After Rafale and Sukhoi flights, President Murmu to undertake submarine sortie

Indian Navy's Submarine

President Droupadi Murmu is set to undertake a sea sortie aboard a submarine from Karwar Harbour in Karnataka on December 28, according to an official statement from Rashtrapati Bhavan.

With this, President Droupadi Murmu will become only the second President of India to travel in a submarine after Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, who undertook a similar sortie on February 13, 2006, from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.

The submarine visit will take place during the President’s four-day tour of Goa, Karnataka and Jharkhand, beginning on Saturday. Rashtrapati Bhavan said Murmu will leave for Goa on the evening of December 27.

“On December 28, the President will take a sea sortie in a submarine from Karwar Harbour, Karnataka,” the statement said.

Murmu has previously created history by becoming the first Indian President to fly sorties in two frontline fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force. She flew in a Rafale fighter jet on October 29 this year and earlier undertook a sortie in a Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft in 2023.

After completing her engagements in the western region, the President will travel to Jharkhand. On Monday, she will attend the centenary celebrations of Ol Chiki, the script of the Santhal community, in Jamshedpur.

“On the same day, she will also address the 15th convocation ceremony of NIT, Jamshedpur,” the Rashtrapati Bhavan statement said.

On December 30, Murmu will attend the Antarrajyiy Jansanskritik Samagam Samaroh, Kartik Jatra, in Gumla district of Jharkhand, where she is scheduled to address the gathering.

The visit underscores the President’s engagement with the armed forces alongside her participation in cultural and academic events across states.