Daily Briefing: Narendra Modi takes oath as PM; the big question around Modi’s third term; and more

Narendra Modi took oath as Prime Minister on Sunday, becoming the second person after Jawaharlal Nehru to secure a third consecutive term. Among the 30 Cabinet Ministers who took oath, key veterans like Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, S Jaishankar returned to the Council, while new entrants like J P Nadda, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Manohar Lal Khattar joined the ranks.

‘Can Modi be a coalition-builder?’

In the last few days, the PM appears to have shifted gears, adopting a conciliatory tone. He made it clear that the government was not a Modi or a BJP government but an NDA government. As he prepares to navigate leading a coalition government for the first time, we explore the challenges he may face.

A 72-member Union Council of Ministers, perceptible change in pecking order in oath-taking and the addition of strong regional players. What are the big takeaways from the new Modi govt, we take a look.

Meanwhile, in the initial indications of the strains that come with a coalition government, the Nationalist Congress Party, under Ajit Pawar’s leadership, declined the BJP’s offer of a Minister of State (Independent) position within the NDA government, insisting on a Cabinet Minister’s post instead.

📰From the Front Page

Nine pilgrims were killed and 33 injured in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi when terrorists fired on their bus, causing it to plunge into a gorge. The victims were travelling from Ransoo to Katra town, the base camp for those visiting the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine.

This year’s Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Advanced – the single-window test for admission to the IITs – witnessed an increase in the pass percentage, along with rising qualifying cut-offs across categories. Ved Lahoti from the Delhi zone achieved the highest-ever score of 355 out of 360, securing the top position in the exam.

⚡Only in Express

Joining us for Idea Exchange, Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director-General of Meteorology, IMD, speaks about 50°C plus temperatures, the efficacy of forecasts and detection mechanisms, and the impact of climate change on rainfall. Read more here.

👉Must Read

In our Opinion section today, Ashok Gulati writes on the importance of the agricultural agenda for the new Narendra Modi government: “It would be interesting to note that the BJP’s tally in rural-dominated constituencies came down from 253 in 2019 to 193 in 2024, a slide of 60 of the 63 seats the party lost in the election. It seems that rural India has sent a strong message to the BJP.”

T20 World Cup: It was the first ball of the 15th over. The stumps lay flattened. Mohammed Rizwan, on his knees, dragged himself onto his feet. Jasprit Bumrah wheeled away wildly, breathing life into the game for India. Don’t miss the action as we recap India’s win, which hatched a comeback for the ages, and pushed Pakistan to the brink of an early exit.

🔴And Finally…

Delhi Confidential: A pocket edition of the Constitution in red-black cover published by Lucknow based Eastern Book Company (EBC) is now a ubiquitous sight in political circles. With Congress leaders Mallikarjuna Kharge and Rahul Gandhi waving the copy every now and then during their campaigning and in the press conferences, it is learnt that the sales of the sleek copy of the Constitution has shot up. Read our latest column to know more!

In the latest edition of our ‘3 things‘ podcast, we discuss the demands that have been extended by BJP’s alliance partners TDP and JD(U), BJP’s electoral setback in Haryana, and the suspected terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which left 9 dead. Tune in!

Until tomorrow,

Ayesha Jain and Aradhana Kalia