The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presented the Lakshmipat Singhania –IIM Lucknow National Leadership Awards today (June 27, 2017) in New Delhi.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that he was delighted to present the Lakshmipat Singhania- IIM Lucknow National Leadership Awards 2017. He congratulated the JK Organization and the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow for instituting National Leadership Awards in three major categories namely, Business, Science & Technology and Community Service & Social Upliftment.

The President said that India has made tremendous progress over the last 70 years since independence. We have witnessed tangible changes in almost every sphere of our lives. The most notable transformations have been in the social and economic sphere- we have come a long way from being an under-developed nation to being the third largest economy in the world, in terms of purchasing power parity, and also amongst the fastest growing major economies in the world. And yet, the greatest challenge facing our policy makers and national leaders even today is to ensure that the fruits of economic development are equitably distributed, resulting in a reduction in income disparities. Growth has to be truly inclusive for it to be meaningful. We must keep in mind that even after seven decades of planned economic growth, disparities still abound across regions, states and social groups. These only serve to remind us that our policies, developmental paradigms and delivery mechanisms need to be made even more broad-based and effective.

The President said that there can be no second opinion on the critical role that education plays in the development of a nation. It is one of the most powerful tools that can initiate societal changes and transform the economic fortunes of a country. The need to make critical reforms in our educational system is more compelling now, in many ways, than at any time before. The private sector should be encouraged to play a larger role in our educational system. Some of the top universities of the world have been built on the initiative of the private sector.

This release issued at 1730hrs.