Pranab Mukherjee on new innings as 13th President of Ind

New Delhi, Jul 25: Former Finance Minister and UPA trouble shooter

will don his brand new role as the 13th President of India after he swears-in later in the day at the Central Hall of Parliament.

Ahead of the colourful swearing-in ceremony, he visited the Rajghat, Shantivan, Shakthi Sthal as well as Veer Bhumi to pay his respects at the Rajiv Gandhi memorial.

Pranab will be administered the oath by Chief Justice of India SH Kapadia at 11.30 am. This will indeed be a proud moment for the country's first Bengali President who entered Parliament for the first time way back in 1969. [Read the complete profile of President-elect Pranab Mukherjee here]

Present at the gala event will be Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Union Ministers, Governors, Chief Ministers and a host of dignitaries.

The important ceremony will kick off with the arrival of the outgoing President Pratibha Patil and President-elect Mukherjee in a ceremonial procession from the Rashtrapati Bhawan to the Parliament Building. There they will be received by Kapadia, Ansari and Kumar, and escorted to the Central Hall.

Once Pranab officially takes over, he will be given a 21-gun salute and will later address the gathering. He will then leave for the Rashtrapati Bhavan with Pratibha Patil. After he reaches the Rashtrapathi Bhavan, he will be given an inter-services guard of honour in the forecourt of the Presidential palace.

After the official protocol, Pranab is expected to escort Patil to her temporary accommodation on Tughlak Lane where she will stay till her official post-retirement home in Pune is ready.

OneIndia News