Giving an account of the nearly four-year performance of the UPA government, President Pratibha Patil on Monday stressed that the coalition administration has created the necessary ‘architecture of inclusive growth’ in the country.

Delivering her maiden speech to the joint session of Parliament, President Patil, whose most part of the speech confined to narrating the progress under various schemes of the government, said the Centre remained committed to ensuring that the “economic growth process was socially inclusive, regionally balanced and environmentally sustainable”.

“My government’s strategy of inclusive growth has been enabled by, and has in turn contributed to, the acceleration of economic growth,” she said and added that the near nine per cent growth for four years in a row was “all the more creditable against the background of high international oil prices and rising commodity prices, including for food”. Hailing the government performance, she remarked, “India is on the move. There is an air of optimism among our youth and of expectation among the less-privileged sections of society. The challenge before us is to sustain the development process in the face of external and internal threats. My government has been able to sustain historically high rates of growth through prudent and sound economic management. This has contributed to the stability of the growth process and to predictability and transparency in policy.”

The President said by tripling outlays to education, agriculture, health and rural development in the 11th Plan, the government has undertaken “a major structural shift in plan priorities, aimed at reducing disparities and empowering people”.

In a speech that left untouched controversial issues such as the nuclear deal, farmers suicide, price rise, reservation among others. she made a cursory reference to the naxal violence which has been on the rise especially in the last few months, as she stated that the overall internal security situation remained under control.