
Nawaz is among a clutch of regional leaders who will be attending Modi’s inauguration. This is the first time in the history of India that a Pakistani prime minister has been invited to the oath-taking ceremony of an Indian premier.

Earlier in the evening in my conversation with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif he shared some very emotional things.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 26, 2014
Nawaz Sharif ji told me that he stays in Islamabad but goes to meet his Mother once in a week.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 26, 2014
This time when he was eating with his Mother he saw visuals on TV of my Mother offering me sweets.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 26, 2014
The visuals touched both Nawaz Sharif ji & his Mother. He told me that after seeing the visuals his Mother got very emotional.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 26, 2014
Modi has been sworn in as the 15th prime minister of India by President Mukherjee. Nawaz will hold bilateral talks with Modi on May 27 and will also meet Indian President Pranab Mukherjee.
7:29pm
According to India Today, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will break away from tradition by not meeting any Kashmiri separatist leader during his visit in India.
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Prime Minister Nawaz shook hands with Modi and Mukherjee. Other leaders of South Asia follow, The Hindu reports.

According to the Times of India, the oath ceremony ends at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
President Pranab Mukherjee, vice president, prime minister Narendra Modi, Pak PM Nawaz Sharif...... pic.twitter.com/cpvAdbSNpQ
— Luit Neil Don (@luitneildon) May 26, 2014
Modi and his council of ministers pose for group photos.
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6:59pm
During his stay in New Delhi, Nawaz will also hold separate meetings with his Indian counterpart and Indian President Pranab Mukherjee tomorrow (Tuesday) to discuss bilateral and regional issues, Radio Pakistan reports.
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6:47pm
BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman takes oath and is expected to take charge as Minister with Independent Charge of Commerce.
Sitharaman's inclusion has come as a surprise as she is not even a minister of state yet.
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6:42pm
Former Indian Army Chief General VK Singh takes oath as Minister of State and is likely to be in charge of the Northeast affairs, NDTV reports.
According to NDTV he will also be the junior external affairs minister.
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6:31pm
Smitri Irani, formerly an Indian actress who appeared on popular Indian TV serial Kyun ki Saas bhi kabhi bahu, is the youngest member of cabinet at 38.
Irani is likely to be sworn in as the Human Resource Development (HRD) minister.
Nripendra Misra has been reportedly named as the principal secretary to Modi according to the Times of India.
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6:12pm

Moments after addressing the crowd at the ceremony, Modi updated a message on his official website:
My dear fellow Indians and citizens of the world,
Namaste!
A very warm welcome to the official website of the Prime Minister of India.
On 16th May 2014 the people of India gave their verdict. They delivered a mandate for development, good governance and stability. As we devote ourselves to take India’s development journey to newer heights, we seek your support, blessings and active participation. Together we will script a glorious future for India. Let us together dream of a strong, developed and inclusive India that actively engages with the global community to strengthen the cause of world peace and development.
I envision this website as a very important medium of direct communication between us. I am a firm believer in the power of technology and social media to communicate with people across the world. I hope this platform creates opportunities to listen, learn and share one’s views.
Through this website you will also get all the latest information about my speeches, schedules, foreign visits and lot more. I will also keep informing you about innovative initiatives undertaken by the Government of India.
Yours,
Narendra Modi
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5:55pm
Arun Jaitley takes oath as cabinet member. He is set to become Finance Minister and will also take over the additional charge of Defence.
Jaitley, 61, is one of the top corporate lawyers in the country and has served in a previous BJP administration as commerce minister.
Jaitley had been the only obvious candidate for India's finance minister on a list of cabinet members prepared by Narendra Modi, Reuters had reported earlier.
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5:52pm
BJP president Rajnath Singh takes oath after Modi followed by Cabinet members.
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5:45pm
Modi becomes the 15th Prime Minister of India.
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5:44pm
Modi signs the oath.


