Ram Nath Kovind a Dalit leader and former governor of Bihar was elected as the 14th President of India on July 20th after acquiring 65.65 percent of the votes in the Electoral College and defeating Opposition candidate Meira Kumar.
He is the only second Dalit leader after KR Narayana to hold the post and the first one to hail from Uttar Pradesh. The term of incumbent President Pranab Mukherjee ends on 25 July and Kovind will be sworn in as the President in at the Central Hall of Parliament today.
The schedule for the oath taking ceremony begins with Kovind reaching the Rashtrapati Bhawan at 10.15 am. He will then be visiting the Rajghat in the morning at 10.30, from where will be escorted by the military secretary to Rashtrapati Bhavan to meet outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee.
Mukherjee and Kovind held the discussion on important files and policies related to defence, external affairs and finance. Following the meeting, the two leaders will leave for the Parliament at 12.03 pm in the same car. They will be received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Vice-President Hamid Ansari guiding them to the Central Hall.
The stage will be shared by the President and the President elect Lok Sabha speaker, vice-president and Chief Justice of India. Kovind will take the oath at 12:15 under the administration of the CIJ. After Kovind finish taking the oath, he will be honored with a 21-gun salute fire and then will exchange seats with Pranab Mukherjee.
The ceremony will most likely wrap up by 12.36 pm, thereafter outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee will give him a tour of the official residence, the Rashtrapati Bhavan. At Rashtrapati Bhavan, Kovind will receive an inter-services guard of honor in the forecourt and courtesies will be extended to the outgoing president.
Concluding the ceremony Ram Nath Kovind will drop Mukherjee at his new residence, 10, Rajaji Marg.