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Aam admi" (common man), the Congress mascot in the last elections, has been well looked after in the last five years.
President Pratibha Patil sought to suggest this in her customary address to the joint sitting of Parliament, noting that the UPA government has "acted on nearly all the commitments made to the people".
Maintaining that the people measure government not on the basis of what it says but on the basis of what it does, she said "in a democracy, government is measured on a simple maxim- aam admi ko kya mila? (What the common man has got?)"
Her address marked the start of Parliament session in the new year, the last for the 14 the Lok Sabha.
She noted that when democratic, secular, progressive forces came together in this government, it sought to make itself accountabe to the people through a National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP).
"Today, after close to five years in office, my government believes that it has acted on nearly all the commitments made to the people through National Common Minimum Programme", she said.
She prefaced her remark by saying that "our functioning democracy has set for my government exacting standards to judge its performance".
With this being the last session of the 14th Lok Sabha, the president's address was full of the achievements of the Congress-led coalition in the last five years.
Hailing the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), the president said the measure is moving the country towards a "Republic of Work".
This programme is keenly watched all over the world as an Indian innovation in combining the twin objectives of providing for consumption expenditure of the poor as well as improving rural productivity and income, she said.
The president also referred to the Unorganised Workers Social Security Act 2008 which would facilitate provision of social security to 43 crore unorganised workers.
Other measures referred to by her included Scheduled Tribes and Traditional Forest Dwellers Act and granting OBC quota in institutions of higher learning.
The social security framework has been further strengthened through introduction of the Aam Admi Bima Yojana, the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana and the revamped Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme now extended to all old persons below the poverty line.
"Looking back, we see hope. We have not only withstood the challenges but also emerged stronger," the president said.
