Philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on Sunday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the latter took oath at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi to kick-start a historic third term. Modi is the second person in India's history to become the Prime Minister for three successive terms.
PM was sworn in by President Droupadi Murmu following the ruling National Democratic Alliance's victory in a keenly contested Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Modi, 73, first became prime minister in 2014 and then returned to office in 2019.
"Congratulations to @narendramodi on winning a third term as Prime Minister. You have strengthened India's position as a source of innovation for global progress in sectors like health, agriculture, women-led development, and digital transformation. Look forward to a continued partnership to enhance the lives of people across India and the world," said Gates on X.
Gates last visited India and interacted with the PM before the Lok Sabha elections. During the interaction at the PM's residence, the two discussed a range of issues including the digital revolution in India and India’s perspective on the challenges and opportunities of AI. PM Modi also presented a 'vocal for local' gift hamper to the philanthropist.
Modi also cautioned that a powerful technology like AI in unskilled, untrained hands holds significant risk of misuse, as he advocated the need for clear 'dos and don'ts' and use of watermarks on AI-generated content to curb misinformation and deepfake-related harms in the society. To prevent the spread of misinformation, Modi suggested that clear watermarks should be placed on AI-generated content.
Ruling NDA chooses cabinet
Along with PM Modi, NDA leaders including members of alliance partners, also took the oath of office as Cabinet and council of ministers. With the support of Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United), Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), and Jayant Chaudhary's Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) among other alliance members, the BJP-led NDA government has taken shape.
Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman and S Jaishankar returned to the Cabinet, while Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Manohan Lal Khattar, Suresh Gopi, Sukanta Majumdar and others were new entrants. Newly elected Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) MP Chirag Paswan, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary, five-time MLA and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy were also among NDA parties who took oath as Cabinet ministers.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, his Bhutanese counterpart Tshering Tobgay and Vice-President of Seychelles Ahmed Afif also attended the glittering event held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Leaders of the BIMSTEC countries attended Modi's swearing-in ceremony, in 2019 when he became prime minister for the second consecutive term.
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