PM Modi assumes office for third term after a grand oath ceremony

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office for his consecutive third term in the South Block office in the national capital on Monday (June 10).

After assuming office, PM Modi signed his first file authorising the release of the 17th installment of PM Kisan Nidhi which will benefit 9.3 crore farmers and distribute nearly Rs 20,000 crores.

After signing the file, PM Modi said, “Ours is a Government fully committed to Kisan Kalyan. It is therefore fitting that the first file signed on taking charge is related to farmer welfare. We want to keep working even more for the farmers and the agriculture sector in the times to come.”

He tookoath as the prime minister along with 72Council of Ministers in a grand swearing-in ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday (June 9).

The newly sworn-in prime minister's immediate agenda is to hold a Cabinet meeting. Meanwhile, a formal request will be submitted by the Cabinet to President Droupadi Murmu for summoning a session of Parliament.

In the Parliament session, the president will address the two houses which will be followed by laying out the vision of the government and deciding their priorities in the third term.

The government is also likely to announce the allocation of twocrore houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) housing scheme.

Modi takes oath as prime minister in grand ceremony

During the grand ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday (June 9), President Murmu administered the oath of office of prime minister to Narendra Modi.

His Cabinet, which includes BJP stalwarts Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharamanand S Jaishankar, also tookoath.

The Council of Ministers includes30 Cabinet Ministers, five Ministers of State with Independent Chargeand 36 Ministers of State.

Watch:Modi 3.0: New Cabinet to discuss 100-day plan for the new govt; portfolio allocation on cards

Among the new faces, three are former chief ministers and one was BJP's first Lok Sabha MP from Kerala and actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi.

"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," said PM Modi, in a post on X after the ceremony.

The new Cabinet's first meeting is expected to be held at the Prime Minister's residence at Lok Kalyan Marg on Monday evening (June 10). It is most likely that the allocation of ministerial portfolios will happen thereafter.

In this Cabinet, there is significant representation of states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, as Bihar got four Cabinet berths while Uttar Pradesh has nine ministerial positions, including one in the Cabinet.

(With inputs from agencies)