Ram Nath Kovind swore in as the 14th President of India on Tuesday at Rashtrapati Bhawan in a glittering ceremony.
Kovind was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Chief Justice of India J S Khehar. He exchanged seats with Pranab Mukherjee and a 21-gun salute followed as the new President Kovind made his first address.
Ram Nath Kovind then addressed the gathering at Central as President of India. Here is the full text of his inaugural speech:
Respected Shri Pranab Mukherjee ji, Shri Hamid Ansari ji, Shri Narendra Modi ji, Shrimati Sumitra Mahajan ji, Shri Justice J. S. Khehar ji, Excellencies, Hon’ble Members