NEW DELHI: Elaborate arrangements are in place for the swearing-in of Droupadi Murmu – India's first tribal woman president, in the Central Hall of Parliament on Monday.
The President-elect will be sworn-in as the 15th President of India.
President Ram Nath Kovind and President-elect Droupadi Murmu will arrive in the Central Hall in a ceremonial procession. The President-elect will take the Oath of Office in the presence of the Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, followed by a 21-gun salute.
The term of President Ram Nath Kovind comes to an end on Sunday. Murmu will be the first member of the tribal community and the second woman to hold the top constitutional post in the country.
Murmu was the first woman governor of Jharkhand and served in the post from 2015 to 2021.
Born in a poor tribal family in a village of Mayurbhanj, a backward district in Odisha, Droupadi Murmu completed her studies despite challenging circumstances. She taught at Shri Aurobindo Integral Education Centre, Rairangpur. She has also served as a minister in Odisha.
Special saree
Murmu may wear a traditional Santali saree when she takes the oath of office in Delhi on Monday. Her sister-in-law Sukri Tudu is travelling to Delhi with a special saree used by Santal women in Eastern India.
Sukri along with her husband Tarinisen Tudu on Saturday left for the national capital to witness the oath taking ceremony to be held at the Parliament's central hall.
"I am not sure what she will actually wear during the occasion. The Rashtrapati Bhawan will decide the dress of the new president," Sukri said.
The Santali sarees have some stripe-work on one end and is worn by the Santal women on special occasions. The saree is vertically symmetric and has both the ends designed with the same motifs.
She is also carrying traditional sweet pancakes, also called 'Arisa Pitha' for Murmu.
Meanwhile, Murmu's daughter Itishree, a bank officer and her husband Ganesh Hembram, have reached New Delhi and are staying with the President-elect.
"Only four members of the President-elect's family - brother, sister-in-law, daughter and son-in-law - will attend the oath-taking ceremony," said a senior BJP leader adding that essence of 'adivasi' culture and tradition could be reflected in the swearing-in of the country's 15th President.
Why July 25 holds special role?
Droupadi Murmu will become the 10th successive president to take oath on July 25 since 1977. Records show that since 1977, successive presidents have taken oath on July 25.
India's first President Rajendra Prasad took oath on January 26, 1950 -- the day India became a Republic.
In 1952, he went on to win the first presidential poll. He won the second presidential election and was in office till May 1962.
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan took oath as the president on May 13, 1962 and was in office till May 13, 1967.
Two presidents -- Zakir Husain and Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed -- could not complete their tenures as they died in harness. Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, the sixth president of India, took oath on July 25, 1977.
Since then successive presidents including Giani Zail Singh, R Venkataraman, Shankar Dayal Sharma, K R Narayanan, A P J Abdul Kalam, Pratibha Patil, Pranab Mukherjee and Ram Nath Kovind have taken oath on July 25.
Hopes of tribals
Hopes and aspirations are running high among tribal of Jharkhand as they look up to Droupadi Murmu to pave the way for their 'sengel' (empowerment) after "centuries of neglect".
They are also optimistic that Murmu would take steps to fructify a long-standing demand by tribals that the Centre recognise their religion as 'Sarna' and ensure enumeration under this category in the next census.
Conclusion of the ceremony
The National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu was officially declared as the 15th President of the country after the conclusion of the counting of votes on Thursday.
The President will then deliver an address. On the conclusion of the ceremony, 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.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Chairman of the Rajya Sabha M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and members of the Council of Ministers, state Governors, Chief Ministers, Heads of Diplomatic Missions, Members of Parliament and principal civil and military Officers of the government of India will assemble in the Central Hall for the ceremony on Monday.
Earlier, BJD supremo and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday along with his party MPs met President-elect Droupadi Murmu here and congratulated her on winning the election.
(With inputs from agencies)