The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, was on a 3-day visit to Uttarakhand from June 19 to June 21, 2025. During her visit, she inaugurated various development and public engagement initiatives at Rashtrapati Niketan (formerly known as the Presidential Retreat) and Rashtrapati Tapovan in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
- Rashtrapati Tapovan and Rashtrapati Niketan will be open to the general public from June 24, 2025, and July 01, 2025, respectively.
Key Initiatives/Facilities Launched by President Murmu:
i.President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated a 200-seat amphitheater and laid the foundation stones for staff quarters, stables, and barracks at Rashtrapati Niketan.
- She also graced the opening of Rashtrapati Niketan for public visit and inaugurated public amenities like the Visitor Facilitation Centre, the Cafeteria, and the Souvenir shop.
ii.She also laid the foundation stone for Rashtrapati Udyan, a 132-acre sustainable public garden at Rashtrapati Niketan. This park is expected to be completed in 1 year.
- It aims to become a community engagement hub to promote wellness, culture, and civic pride among citizens.
- It will feature walking and cycling tracks, butterfly domes, an 800-seat amphitheatre, an aviary, and boating zones.
- During this occasion, she also released a book documenting the biodiversity of Rashtrapati Niketan, Rashtrapati Tapovan, and Rashtrapati Udyan. It comprises more than 300 species of flora and 170 species of fauna, including butterflies, birds, and mammals found across the estate.
About Rashtrapati Niketan and Rashtrapati Tapovan:
i.Rashtrapati Niketan, established in 1976, has a rich heritage tracing back to 1838, when the estate served as a summer camp for the Governor General’s bodyguard.
- It spans across 21 acres of land and includes lily ponds, historic buildings, orchards, and stables.
ii.Rashtrapati Tapovan, a 19-acre Presidential estate developed as a forest area in partnership with the Uttarakhand forest department.
- It features silent zones, forest trails, meditation huts, and hosts 117 plant species, 52 butterflies, 41 bird species, and 7 wild animals, including some protected species.
- The area also includes natural bamboo groves and undisturbed woodland ecosystems.
Other Key Highlights of her Visit:
i.She also released a postal stamp to mark 125 years of Raj Bhavan, Nainital (Uttarakhand), and unveiled a coffee table book in Dehradun.
ii.President Murmu also visited the National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (NIPEVD) in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, where she interacted with the students.
- While addressing the students, President Murmu highlighted that the National Education Policy (NEP 2020) includes provisions to provide equal educational opportunities to children with disabilities, like other children.
iii.She concluded her visit to Uttarakhand by participating in a mass yoga celebration held at State Police Line Maidan in Dehradun, on the occasion of 11th International Yoga Day (IYD), i.e., on June 21, 2025.
About Uttarakhand:
Chief Minister (CM) – Pushkar Singh Dhami
Governor – Gurmit Singh
Capital – Dehradun
National Park (NP) – Jim Corbett NP
