President Droupadi Murmu on Friday said with the implementation of three new laws related to criminal justice, a new era of the justice system had begun in the country.

Murmu who inaugurated two-day Conference of Governors at Rashtrapati Bhavan here said, “The change in our thinking was evident from the names of the laws: Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam.”

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She said for the smooth functioning of democracy, it was crucial that the various central agencies work with better coordination across all the states.

Murmu advised the Governors to think about how they, as the constitutional heads of the respective states, can promote this coordination.

She said quality higher education was an intangible asset as it promoted individual development and social change as well as innovation and economic progress.

Murmu said the National Education Policy emphasised upon improving the Accreditation and Assessment system of educational institutions.

She urged the Governors to contribute to this reform process in their capacity as the chancellors of state universities.

The president said the Government of India had been giving utmost priority to the development of the poor, the border areas, the deprived sections and areas, and people left behind in the development journey.

She pointed out that a large section of the country’s tribal population lives in the Scheduled and Tribal areas, and urged the Governors to suggest ways to achieve inclusive development of the people of these areas.

The president said ‘youth development’ and ‘youth-led development’ would gain more momentum if the energy of the youth could be channelised into positive and constructive work.

The ‘MY Bharat’ campaign provides a well-thought-out system for this purpose, Murmu said.

The Governors should encourage the people associated with this campaign so that more and more youth get benefitted, she said.

Referring to the ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ campaign, she noted that it enabled the people of different states and UTs to understand each other and connect with each other.

The president urged the Governors to contribute in further strengthening the spirit of unity.

She said many efforts are being made to deal with the challenges such as climate change and global warming.

Murmu said the Governors can contribute to this by making the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign a people’s movement on a larger scale.

The president said by encouraging natural farming, “we can increase soil fertility and enhance farmers’ income”.

She said to promote natural farming, the Raj Bhavans can lead by example”.

Murmu expressed the confidence that all the Governors will continue to contribute to the service and welfare of the people, doing justice to the oath taken by them.

In her opening remarks, the president said the agenda for this conference included carefully chosen issues that are crucial in achieving our national goals.

She said the deliberations of this conference would be an enriching experience for all participants and help them in their functioning.

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah also addressed the inaugural session.

Dhankhar, referred to the oath of the Governors and urged them to discharge their constitutional responsibility of making people aware of social welfare schemes and incredible development that have taken place during the last decade.

In his address, the prime minister, urged the Governors to play the role of an effective bridge between the Centre and the State and interact with people and social organisations in a manner to co-opt those who are underprivileged.

He said the post of the Governor was an important institution which could play a crucial role in the welfare of people of the state within the framework of the Constitution, particularly with reference to tribal areas.

Shah, delineated the course of discussions that the two day-conference will take and urged the Governors to visit Vibrant Villages and Aspirational Districts to instill confidence among people and give fillip to developmental work.