Govt's philosophy captured in 'Sabka saath, sabka vikas': Pranab Mukherjee

New Delhi: As the Parliament geared up for a turbulent Budget Session, Pranab Mukherjee said that the government's development philosophy ‘Sabka saath, Sabka vikas’ aimed to eradicate poverty, which he added was the worst kind of violence.

Here are the latest updates:

9.45 am: BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi gave a notice in the Lok Sabha on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) row and the Ishran Jahan case. With the notice being submitted, these issues are most likely to be raised in the Parliament during the Budget Session which begins from today.

10 am: President Pranab Mukherjee to address both Houses of Parliament on the government’s agenda and policy for the upcoming year.

10.40 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at Parliament on day one of Budget Session, followed by President Pranab Mukherjee.

President Pranab Mukherjee en route to the Parliament (Photo: Twitter)

10.45 am: “I wish that the Parliament session will be fruitful and there is constructive criticism as well,” said the Prime Minister. “The country is watching eagerly at the proceedings that are to take place in the Parliament. I welcome criticism of the government and its policies, that's what a Democracy is all about,” added Modi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaches the Parliament for the Budget Session (Photo: Twitter)

11.00 am: Budget Session began with President Pranab Mukherjee addressing members of both houses at a joint sitting in Parliament.

Expressing confidence that the deliberations of the Parliamentarians will live upto the task reposed by the citizens, the President said that ''Going forth, we will all be partners in progress and development of our great country.''

Adding that the development philosophy of the government was captured in 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' motto, he added ''My government in particular is focused on the welfare of the poor, farmers and jobs for the youth. The overriding goal of my government is to eradicate poverty, which is the worst kind of violence.''

11.07 am: Speaking about the social security schemes, the President said “My Government has launched 3 new social security and pension schemes. The Government is committed to provide housing for all.”

11.15 am: “Well being of farmers is vital to the nation's prosperity. Government is committed to the philosophy of per drop, more crop,” the President said, speaking on agricultural sector.

11.20 am: Maintaining that Rural development was one of the top priorities of the government, the President said "India achieved the highest urea production in 2015. Government realises role of animal husbandry, dairy & fisheries sectors."

11.25 am: "My government's mission of skill development in India has gained momentum" President Mukherjee.

11.30 am: Addressing the Parliament on the progress made on health care sector “I am happy to inform that we have successfully eliminated Maternal & Neonatal Tetanus well before global targeted timeline of December 2015. We are putting strong focus on holistic healthcare, strengthening Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha & Sowa-Rigpa & Homoeopathy.”

11.40 am: Emphasising that the Government firmly believed that economic development and environmental protection can co-exist, President Mukherjee detailed on the progress of the ‘Namami Gange’ project. He also spoke on corruption saying “Measures to eliminate the scope for corruption has been undertaken by the government. Government has been unsparing in punishing those who are found guilty.”

11.50 am: Speaking on the developments in the energy sector he said “Government has envisaged increasing the renewable energy capacity manifold to 175 GW by 2022. Today solar power is affordable and accessible to thousands of people. Also, in the year 2015 India witnessed the highest ever generation of electricity.” He added that the government introduced dynamic and comprehensive reforms in Coal sector and conducted transparent allocation of over 70 coal blocks.

Members at the President's address of the joint session of Parliament (Photo: Videograb)

12.00 pm: Revealing that 2015 saw the highest ever software exports during 2015, Pranab Mukherjee said that the year also saw the highest ever increase in rail capital expenditure.

12.05 pm: “Building upon the success over the past year, my Government's endeavour is to scale new heights in Space,” the President said, and added that the country witnessed a hike in GDP growth, making it the world’s fastest growing economy among large economies. “Inflation, fiscal deficit & current account deficit have decreased. India recorded highest ever foreign exchange reserves in 2015," he announced.

12.07 pm: “The government's concerted efforts to tackle menace of black money have started yielding results. The government also launched the Gold Monetization Scheme & Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme in Nov 2015 to ensure productive utilization of idle assets,” the president said.

He also said that the Defence procurement procedure has been streamlined with a focus on indigenously designed, developed & manufactured weapon systems, and that the government was working to ensure that the Armed Forces will be equipped with the most capable and sophisticated armaments in the world.

12.10 pm: “The government has continued to pursue a bold and proactive foreign policy. We reached out to the world, both on land and sea. My government is committed to the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the world is one family” he said.

12.12 pm: The President said “The government is focused on Sabka Vikas, beyond just the economic advancements that dominate headlines. We must ensure that the poor and deprived are truly empowered to take advantage of opportunities to improve their lives. Sabka Vikas means that backward sections of society are equally valued and are genuine stakeholders in the country’s progress.”

12.13 pm: “Parliament reflects the supreme will of people. Democratic temper calls for debate & discussion & not disruption or obstruction. Government will constantly strive for smooth and constructive conduct of Parliamentary business,” Mukherjee said.

12. 15 pm: President Pranab Mukherjee concluded his address to the Parliament.

President Pranab Mukherjee concludes the address to the joint session of the Parliament (Photo: Twitter)

During the session, the Rail Budget will be presented on 25th and the General Budget on 29th of February. The first phase of the Session will come to an end on 16th of March and the second phase will begin from 25th April and conclude on 13th May.

The Bills which will come up for consideration and passage in the Rajya Sabha include GST, Real Estate, Anti-Hijacking, National Waterways and Whistle Blowers Protection. In the Lok Sabha, the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Amendment Bill is among others which will be taken up for discussion and passage.

Asserting that the government was ready to discuss the current state of unrest at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Union parliamentary affairs minister M. Venkaiah Naidu earlier said that there were different views on the issue which needs to be addressed and debated.Calling on the Opposition to adopt a positive approach for the upcoming Budget Session, he added that holding 'discussion' should be the protocol in the Parliament instead of 'disruption'.