New Delhi : At 12.15 this afternoon, Ram Nath Kovind will take oath in Parliament’s Central Hall as India’s 14th president. The President-elect, who started his day with a visit to Rajghat to pay his respects to Mahatma Gandhi, then went to Rashtrapati Bhavan, where he was welcomed by outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee. The are now proceeding to Parliament, where Chief Justice of India JS Khehar will administer the oath of office to Mr Kovind.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Vice-President Hamid Ansari will receive the two at the Parliament building, where they will be taken to the Central Hall.

The NDA government’s pick for the country’s top job, Mr Kovind was elected the 14th President of India last week, defeating Opposition candidate Meira Kumar. The 71-year-old former Governor of Bihar was the second Dalit to be elected to the nation’s highest office after KR Narayanan.