Incumbent President Pranab Mukherjee‘s term ends on 24 July and the political parties have geared up to file nominations for the next president. The last date to file the nomination is 28 June. NDA is trying to avoid the contest by trying to convince all the opposition parties to agree on a consensus candidate, but it is unlikely that the non-NDA parties will support the NDA candidate. Though few candidates like Gopalkrishna Gandhi, Meira Kumar, Sharad Yadav have been short listed, no names have been officially announced yet.
Pranab Mukherjee’s term will end on 24 July and detailed planning on building a legacy for the outgoing President has started. A foundation that encourages research in areas of defence and welfare policy is at the top of the list for now. Two of the President’s long term supporters, Omita Paul and Thomas Mathew are the key planners.
According to Paul and Mathew, Mukherjee is very adamant on the point that he does not want any institutions or foundations to be named after him. Mukherjee only wants to remembered by simply living in the midst of the people. He had said that democracy is a mass”, and he would “melt into that mass”.
Paul and Mathew are expected to be part of the foundation’s core team. While discussing about the funding to the foundation, they said that the funding is likely to come from corporate houses and eminent persons.
The foundation will offer research opportunities in national and global security, diplomacy and arms procurement.
The other priority area will be rural development. “Adopting villages and developing them as model villages is one of the plans being discussed.
Mukherjee started his career in the late 1960s, during the course of time, he has held a number of ministerial posts as well as Congress party posts. Even his critics agreed to the fact that his administrative efficiency and knowledge of constitutional and parliamentary rules and procedures were impeccable.