India's diversity needs to be celebrated: President Pranab Mukherjee

New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee has said that India is a diverse country, adding this diversity is its strength and needs to be celebrated.

President Mukherjee conveyed this to a group of Social Innovators from the Ashoka Innovators for the Public (ASHOKA) including newly inducted 2016 Ashoka Fellows who called on him at the Rashtrapati Bhavan yesterday.

He said he was happy to meet Social Innovators from Ashoka working in diverse areas who have the common aim of being agents of change in different societal activities.

President Mukherjee said that Ashoka has over the last 35 years of its establishment, mentored and supported over 3000 Ashoka Fellows in 82 countries including over 380 fellows from India.

He said that it was striking that the Social Innovators not only solved problems through innovative ideas but inspired others to be change makers themselves and create positive social change.

President Mukherjee also mentioned that the innovative work of Ashoka Fellow George Abraham, who was present on the occasion, with cricket for the visually-impaired showed how visual disability cannot stand in the way of achieving one`s potential.

Ashoka is a worldwide network of social entrepreneurs impacting society with innovative solutions to urgent social problems.