Droupadi Murmu to take oath as President today

New Delhi: President-elect Droupadi Murmu will take the oath of the highest constitutional post of the country on Monday followed by a 21-gun salute.

The Union Home Ministry said the ceremony will be held at the central hall of Parliament at 10.15 AM on Monday where Chief Justice of India N V Ramana will administer the oath of the office of the President to her.

The President-elect will take the oath of office followed by a 21-gun salute, the home ministry said.

The President will then deliver an address.

Before the ceremony, the outgoing President and the President-elect will arrive in Parliament in a ceremonial procession.

Vice-President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Members of the Council of Ministers, Governors, Chief Ministers, heads of diplomatic missions, Members of Parliament and principal civil and military officers of the government will attend the ceremony.

At the conclusion of the ceremony in the central hall of the Parliament, the President will leave for Rashtrapati Bhavan where an inter-services guard of honour will be given to her in the forecourt and courtesies will be extended to the outgoing President.

Murmu, 64, scripted history on Thursday after defeating Opposition Presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha in a one-sided contest. She would become India's first tribal President.

Murmu won the election by an overwhelming margin against Sinha after receiving over 64 per cent of valid votes of MPs and MLAs, comprising the electoral college, to succeed Ram Nath Kovind to become the country's 15th president.

Murmu got 6,76,803 votes against Sinha's 3,80,177 votes.

She will be the first President to be born after independence and is the youngest to occupy the top post. She is also the second woman to become the President.