Monsoon Session of the Parliament gets underway today. After summer, the advent of first rain brings in a fresh new smell into the soil. Similarly, this Monsoon Session will bring in a new spirit after the successful implementation of GST. Whenever the Political Parties and the Government take decisions keeping in mind the national interest, it shows their commitment towards the larger public good. It has been proved successfully with the implementation of GST. The GST spirit is about growing stronger together. I hope the same GST spirit prevails in this Session. The Monsoon Session is significant on several accounts. Nation completes seven decades of Independence on 15th August, 2017. Quit India Movement turns 75 years on 9th August, 2017. During this Session, the nation gets an opportunity to elect the new President and the Vice President. In a way, this period is full of many significant events for the nation. Therefore, it is natural that the public attention will be focussed more on the Monsoon Session this year. As the Monsoon Session of Parliament gets underway, we salute our farmers who have been ensuring food security for the country with their hard work. It is my firm belief that the Monsoon Session will provide an opportunity to all the Political Parties and the MPs to enter into a dialogue of the highest quality with value addition for taking major decisions in the larger national interest together.

Many many thanks to you.

Parliamentary session: foster collaborative dialogue under GST spirit to advance national priorities and upcoming presidential elections Monsoon Session of Parliament is inaugurated emphasising cooperative legislative engagement in the national interest, with the recent implementation of GST presented as a model of consensus-driven reform. Members and political parties are urged to pursue constructive, value-adding dialogue to enable major national decisions, including the election of the President and Vice President, and to address national priorities while recognising farmers' role in food security.