NEW DELHI, June 9: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sworn in for a third consecutive term on Sunday, marking a significant milestone by equalling the tenure of India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. The swearing-in ceremony, held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, saw the inclusion of 30 cabinet ministers, 36 ministers of state, and 5 ministers of state with independent charge from the BJP and its allies in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.
President Droupadi Murmu administered the oaths of office and secrecy to the newly appointed Council of Ministers during the grand ceremony.
Key Cabinet Ministers: Among the leaders who took the oath as cabinet ministers were Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Jairam Gadkari, Jagat Prakash Nadda, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Nirmala Sitharaman, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Manohar Lal, HD Kumaraswamy, Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan, Jitan Ram Manjhi, Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, Sarbananda Sonowal, Virendra Kumar, Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Pralhad Joshi, Jual Oram, Giriraj Singh, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Bhupender Yadav, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Annpurna Devi, Kiren Rijiju, Hardeep Singh Puri, Mansukh Mandaviya, G Kishan Reddy, Chirag Paswan, and C R Patil.
Ministers of State (Independent Charge): Rao Inderjit Singh, Jitendra Singh, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Jadhav Prataprao Ganpatrao, and Jayant Chaudhary were sworn in as Ministers of State with Independent Charge.
Ministers of State: The newly sworn-in ministers of state include Jitin Prasada, Shripad Yesso Naik, Pankaj Chaudhary, Krishan Pal, Ramdas Athawale, Ram Nath Thakur, Nityanand Rai, Anupriya Patel, V. Somanna, Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, S P Singh Baghel, Sushri Sobha Karandlaje, Kirtivardhan Singh, B L Verma, Shantanu Thakur, Suresh Gopi, L Murugan, Ajay Tamta, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Kamlesh Paswan, Bhagirath Choudhary, Satish Chandra Dubey, Sanjay Seth, Ravneet Singh, Durgadas Uikey, Raksha Nikhil Khadse, Sukanta Majumdar, Savitri Thakur, Tokhan Sahu, Raj Bhushan Choudhary, Bhupathi Raju Srinivasa Varma, Harsh Malhotra, Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya, Murlidhar Mohol, George Kurian, and Pabitra Margherita.
Diverse Attendance: The event showcased India’s rich diversity, with senior political leaders, diplomats, industrialists, Bollywood actors, and other notable figures in attendance. Foreign dignitaries included Nepal PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, Seychelles Vice President Ahmed Afif, and Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina.
Foreign Policy Outreach: Modi’s oath-taking ceremonies have emphasized foreign policy outreach. In 2014, he invited all Heads of State from SAARC nations, and in 2019, leaders from BIMSTEC countries. This tradition continued with the presence of key leaders from neighboring countries.
Cabinet Composition: The new council of ministers blends youth and experience, featuring senior BJP leaders and first-time MPs. Notable new members include actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi, the first BJP MP from Kerala, and Harsh Malhotra, representing East Delhi.
Election Results and Future Plans: The BJP-led NDA won a third successive term in the Lok Sabha elections, securing 293 seats with the BJP alone winning 240 seats. A union cabinet meeting is scheduled for 5 PM today to discuss future plans and initiatives.
This swearing-in marks a significant moment in India’s political landscape, with the new government poised to address various national and international challenges.
