This is an archive article published on July 26, 2022

Opinion July 26, 1982, Forty Years Ago: President Zail Singh

Zail Singh called for greater discipline in national life to safeguard against dangers to the political and social system. Singh, the first Sikh to occupy the highest office, was sworn in by the Chief Justice, Y V Chandrachud, at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Zail Singh was the 7th president of India.

July 26, 2022 05:41 AM IST First published on: Jul 26, 2022 at 05:30 AM IST

Zail Singh assumed office as the seventh president of the republic with a solemn pledge to carry out his tasks without fear or favour and live up to the noble traditions of his predecessors. In his first address to the nation minutes after being sworn in, Zail Singh called for greater discipline in national life to safeguard against dangers to the political and social system. Singh, the first Sikh to occupy the highest office, was sworn in by the Chief Justice, Y V Chandrachud, at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

PLO Resolution

Palestinian Liberation Organisation chairman Yasser Arafat signed a document for a visiting US congressional delegation accepting all UN resolutions recognising Israel’s right to exist, US Congressman Paul N McCloskey Jr announced. McCloskey, a Republican from California, said Arafat had met the condition for US recognition of the PLO. “I intend to go back and I hope my colleagues will join me in recommending to Secretary Shultz that we now open negotiations with the PLO,” McCloskey said.

Unions strike

The National Productivity Year, declared by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, is steadily heading towards ending up as a year of lower industrial growth, more layoffs and strikes, resulting in a record number of mandays lost. According to the latest figures, there has been a distinct fall in the rate of growth of industrial production in 1982. Strikes in various parts of the country have caused an alarming rise in mandays lost. Trade union circles anticipate more strikes in some major industries in the coming months.

New Home Minister

Bangladesh Chief of Intelligence, Major-General V M K Chowdhury, was appointed the Home Minister by the Chief Martial Law administrator, Lt-Gen H M Ershad, Radio Bangladesh reported.

# india DO NOT USE