The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee today delivered the PV Narasimha Rao Memorial Lecture at Hyderabad today (December 31, 2012).

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that Late Shri Narasimha Rao, was a leader who inspired many. He stated that he too was one of them. He said that he had the opportunity to work with Late Shri Rao for many years and was impressed by his political sagacity, his depth of comprehension of complex issues and his steely resolve to find solutions to even the most intractable of them.

The President said that Late Shri Rao would be remembered for his many contributions to the nation foremost amongst which, in his opinion, was his sterling success in taking the nation to the next level of reforms in 1991. He would be remembered as a great leader of our country and one who showed the courage of conviction in leading the nation through the right path of reforms against the heaviest odds, the President said.

This release issued at 1600 hrs