India needs growth rate of 9% to end poverty: Pranab Mukherjee

President Pranab Mukherjee has said that India will have to raise its growth rate to 8.5 to 9 per cent annually for the next 15-20 years in order to ensure that poverty is totally eliminated. He made these comments while interacting with a group of 2014 batch trainee officers from Indian Economic Service at Rashtrapati Bhavan yesterday. President said, he is proud of what India has achieved



and is optimistic about what it can achieve. 

He said, expectations from them are high and a big responsibility rests on their young shoulders. The President told the trainees that the service they have joined provides them opportunity to serve the people and country for many years and that they will also have to advise the political executive in policy formulation.