Watch: President Ram Nath Kovind Addresses Nation on the Eve of Demitting Office

"I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you & your public representatives," he said.

President Ram Nath Kovind.

(Photo: PTI)

President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday, 24 July, addressed the nation on the eve of demitting office.

He said, "Five years ago, I was elected as the President through your elected people's representatives. My term as the President is finishing today. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you & your public representatives."

The president who is the native of a small village called Paraunkh in Kanpur Dehat, Uttar Pradesh, hailed the country's vibrant democratic system in his address.

He also reminisced about the most memorable moment during his tenure. The outgoing president said that he will forever remember how he got to take the blessings of his teachers in Kanpur after taking office in 2017.

'India Fortunate in Having Galaxy of Leaders'

Reaching out to the youth of the country in his address, President Kovind asked them to stay connected to their roots, particularly to their Indian culture.

"I would request the younger generation to continue this tradition of being associated with their village or town and their schools and teachers," he added.

The president also thanked the armed forces, paramilitary forces, and the police for their service to the nation. Cherishing the special occasions on which he spent with the jawans, he said that their patriotic zeal was truly inspiring.

"I have always strongly believed that no other country has been as fortunate as India in having a galaxy of leaders, each of whom was an exceptional mind, within a span of a few decades in the early twentieth century," President Ram Nath Kovind added.

Speaking about climate change, the president said that Mother Nature was in deep agony and warned of climate crisis endangering the future of the planet. He called upon citizens to take care of the environment and also protect water bodies and the air from pollution.

(This story will be updated with more details.)