President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday called on the Governors to play the role of a “friend, philosopher and guide” in their States. He was speaking at the 51st conference of the Governors, the Lieutenant Governors and the Administrators at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Mr. Kovind said the Governors played an important role in creating awareness of national goals and ensuring participation of the public, for which they must spend as much time as possible in the respective States, a Rashtrapati Bhavan statement said. He referred to India’s goals for climate action, including net zero emissions by 2070, as national goals that the Governors could motivate people to fulfil.

“The President particularly referred to ‘Har Ghar, Nal Se Jal’ as an incredibly successful programme which changed the lives of people and urged the Governors to help ensure the active participation of educational institutions, government organisations as well as NGOs. Drawing attention to the areas dominated by the Scheduled Tribes, the President said the Governors had a special constitutional role in development of these areas. By contributing to the progress of these tribal people, they can play their part in the inclusive development of the country, he pointed out,” the statement read.

The one-day conference, being held in-person after two years due to COVID-19, was also attended by Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and included presentations by States on their best practices.

“Five States — Gujarat, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Telangana — and the Union Territory of Ladakh made presentations on their best governance practices. Gujarat’s emphasis on organic farming and Uttar Pradesh’s special efforts for upscaling education and eradicating tuberculosis found mention in these reports,” the statement read.

Mr. Modi said the institution of the Governor was a “critical connect between the Centre and the State”, the Rashtrapati Bhavan said. The Governor’s office should be “lively and active” and they should travel to remote villages, particularly in border States, to spend time with residents, he said. The Prime Minister also asked the Governors to share their experiences for his ‘Mann ki Baat’ radio programme.

Mr. Modi said the institution of the Governor was critical in maintaining national integrity and asked them to be cautious against attempts to “go against the spirit of the Constitution”.