In the haloed precincts of the Central Hall of Parliament where Indian democracy was born 60 years ago, both the President and the Prime Minister cautioned about the “grave challenge” corruption posed to the present democratic system in India.

Speaking of the crisis in ensuring education to all and agricultural prosperity, they said the Government’s delivery mechanism needed an overhaul.

“Corruption today poses a grave challenge to our system and it is time the nation begins to determinedly combat this menace,” said President Pratibha Patil. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described corruption as “cancer” and underlined the need to root out the menace.

“For all the benefits of development to reach the poor, it is essential that the delivery systems of the Government, at all levels, are more efficient and purged of corruption,” he told a special gathering of parliamentarians. “The cancer of corruption must be extinguished if democracy and development have to have a real meaning for our people,” he added.

Patil spoke on the need for inclusive growth and favoured making education one of the primary focus areas as it was the key to a prosperous and successful India, which has a crucial role to play in the world order.

Singh said while agriculture was in urgent need of a second Green Revolution, the country should forge ahead with labour-intensive industrialisation and the development of a knowledge-based economy.

Underscoring the need for promoting a scientific outlook, he said, “We should once again regain that position as a modern, knowledge-based culture, where science and technology are used to overcome the age-old problems of poverty, ignorance and disease.”

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