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| India swears in Pranab Mukherjee as president | India swears in Pranab Mukherjee as president |
| (9 months later) | |
| Pranab Mukherjee was sworn in on Wednesday as India's 13th president in a ceremony at the country's parliament. | Pranab Mukherjee was sworn in on Wednesday as India's 13th president in a ceremony at the country's parliament. |
| The position of president is largely ceremonial, but Mukherjee, a political veteran, would have a key role in determining who forms the next government in the event of a hung parliament after elections in 2014. | The position of president is largely ceremonial, but Mukherjee, a political veteran, would have a key role in determining who forms the next government in the event of a hung parliament after elections in 2014. |
| The 76-year-old Mukherjee is a senior figure in the Congress party who resigned his post as finance minister to run for president. He was elected last week by national and state lawmakers. | The 76-year-old Mukherjee is a senior figure in the Congress party who resigned his post as finance minister to run for president. He was elected last week by national and state lawmakers. |
| Mukherjee travelled to parliament on Wednesday in a bulletproof limousine escorted by an honour guard on horseback and in security jeeps. His arrival was greeted by the blaring of bugles. | Mukherjee travelled to parliament on Wednesday in a bulletproof limousine escorted by an honour guard on horseback and in security jeeps. His arrival was greeted by the blaring of bugles. |
| The chief justice of India's supreme court, SH Kapadia, administered the oath of office in the flower-bedecked central hall of parliament. The prime minister, Manmohan Singh, the Congress party leader, Sonia Gandhi, and Singh's cabinet colleagues were present at the ceremony. | The chief justice of India's supreme court, SH Kapadia, administered the oath of office in the flower-bedecked central hall of parliament. The prime minister, Manmohan Singh, the Congress party leader, Sonia Gandhi, and Singh's cabinet colleagues were present at the ceremony. |
| Soon after Mukherjee was sworn in, soldiers sounded a 21-gun salute amid loud applause from the hundreds of lawmakers who attended the event. | Soon after Mukherjee was sworn in, soldiers sounded a 21-gun salute amid loud applause from the hundreds of lawmakers who attended the event. |
| Mukherjee has been a Congress party stalwart since 1969 and acted as troubleshooter in managing its fractious coalitions. | Mukherjee has been a Congress party stalwart since 1969 and acted as troubleshooter in managing its fractious coalitions. |
| At different times he has served as foreign minister, defence minister and twice as finance minister. His latest term controlling the finance portfolio from 2009 was marred by slowing economic growth, a weakened currency and rising inflation. India's annual economic growth of 5.3% in the last quarter was the slowest in nine years. | At different times he has served as foreign minister, defence minister and twice as finance minister. His latest term controlling the finance portfolio from 2009 was marred by slowing economic growth, a weakened currency and rising inflation. India's annual economic growth of 5.3% in the last quarter was the slowest in nine years. |
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