New Delhi: Ram Nath Kovind was sworn in as the 14th president of India on Tuesday.
Kovind, a former BJP member and as RSS (Rashtriya Swamsewak Sangh) took the oath which was administered by Chief Justice JS Khehar in the presence of out going president Pranab Mukherjee.
Immediately after the oath taking ceremony, Kovind, 71, exchanged the chair with Mukherjee to take over the top constitutional post of India – as the head of the state and supreme commander of the Indian Armed forces.
“I am accepting this position with all humility and I am grateful for this responsibility,” President Kovind said in a speech after being sworn in.
“I come from a very simple background and the journey has been long…I feel privileged to walk on the same path as Dr. Radhakrishnan, Dr. Abdul Kalam and Pranab da,” the new President added.
Kovind, a Dalit (lower caste) won the presidential vote against the opposition’s candidate Miera Kumar, also a Dalit.
