President Murmu urges students to extend Raksha Bandhan bond to nature

President Droupadi Murmu marked Raksha Bandhan at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Wednesday with a special celebration for school students from across the country. Addressing the gathering, she urged the young visitors to extend the festival's core values of love, care, and protection to the environment, suggesting they tie rakhis on plants and trees to help preserve the ecological balance.

The President expressed concern over the deteriorating state of the environment and emphasised that students, as the nation's future, should make tree planting and nurturing a lifelong commitment. She noted that the festival symbolises a bond of love that can be shared with anyone, including family, friends, and even trees.

The event saw participation from 122 individuals, including 89 students and 32 teachers. Among the representatives were 13 Children with Special Needs (CwSN), drawn from 17 states, one Union Territory, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS).

As part of their educational visit to the national capital, the students toured the Pradhan Mantri Sangrahalaya on August 27. Following the Raksha Bandhan programme, they took a guided tour of Rashtrapati Bhavan and Amrit Udyan. The itinerary also includes visits to the "The Light and the Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One" exhibition at the Raipithora Cultural Complex, the National Science Centre, the National War Memorial, and India Gate on August 29.