Narendra Modi Oath Ceremony for Historic Third Term as Prime Minister: Key Cabinet Highlights and New Ministers
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been sworn in for a historic third term, becoming the first three-term Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru. Alongside Modi, 72 ministers also took their oaths as part of the new cabinet. The decisions regarding the new cabinet were finalized after an intense 11-hour meeting at the Prime Minister’s residence yesterday.
The swearing-in ceremony took place at Rashtrapati Bhawan, where President Droupadi Murmu administered the oaths. Security around the venue was exceptionally tight, with a three-layered security arrangement involving Delhi Police’s SWAT teams and NSG commandos, as Delhi was on high alert. The national capital has been declared a no-fly zone for the next few days, banning drones, paragliders, remotely piloted aircraft, and hot air balloons.
The ceremony, which highlighted India’s’ Neighbourhood First’ policy, was attended by leaders from neighboring countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, Mauritius, Seychelles, and the Maldives.
The new cabinet, dubbed Modi 3.0, includes 13 ministers from southern India, with five from Karnataka alone, reflecting the results of the recent assembly elections. The cabinet features a mix of continuity and new faces, retaining several key ministers from the previous cabinet while also rewarding partners within the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Seven new faces have been introduced in this term, and two ministers from the northeast have been retained. Additionally, a Rajya Sabha MP from the northeast has been inducted into the new government.