NEW DELHI: PM-designate Narendra Modi took oath as Prime Minister of India for his third successive term on Sunday at an impressive ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, which is being attended by leaders from India’s neighborhood and Indian Ocean region.
President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Narendra Modi, followed by other members of his team of ministers.
PM Modi was seen wearing a full-sleeved white kurta with churidar and blue half jacket.
The swearing-in ceremony is being attended by Nepal PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina and Seychelles Vice President Ahmed Afif.
Apart from two terms as Prime Minister beginning 2014, Narendra Modi also has the distinction of being the longest-serving Chief Minister of Gujarat, with his term spanning from October 2001 to May 2014.
His previous two terms as Prime Minister have been marked by several key initiatives.
PM Modi has laid thrust on the motto of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’ and on “development-oriented and corruption-free governance”.
PM Modi has worked with speed and scale and ensured last-mile delivery of schemes and services.
His initiatives include Ayushman Bharat, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Housing for All, Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Man Dhan Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana, PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, UDAN, and Make in India.
The JAM trinity (Jan Dhan- Aadhaar, and Mobile) has led to the elimination of middlemen and ensured transparency and speed, powered by technology.
In his first term as Prime Minister in 2014, PM Modi launched ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’, a mass movement for cleanliness across the nation, on Mahatma Gandhi’s Birth Anniversary.
Under PM Modi’s leadership, BJP-led NDA governments have worked to create next-generation infrastructure, be it in terms of more highways, railways, i-ways and waterways.
He began PRAGATI ((Pro-Active Governance And Timely Implementation) to expedite pending projects that were delaying growth.
PM Modi has also given special attention to India’s rich history and culture and is passionate about environmental causes.
Recognizing his efforts towards environmental conservation, PM Modi was honoured with the United Nations ‘Champions of the Earth Award.’ Experts have said that PM Modi’s foreign policy initiatives have enhanced India’s stature on the global stage.
He began his first term in office in presence of all Heads of States of SAARC Nations and invited BIMSTEC leaders at the start of the second.
PM Modi has been conferred various honors, including the highest civilian honour of Saudi Arabia, Sash of King Abdulaziz.
PM Modi’s clarion call for marking a day as ‘International Day of Yoga’ received an overwhelming response at the UN. In a first, a total of 177 Nations across the world came together and passed the resolution to declare June 21 as the ‘International Day of Yoga at the UN.’
Born on September 17, 1950, in a small town in Gujarat, his family belonged to the ‘other backward class’ which is among the marginalized sections of society.
