NEW DELHI – India has strengthened its standing in the rapidly evolving global environment through improvement in diplomatic relations, President Ram Nath Kovind said on Monday.
In his address to the Joint Session of Parliament for the Budget Session, the President also referred to India’s successful evacuation of its citizens from Afghanistan post the Taliban takeover in August last year.
“We have witnessed instability and volatility in our neighbouring country, Afghanistan. In spite of the prevailing situation, true to the spirit of humanity, India launched Operation Devi Shakti.
“Despite the challenging conditions, we successfully airlifted a number of our citizens and many Afghan Hindu and Sikh minorities from Kabul. We also brought back two ‘swaroops’ of the Holy Guru Granth Sahib safely amidst difficult situations. From the humanitarian point of view, India is helping Afghanistan by delivering medical supplies and food-grain,” the President said.
Referring to India’s month-long presidency of the United Nations Security Council in August last year, he said that India chaired the UNSC in August 2021 and took several path breaking decisions.
“Under the presidency of India, for the first time, the Security Council held a comprehensive debate on the issue of maritime security. The Security Council, for the first time, adopted a Presidential Statement on this subject, and did so unanimously,” he said.
On climate change, the President said that it is a major challenge confronting the whole world at present.
“India has emerged as a responsible global voice on the subject. At the CoP-26 summit, (in Glasgow) my government has announced that by 2030 India will reduce its carbon emission by 1 billion tonnes.
“India has also committed to a target of becoming net zero emission economy by 2070. India has also taken the initiative of “Green Grid Initiative: One Sun, One World, One Grid” with the global community. It is the first international network of globally interconnected solar power grids.
Our ambitions and resolves towards the environment are a testimony of our sensitivity towards nature,” he said.
