CLIMATE change has become a major concern, directly impacting food and water security, but time is "not on our side" in the face of this crisis, Indian president Droupadi Murmu warned on Friday (3).
While inaugurating an art exhibition to celebrate the completion of 50 years of Project Tiger in New Delhi, she emphasised the need to strengthen conservation, adaptation, and mitigation strategies by integrating traditional and modern thinking to address climate change.
She said that unchecked materialism, brute commercialism, and greedy opportunism have taken a toll on the planet, leaving the five essential elements of life in distress.
"Climate change has raised concerns about food and water security. We are battling a grave crisis where time is not on our side. In this race against time, what we need is a concerted action plan guided by knowledge and wisdom," she said.
The President said forest dwellers, who have a long history of practising environmental prudence and climate wisdom, serve as excellent role models for such efforts.
She also praised India's emergence as a leading nation in integrated climate action under the leadership of prime minister Narendra Modi and commended his focus on wildlife preservation. Indian minister for environment, forest and climate change Bhupender Yadav and his deputy Ashwini Kumar Choubey were also present on the occasion.
(PTI)
Activists and supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) clash with police personnel during a protest demanding the resignation of India's Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged NEET examination irregularities in New Delhi on July 20, 2026. India's riot police baton-charged protesters in New Delhi as they tried to march to parliament on July 20, escalating a protest over irregularities in major examinations.Getty Images
A police personnel fires tear gas shells to disperse activists and supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) during a protest demanding the resignation of India's Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged NEET examination irregularities in New Delhi on July 20, 2026. India's riot police baton-charged protesters in New Delhi as they tried to march to parliament on July 20, escalating a protest over irregularities in major examinations.Getty Images
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Opposition leaders of the Indian National Congress (INC) party Rahul Gandhi (C back) and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (C) stage a sit-in protest calling for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resignation outside the latter's residence in New Delhi on July 21, 2026, a day after police crackdown against the protesting Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) supporters demanding the Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan step down over alleged NEET examination irregularities.Getty Images
Protesters stand amid debris strewn across a road during clashes with police at a demonstration organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on the opening day of Parliament's Monsoon Session on July 20, 2026 in New Delhi, India. A mix of protesters gathered in New Delhi on Monday as discontent bubbled over myriad issues, and as Sonam Wangchuk, an activist who was fasting in protest, was forcibly taken to hospital on Sunday.Getty Images
