Prez Murmu: East, Northeast Development a National Priority for Viksit Bharat

• President Droupadi Murmu highlighted the government's focus on rapid development in eastern and northeastern India, addressing a joint sitting of Parliament.
• She noted that post-Independence progress was concentrated in a few regions, but now underdeveloped areas are becoming drivers for 'Viksit Bharat'.
• Murmu cited the first Rajdhani Express to Aizawl and the upcoming semiconductor chip manufacturing in Assam as examples of regional integration and progress.
• Significant infrastructure development includes over 7,200 km of national highways and 50,000 km of rural roads built in the Northeast over 11 years.
• More than Rs 80,000 crore invested in railways connected Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, and Mizoram capitals with broad-gauge lines, boosting economy and tourism.

Why It Matters: President Murmu emphasizes accelerated development in eastern and northeastern India for a 'Viksit Bharat'.