President's address on Thursday, debate to be next govt-Oppn friction point

President Droupadi Murmu will address the joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, where she is expected to unveil the priorities of the newly-elected government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Murmu's address to the joint sitting of Parliament will also be the first after the constitution of the 18th Lok Sabha.

The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha began on Monday and the 264th session of the Rajya Sabha will begin on June 27.

The President will reach the Parliament in a procession from the Rashtrapati Bhawan, escorted by the horse-mounted presidential bodyguards.

She will be received by Prime Minister Modi and the presiding officers of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha at the Gaja Dwar of the Parliament building from where she will be escorted to the Lower House chamber with the traditional sceptre 'Sengol' in the lead.

According to Article 87 of the Constitution, the President is required to address a joint session of Parliament at the beginning of the session after each Lok Sabha election.

The President also addresses a joint sitting of both Houses in the first session of the Parliament every year.

The government outlines its programmes and policies through the President's address. It also highlights the steps taken by the government the previous year and spells out priorities for the upcoming year.

Following the President's address, the ruling party will move a motion of thanks in both Houses of the Parliament which will be debated by members.

Prime Minister Modi is likely to reply to the debate on the motion of thanks on July 2-3.

Murmu is expected to provide an overview of the Modi government's policies over the past 10 years, covering achievements in various sectors such as economy, defence, healthcare, education, and social welfare, among others.

A resurgent Opposition is expected to corner the government on a range of issues such as NEET-UG irregularities, cancellation of UGC-NET, terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, train accidents in the country, and rising prices of essential commodities.

In the recently held general elections, the ruling BJP-led NDA retained power for a third consecutive term by winning 293 seats, much below expectations of the BJP which was hoping for over 400 seats for the ruling alliance.

The Opposition emerged stronger in the elections with the INDIA bloc winning 233 seats, which include 98 of the Congress, almost double of the 52 seats it had won in 2019.