‘Pranab Mukherjee has democratised the institution of Presidency’

As President Pranab Mukherjee’s term comes to an end on 24 July, he will be fondly remembered in the Raisina Hill as an able administrator who will be leaving behind a legacy of new initiatives, innovation and inclusiveness. According to Rashtrapati Bhawan officials, Mukherjee will be remembered as a President who “democratised the insti- tution of Presidency”. After assuming charge as President of India, he had done away with the honorific “His Excellency”, the way earlier Presidents were addressed. He also relaxed the protocol and security restrictions on guests invited to Rashtrapati Bhawan.

The President introduced a new “Change of Guard” function every Saturday. This was opened to the public without restrictions and soon developed into a major tourist attraction on the lines of the same facility at the Buckingham Palace in England. The Rashtrapati Bhawan has also been opened to visitors three days a week, with an online booking system, where visitors are given a guided tour around the magnificent 320acre complex.

In another first, President Mukherjee introduced an internship programme to give an opportunity to young students to know how the Rashtrapati Bhawan functions.

President Mukherjee also revived the use of the Presidential buggy after nearly 20 years of its discontinuation. The limousine has now taken a back seat and the Presidential buggy is being used on ceremonial occasions for the President’s movement, like during the Beating Retreat ceremony at the Rajpath and the annual President’s address to Parliament during the budget session.

Officials at the Rashtrapati Bhawan will also remember President Mukherjee as an able administrator who balanced the legislative and the executive from time to time, yet maintained a good relationship with all political leaders. He is also one of the few Presidents who rejected as many 30 mercy petitions during his tenure, with the latest being on 26 May this year. The mercy petitions of some dreaded terrorists like Afzal Guru and Yakub Memon were also rejected by President Mukherjee.

President Mukherjee has also initiated several innovations during his tenure and one of the major ones was to convert the Rashtrapati Bhawan into a model township under the “Smart Gram” project. Under this project, the President’s estate was converted into a “Humane, Hi-tech, Heritage and Happy Township—4H”. Not