President Pranab Mukherjee will complete a year in office on Thursday by inaugurating “Pranab Mukherjee Public library” for the residents of Rashtrapati Bhavan. He will also unveil a bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi sculpted by an octogenarian sculptor, on a day that will be marked by many events.
The fully air conditioned library will have a rich collection of books, newspapers and magazines for all age groups as well as a special children’s section. Facilities like reading rooms will be provided for young students to prepare for competitive and other examinations.
“The library was built in a dilapidated building in the President’s Estate which was scheduled for demolition. However, it was renovated and converted into a library for use by the residents of the Rashtrapati Bhavan Estate and their children,” Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson Venu Rajamony said in a statement.
Mukherjee will unveil within the Rashtrapati Bhavan the bronze statue of Gandhi made by Ram Sutar of Maharashtra. Sutar, who was born in the family of a poor carpenter, is considered a master of stone, marble and bronze sculpturing. He was given Padma Shree in 1999 and his bronze statues of eminent leaders adorn the Parliament, Government buildings and other public places.
Another engagement for the residents of President’s estate, which houses nearly 8,000 residents, will be a cricket ground at Dr Rajendra Prasad Sarvodaya Vidyalaya. During the day, Mukherjee will interact with Governors across the country through a new videoconferencing facility installed in the Rashtrapati Bhavan and host a dinner for the Council of Ministers, the spokesperson said.
A new section of digital initiatives will be inaugurated by Mukherjee and will be linked to the official website of the President. A video, The Presidency: Glimpses of First Year, will be added to the website which will cover important events over the past one year in the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the President’s Estate. A digital photo library with photographs of the first year of Mukherjee’s presidency is being added to the website.
A catalogue of 1,525 old and rare books of Rashtrapati Bhavan is being added to the website for the information of public along with select portions of the audio-visual section of the library.