US President Biden cannot keep the gifts given by PM Modi. Here's why

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic state visit to the United States began on Tuesday with grandeur. After US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden received PM Modi at the White House, the leaders exchanged official gifts.

US President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted an intimate dinner for PM Modi at the White House on Wednesday, where the two leaders had a “great conversation on several subjects”. After the conversation, the two world leaders exchanged a number of gifts.

PM Modi gave handcrafted sandalwood box to President Biden, and a green diamond to First Lady Jill Biden. The sandalwood box contained a silver idol of Lord Ganesha and a diya (oil lamp). While the 7.5-carat green diamond was gifted in a box made of paper pulp, also known as kar-e-kalamdani. Modi also gifted Joe Biden a copy of the first edition of the book The Ten Principals Upanishads, which was translated into English by Biden’s favourite poet, WBYeats.

On the other hand, the US president and his wife gifted Modi a handmade, antique American book galley from the 29th century. According to news agency PTI, they will also gift Modi a vintage American camera, accompanied by an archival facsimile print of George Eastman’s patent of the first Kodak camera, and a hardcover book of American wildlife photography.

But as the world talks about these gifts and their significance, let’s explore what happens to the gifts given to US presidents.

Can the US President keep all the gifts?

Throughout history, US presidents havereceived several lavish and unique gifts from leaders around the world. All these gifts are given as a sign of respect and are a reflection of the relations between the gifting country and the States. In the past, all gifts from foreign dignitaries had to be approved by US Congress, after which they could become the property of the recipient.

However, in 1928, a protocol was put in place to help presidents entertain visiting dignitaries and organise customary gift exchanges. And in 1966, the Foreign Gifts and Declarations Act came into place that put a limit to the value of a gift a president could accept, with most gifts going directly to the National Archives after being presented.

Limit on value of gifts US President can keep

As of January 2014, the limit on the value of gifts that the US president can keep is currently set at $375. This limit is generally changed every three years.

The handling of gifts from a foreign official to any Federal Government employee, including the president, is largely governed by the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act of 1966 and further legislation passed in 1977.

Watch |PM Modi US Visit: Indian PM Gifts 7.5-carat green diamond to Joe Biden`s Wife

Gifts given to presidents are located in the National Archives or are transferred to the Presidential Library when he retires.

Presidents and other government officials can purchase the gift they were given in office if they are willing to pay the market value of that specific item. While this is rarely done, in 2012, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton purchased a black pearl necklace for $970, which was given to her by Myanmar’s Aung Sang Suu Kyi.

Some of the gifts go through the Secret Service before they are passed onto the appropriate government body. Secret Service spokesman Robert Hoback was quoted as telling NBC News that certain gifts, including food items, are routinely evaluated for safety reasons.

Apart from foreign leaders, the president is permitted to accept presents from the American public. But he has to disclose their financial status if they exceed $350 valuein order to maintain transparency.

(With inputs from agencies)

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