Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded Prime Minister Narendra Modi the ‘Order of St Andrew the Apostle’ award for exceptional services in promoting the relationship between the two countries. PM Nardendra Modi is the first Indian leader to get this award. After receiving the award in a special ceremony in St. Andrew Hall in the Kremlin, PM Narendra Modi wrote on social media platform X that he is “Honoured to receive the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle. I dedicate it to the people of India”.
‘Order of St Andrew the Apostle is the highest civilian honour of Russia. It was established in 1698 by Tsar Peter the Great in honour of Saint Andrew, the first apostle of Jesus and patron saint of Russia.
The badge of the order is a golden cross with blue enamel, featuring a crucified Saint Andrew the Apostle. It is adorned with a double-headed eagle and a ribbon inscribed with “FOR FAITH AND LOYALTY”.
The honour is bestowed upon distinguished leaders in government, military, science, culture, and the economy for exceptional contributions to Russia’s prosperity, security, and sovereignty It can also be awarded to foreign heads of state for “outstanding service” to Russia.
Lok Sabha Elections 2024 – Indian PM Makes History With Third Term
On June 4, the Election Commission of India declared the results of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, which was the biggest election in history. It’s estimated that nearly one billion people registered to vote.
The NDA won 293 seats in this election, and the BJP won 240 seats, falling short of the 272 majority mark. This is well below the 303 seats it had won in 2019 to have a majority on its own. Narendra Modi’s government has been formed with the support of regional parties in his BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.
Key Terms
NDA or the National Democratic Alliance won 293 seats, and they needed 272 to form a government. NDA is made up of political parties such as BJP, Shiv Sena, Telugu Desam Party, Janata Dal United, and many such more.
The main opposition is called INDIA, which stands for Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance. This is a group of different opposition parties. INDIA is made up of the following member parties: INC, Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and many such more.
Narendra Modi, the leader of BJP, has been sworn in as India’s prime minister for a third term in a grand ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on June 9. He is the head of a coalition government. This is a historic moment as he is the only second Prime Minister after Jawaharlal Nehru to serve three consecutive terms.
President Droupadi Murmu also administered the oath of office to the 72. Cabinet ministers and Ministers of State (including PM Modi). The following gives the details of the Cabinet ministers and Ministers of State that have been sworn in as well:
Out of 72 Ministers 60 are from BJP.
2 each from the Telugu Desam Party and Janata Dal United.
30 Members of Parliament sworn in as Union Ministers.
41 Members of Parliament sworn in as Ministers of State
What Is A Swearing-In Ceremony?
It is the formal taking of office, where the person set to occupy the office swears to be loyal to the Constitution and to discharge their duties faithfully. For the Prime Minister and the Union Cabinet, the President of India administers the oath.
Meet The Important Cabinet Ministers
Amit Shah – Minister Of Home Affairs
Rajmath Singh – Minister Of Defence
Nirmala Sitharaman – Minister Of Finance
S. Jaishankar – Minister Of External Affairs
Nitin Gadkari – Minister Of Road Transport & Highways
Word Check
Coalition-When political parties join together to form a government, it is called a coalition. This is usually done if the biggest political party doesn’t get enough votes for a majority.
Opposition The political party with views different from the one in power. The word comes from them usually sitting opposite each other in a parliament.
