The president hosts a reception on the lawns of the Mughal Gardens on Independence Day and Republic Day, attended by the vice president, prime minister, ministers, MPs, judges, diplomats, top bureaucrats and senior Army officers along with renowned artistes and media persons.
The first such reception hosted by Kalam was to be held three weeks after he assumed the office on July 25, 2002. He studied the guest list and inquired about ordinary people not being invited. When the officials replied that only those of the rank of additional secretary and above were invited, Kalam ordered that henceforth a group of ordinary workers should be invited to every reception. As a result, 40 postmen and post-women were invited to the function. Next time, it was the turn of municipal workers.
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