NEW DELHI, October 5 — The President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, hosted an official State Banquet at Rashtrapati Bhavan in honor of the President of the Swiss Confederation, H.E. Mr. Guy Parmelin, marking the ceremonial pinnacle of the Swiss leader's state visit to India.
Welcoming President Parmelin and the Swiss ministerial and business delegation, President Murmu highlighted that the bilateral bond between the world's largest democracy and Europe's oldest democracy is founded on shared commitments to the rule of law, peace, and human ingenuity. She noted that bilateral ties have expanded from traditional diplomatic goodwill into cutting-edge technology partnerships spanning life sciences, alpine disaster management, and advanced education.
President Murmu commended the signing of the Young Professionals Scheme and mobility pacts, affirming that integrating Swiss precision engineering with India's demographic dividend under the India-EFTA TEPA framework will power sustainable industrial growth for future generations.
Diplomatic powers of the President of India, executive functions under Part V (Articles 52 to 78), and constitutional protocols governing foreign relations are recurrent themes in UPSC GS Paper II (Polity & Governance). Candidates should note that under Article 53 of the Constitution, executive power of the Union is vested in the President, and foreign heads of state are formally received by the President under statutory constitutional protocol.