EAM Jaishankar carries a letter from PM Modi for Donald Trump's inauguration

It has been the general practice to send special envoys of the Prime Minister to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Heads of State and Government.

External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, representing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as his special envoy at the inaugural function of the US President-elect Donald Trump in Washington DC is carrying a letter from Modi for Trump, according to multiple media reports.

It has been the general practice to send special envoys of the Prime Minister to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Heads of State and Government.

Trump will take the oath of office, administered by Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts, at 12 p.m. EST (1700 GMT). It was originally due to take place in front of the U.S. Capitol but will now take place inside the congressional complex because of bitter cold.

There have been instances in the past where senior ministers have represented the Indian Prime Minister at the oath-taking ceremonies of  Heads of State and Government.

Previously, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attended the swearing-in ceremony of the President of Nigeria in May 2023. Minister of Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju attended the swearing-in ceremony of the President of Maldives in November 2023. Further, Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari attended the swearing-in ceremony of the President of Iran in July 2024.

The outgoing president, Democrat Joe Biden, has said he plans to attend the ceremony and witness the transfer of power, a courtesy Trump did not afford him four years earlier. Country music star Carrie Underwood is scheduled to perform at the swearing-in ceremony, according to a copy of the official program seen by Reuters.

Republican leader Donald Trump will take oath as the 47th US President. It will be his second term in office. The ceremonial event is set to take place on Monday, approximately two weeks after Trump's electoral college win was certified by the US Congress.

The stage is set for a grand ceremony leading up to US President-elect Donald Trump's swearing-in on Monday. The events are set to begin with Trump's departure to St John's Church and offering of service.

He will then go to the Blair House, The President's Guest House. At North Portico, the US President Joe Biden and the First Lady Jill Biden will first welcome Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff and then President-Elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania.