Journeying to Shimla, President Droupadi Murmu commenced her sojourn in Himachal Pradesh on a quintuple-day excursion. Scheduled from May 4 to 8, her itinerary encompasses a multitude of engagements.
Murmu alighted at the Kalyani helipad in Chharabra aboard an MI-17 helicopter of the Indian Air Force. Greeted by Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, along with Cabinet dignitaries Dhaniram Shandil and Chaudhary Chandra Kumar, alongside seasoned bureaucrats.
Initially slated for Jubbarhatti Airport, the President’s mode of arrival shifted due to favorable atmospheric conditions. Opting for the IAF’s aerial conveyance, she touched down at the Kalyani helipad proximate to the Retreat, commonly referred to as Rashtrapati Niwas, her summer abode in Shimla.
Throughout her tenure in the region, Murmu will preside over the seventh convocation of the Central University in Dharamshala on May 6. This event entails the conferral of degrees upon 709 students and scholars, inclusive of 30 recipients of gold medals, 11 PhD awardees, six MPhil graduates, and 602 undergraduates and postgraduates.
The Governor is slated to grace the convocation ceremony as a distinguished invitee. Predecessors, namely Pranab Mukherjee and Ram Nath Kovind, have also graced similar occasions at the university.
May 7 marks Murmu’s involvement in a cultural gala at the Gaiety Heritage Cultural Complex in Shimla, followed by a tour of the Ridge Ground and Mall Road.
An evening reception, hosted by the Governor at Raj Bhawan, is also on her agenda. Colonel Dhaniram Shandil will serve as Murmu’s attendant minister in Shimla, while Chaudhary Chandra Kumar will fulfill the same role during her Dharmshala visit.
During her previous visit to Shimla last year, Murmu also visited the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies.
