The Commission, he said, would comprise of constitutional experts and public figures who would `study a half-century's experience of the Constitution.'

He also said that the government would examine replacing the present system of no-confidence motion by a system of `constructive vote of non-confidence' besides a fixed term for the Lok Sabha and the State Assemblies to prevent political instability.

A review of the Constitution and a fixed Lok Sabha term have been on the BJP's and the National Democratic Alliance's agenda for some time now. The former proposal had generated controversy when it was floated with the Opposition parties suspecting ulterior motives behind the move.

One of the striking features of Narayanan's address was thecertificate he gave to the government for its handling of the communal situation. `The Government is committed to ensuring the safety and security of all citizens of India, irrespective of their caste, religion, gender or language. The incidence of communal violence last year was at its lowest in the last decade,' he elaborated.

This remark was lapped up by the ruling alliance members who loudly thumped the desks.

The President's speech otherwise was dominated by what the government proposes to do on the economic front. `Faster growth with employment and equity,' was the broad theme guiding the policies and programmes of the government, he said. There were of course references to the military takeover in Pakistan, India's victory in Kargil, the country's security concerns, strengthening of ties with neighbours, and also the United States.

Narayanan painted a rosy picture of the economy which he said was marked by the lowest-ever level of inflation in the last two decades and the record $ 33 billionforex reserves.

Laying emphasis on the need for better infrastructure, he said the government would take urgent steps to improve the situation and be guided by the principle of greater private investment within a strong regulatory mechanism.

On the power front, he said that an accelerated time-frame would be set for dismantling the administrative price regime.

Dwelling on the New Technology Policy, Narayanan said this would be expeditiously implemented. He also disclosed that a group of experts would be set up to recommend a new legislation to replace the antiquated Indian Telegraph Act of 1885 `to enable India to seize the new opportunities created by the technological convergence between telecom, computers, television and electronics.'

Some of the other points the President made in his address were: