President celebrates birthday with challenged children

New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS) President Pranab Mukherjee Tuesday celebrated his 77th birthday with differently-abled children at Rashtrapati Bhavan here.

Seventy differently-abled school children from Delhi met and greeted the president at his official residence. The children were from amar Jyoti School (Karkardooma), Government Senior Secondary School for the Deaf (Kalkaji), Tamana School (Vasant Vihar), All India Deaf Federation, JPM Senior Secondary School, Pandit Deen Dayal Institute for the Physically Handicapped and Action for Autism.

They later performed a cultural programme for the president.

Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Kumari Selja was also present on the occasion.

The president planted a sapling in the Rashtrapati Bhavan compound to mark his birthday.

Dignitaries who called on the president to greet him included Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj.

Mukherjee was born Dec 11, 1935, in Mirati in West Bengal. After a long and illustrious career in which he served the country in various capacities, Mukherjee was elected the president July 25 this year.

IANS 2012-12-11 21:22:13