Modi@9: From guests to cabinet strength, difference between 2014 & 2019 swearing-in event

On May 26, 2014, Narendra Modi was sworn in as the Prime Minister of India for the first time. He took oath into office for the second term on May 30, 2019. In the last nine years, India has witnessed fast-paced development in all sectors. Here's a look at how PM Modi's 2019 swearing-in ceremony was different from 2014.

The number of guests: About 8,000 witnessed the ceremony where President Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Around 4,000 guests attended the oath-taking ceremony of PM Modi and his council of ministers in 2014. In both ceremonies, eminent personalities including world leaders, captains of industry, celebrities, and media along with a huge number of well-wishers were present. The oath-taking ceremony started at 7pm and went on for two hours.

Invitees: The 2019 ceremony was the first-ever oath-taking ceremony of an Indian Prime Minister to have been attended by leaders of all Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) countries. The members include Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Thailand besides India. Mauritius and Kyrgyzstan also attended the ceremony.

In 2014, the heads of all South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries, including Pakistan, attended the ceremony. Then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif attended the event. 

Then Prime Minister or Sikyong of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, Lobsang Sangay, also attended the 2014 ceremony, which was opposed by the Chinese government.

Cabinet strength: In 2014, former President, the late Pranab Mukherjee administered the oath of office and secrecy to Modi along with 24 cabinet ministers, 12 ministers of state and 10 ministers of state with independent charge. The strength of ministers was 46.

In 2019, 24 cabinet ministers, 24 ministers of state and nine ministers of state with independent charge took oath along with Prime Minister Modi at Rashtrapati Bhavan.