- Sunday, February 23, 2025
The 73-year-old leader was sworn in to the top office along with 72 ministers by the president of India, Droupadi Murmu.
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi on Monday (10) assumed the top office for the third consecutive term after taking oath along with several ministers of various ranks in New Delhi the day before.
The first file that the 73-year-old leader signed in his fresh term was related to ‘PM Kishan Nidhi’ — a farmers’ welfare scheme.
The farmers’ issue has been a major challenge for the Modi government during its second term. The repercussions of some laws related to agriculture met strong protests in parts of northern India and in the state of Punjab, the Bharatiya Janata Party of Modi faced serious electoral setbacks in both state and federal elections.
The immediate agenda of the newly sworn in prime minister includes a meeting of his cabinet which is likely to request president Droupadi Murmu to summon a session of the parliament. It will include her address to both houses of the parliament, outlining the government’s vision for the next five years.
Read: Modi takes oath as India PM for third straight term
The BJP failed to gain a majority on its own in the latest general elections and the prime minister now has to depend on the support of his alliance partners for the survival of his government.
On Sunday (9), Murmu administered the oath of office to Modi and his ministers, including Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman and Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, among others. The new faces inducted in the new government are former chief ministers of three Indian states and actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi, who became the BJP’s first-ever parliamentarian to be elected from the southern state of Kerala.
Read: How Indian diaspora in Canada see Modi’s electoral win
“This team of ministers is a great blend of youth and experience; we will leave no stone unturned in improving people’s lives. I look forward to serving 140 crore Indians and working with the Council of Ministers to take India to new heights of progress,” Modi said in a post on X after the swearing-in ceremony in Hindi.
The maiden meeting of the new cabinet is expected to be held at Modi’s official residence at Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi on Monday evening.
The allocation of ministerial portfolios is likely to take place soon after.
