Explained: The tradition of 25 July and Droupadi Murmu’s swearing-in as 15th President of India
Explained: The tradition of 25 July and Droupadi Murmu’s swearing-in as 15th President of India
Today, 25 July, will go down in the annals of Indian history as Droupadi Murmu is sworn in as the first tribal President of the country.
Catch the Live updates from the swearing-in ceremony HERE
Murmu, who won the Presidential elections with 64 per cent of the votes on 21 July against the Opposition’s pick of Yashwant Sinha, was administered the oath by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana in the Central Hall of Parliament and was also accorded a 21-gun salute.
Ahead of the historic swearing-in ceremony, Murmu, who has added personal touches to the occasion, visited Rajghat, the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi, early in the day and paid her respects to the Father of the Nation.
LIVE: President-elect Smt Droupadi Murmu pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat https://t.co/72sto2wDl3
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 25, 2022
Records show that since 1977, successive Presidents have taken the oath of office on 25 July.
Murmu’s swearing-in on 25 July makes her the 10th successive President to take oath on 25 July since 1977. At 64, Murmu is the youngest and India’s first president to be born after Independence.
Significance of 25 July
There is no written rule as to why presidents since 1977 have been sworn in on this date.
The tenure of outgoing President of India, Ram Nath Kovind ended on 24 July, paving the way for Droupadi Murmu’s ascension to the topmost position in the country.
Incidentally, Kovind was also sworn in as the 14th President of India on 25 July 2017.
Since Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, the sixth President of India, took the oath on 25 July back in 1977, this practice has continued.
Successive Presidents such as Giani Zail Singh, R Venkataraman, Shankar Dayal Sharma, KR Narayanan, APJ Abdul Kalam, Pratibha Patil, Pranab Mukherjee and Ram Nath Kovind have taken oath on 25 July.
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The exceptions
India's first President, Rajendra Prasad took oath on 26 January 1950 – the day India became a Republic.
Called 'Ajatha Shatru,' a person with no enemies, Prasad was sworn in at the most solemn ceremony, held in the brilliantly lit and high domed Durbar Hall of the then Vice Regal Palace (present day Rashtrapati Bhavan) at 10.24 am -- just six minutes after India was declared a Sovereign Democratic Republic.
In 1957, Prasad was re-elected to the presidency, becoming the only President to serve two full terms. Prasad stayed in office for the longest term of 12 years and 107 days. Post the completion of his tenure, he quit the Congress and set up new guidelines for parliamentarians which are still followed.
On 11 May 1962, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was elected president, succeeding Rajendra Prasad.
Interestingly, Radhakrishnan accepted only Rs 2,500 out of Rs 10,000 salary and the remaining amount was donated to the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund every month.
Radhkrishnan’s presidency was tumultuous. India witnessed two wars during his time in office — against China months after his ascendancy and against Pakistan in 1965.
His tenure came to an end in 1967 and Dr Zakir Husain was sworn in as the third President of India in May of the same year.
Husain, the first Muslim President of India, also had the shortest tenure in Indian history. He became the first to die in office in 1969.
Another exception to the 25 July date was Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, who was sworn in as the fifth President of India on 24 August 1974 and continue to serve as the Constitutional head of the country until his demise on 11 February 1977.
With inputs from agencies
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