he was tested positive for the novel coronavirus and later going into a coma after he underwent brain surgery.
Of the many contributions of his as President of India and a statesman, here are the 15 achievements of Pranab Mukherjee that can not be overlooked.
Democratization of Presidency
In a bid to democratize the institution of Presidency, under Pranab Mukherjee, the Rashtrapati Bhavan made a number of announcements. It did away with the ‘His excellency’ that was used to address the president. The same was followed to the Governor of states.
Mercy Petitions And Ordinances
Pranab Mukherjee promulgated over 26 ordinances during his tenure being President. He also commuted four mercy petitions and rejected over 30. While his predecessors like KR Narayanan and Abdul Kalam sat on mercy petitions, Mukherjee took a stand on the petitions.
Teaching Career Of Pranab Mukherjee
Pranab Mukherjee became the first head of the state to teach school children. During the last two years of his tenure, he returned to teaching which he did for over 50 years. He held classes at school in the premises of Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Rashtrapati Bhavan On Twitter
To connect directly with the public, the Rashtrapati Bhavan created the official twitter account on the 1st of July 2014 under the leadership of Pranab Mukherjee.
Museum
Under Pranab Mukherjee’s tenure, a new museum was created to mark the highlights of the landmark events right from the Delhi Durbar of 1911 to the oath-taking ceremony of the first President of India, Rajendra Prasad. The museum displays the collection of arms, rich collections of gifts offered to the President by Indian dignitaries, and others.
Smartgram Initiative
On July 2, 2016, Pranab Mukherjee launched the ‘Smartgram’ initiative which aimed at developing villages into Humane and Happy townships. Under this, over five villages in Gurugram and Mewat were selected to implement various programs with the support of the center.
Modernizing Presidential Retreat In Dehradun
A residential retreat in Dehradun, Rashtrapati Ashiana, was lying in a bad state. Under President Pranab Mukherjee, the heritage building was restored, retrofitted, and renovated. It was inaugurated on the 10th of July 2017.
Public Access To Rashtrapati Bhavan
On 25th July 2016, in order to make the Rashtrapati Bhavan as the premier tourist destination in the country, three tourist circuits were opened.
Welfare Activities
President Pranab Mukherjee launched the 4S scheme – Sanskriti, Samagam, Sparsh and Sanskar aiming at developing different abilities of children.
Rooftop Solar Power Panels
One of the most important initiatives was to make the President’s estate more energy efficient. Rooftop solar power panels with a capacity of 508W were installed.
In-Residence Programmes
One of the many in-residence programs of the Rashtrapati Bhavan was welcoming creative and innovative people and to involve citizens in the activities of the residence.
E-Governance
Pranab Mukherjee took several initiatives to adopt new technologies and solutions. The E-Pustakalaya was for coding and cataloging books.
Buggy
Pranab Mukherjee revived the tradition of using the state, Landau or Buggy. It was used to highlight the role of Rashtrapati Bhavan which acted as a witness to modern Indian history.
Pranab Mukherjee Public Library
A public library in the name of Pranab Mukherjee was announced on the 25th of July 2013 after the schedule B of the President’s estate was restored.
Improving the President’s State
Of the other initiatives, the striking ones are the inclusion of rainwater harvesting, the use of energy, efficient LED lights, recycling wastewater, the use of fly ash bricks and etc.
Source: India Today
