New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee Thursday celebrated his 79th birthday by launching several initiatives to make the Rashtrapati Bhavan people friendly.
The president unveiled a new electronic art catalogue titled ‘Art Heritage of Rashtrapati Bhavan: A Selection’ on the president’s official website – presidentofindia.nic.in and also laid the foundation stone for a staff housing complex of two 10-storey residential towers.
On the occasion, Mukherjee said: “The catalogue would be of great use to researchers, art lovers and visitors.”
“Maintenance of art and heritage is as important as its creation. Every effort must be made to preserve the rich art repository in Rashtrapati Bhavan.”
The president also launched ‘Samagam’, a community initiative for senior citizens residing in the President’s Estate. It was followed by a performances of nursery and KG students along with differently-abled children residing in the estate.
Both the children and senior citizens then joined the president in cutting a cake.
To make the president’s estate a financially inclusive township, Mukherjee inaugurated a financial literacy centre and a financial library at Dr Rajendra Prasad Sarvodaya Vidyalaya in the President’s Estate.
A Financial Awareness Festival was also held in which students of Dr Rajendra Prasad Sarvodaya Vidyalaya as well as residents of the President’s Estate were trained in financial literacy using a model bank branch of the State Bank of India.
The president further inaugurated a ‘RB Cycle’ initiative under which, 50 cycles “gifted by Hero Cycles” will be made available at four locations in the Estate to promote fitness and health amongst residents of the estate.