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5:42pm
Incoming Indian leader Narendra Modi takes the podium.
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5:40pm
Indian President Pranab Mukherjee arrives for the ceremony as trumpets sound and the crowd stands as the Indian national anthem plays.
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5:36pm
Narendra Modi takes seat next to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Rajnath Singh.
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5:30pm
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif shakes hands with Manmohan Singh at the oath-taking ceremony.
The last time a Pakistani leader officially visited India was back in 2005, when former President Pervez Musharraf and Manmohan Singh were working on mending ties.

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5:15pm
Outgoing Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh along with his wife arrives at the ceremony.

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5:10pm
Congress president Sonia Gandhi arrives at the ceremony. Congress won 44 seats in the elections on May 16.

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5:00pm
Best wishes to the new Prime Minister & Government Ministers going to be sworn in today. May they serve India and all our people well!
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 26, 2014
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4:50pm
According to NDTV, Modi’s Cabinet Committee on Security (CSS) will comprise four members, not five. The CSS comprises of the prime minister himself and ministers of Home, External Affairs, Defence and Finance.
Arun Jaitley, senior leader and a close confidant of Modi, is expected to be the Finance and Defence Minister, while BJP president Rajnath Singh is expected to be the Home Minister.
Sushma Swaraj is expected to be named External Affairs Minister.
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4:40pm
For what it's worth I wish Team Modi the very best as they embark on a journey to govern India for the next five years 1/2
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) May 26, 2014
I hope they hand over a better India to their successors when the time comes to do so. That's the very least we can expect or hope for. 2/2
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) May 26, 2014
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4:35pm
I am glad & honoured that people from all walks of life will join the swearing in ceremony. I welcome them.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 26, 2014
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4:22pm
Leaders from various South Asian countries are arriving to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Narendra Modi, including the Sri Lankan president Mahendra Rajapaksa and Afghan president Hamid Karzai.

Sri Lankan President Mahendra Rajapaksa waves on his arrival at New Delhi airport. PHOTO: AFP

Afghan President Hamid Karzai arrives in New Delhi. PHOTO: AFP
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3:50pm
In an interview with an Indian television channel, Nawaz says that he is looking forward to his meeting with Modi.
Recalling his meeting with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the premier said he would like to pick up the thread from where it was left in 1999, Radio Pakistan reported.
Exclusive: Nawaz Sharif to NDTV: "I very much look forward to meeting @narendramodi. Strong mandates on both sides chance to turn the page"
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) May 26, 2014
Exclusive interview with Nawaz Sharif : "We need to convert our similarities into strength. Eager to meet Mr. Modi" pic.twitter.com/dClb5ZiD2I
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) May 26, 2014
Exclusive interview with Nawaz Sharif "Strong mandate on both sides will help us start a new chapter" pic.twitter.com/3zbcdcWsmO
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) May 26, 2014
He also says that ties between the two countries should improve.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (top-C) arrrives at New Delhi airport on May 26, 2014. PHOTO: AFP
Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Policy Sartaj Aziz, Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi, PM Principal Secretary Javed Aslam, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry and premier’s son Hussain Nawaz are accompanying Nawaz on his trip.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (C) waves on his arrival at New Delhi airport on May 26, 2014. PHOTO: AFP
Nawaz on May 24 had accepted Modi’s invitation to the swearing-in ceremony – a development welcomed on both sides of the border.
The premier, while speaking to the Indian media, says that better relations with India were the top priority, further stating that he was going to India with a message of peace.
Nawaz also says that “negotiations were the only solution to the problems between the two countries.”

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (C) is welcomed by Indian and Pakistan official on his arrival at New Delhi airport on May 26, 2014. PHOTO: AFP

On May 21, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader invited Nawaz to his swearing-in ceremony following his party’s landslide win in the Lok Sabha election.
This latest gesture is considered significant, considering Modi’s anti-Pakistan rhetoric during his election campaign.
Modi’s invitation has inspired hopes that the change in government will lead to improved relations between the two countries.
Modi’s swearing-in ceremony, to be held at the forecourt of the historic Rashtrapati Bhavan, is likely to be attended by as many as 3,000 guests.
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