Aiswarya S Menon, a senior assistant loco pilot who is associated with the Chennai Division of Southern Railway, is one amongst the 8,000 special guests who have been invited from the Prime Minister’s Swearing-in Ceremony that is slate to take place on June 9. She had been extended a prestigious invitation to attend the ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his new government this Sunday. This event, which is set to witness Modi assume office for his third consecutive term, will take place at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Aiswarya S Menon, who currently pilots the Vande Bharat trains, has garnered a significant respect within the railway community for her dedication and skill. Over the span of her career, she has amassed more than 2 lakh footplate hours, operating several key trains including the Vande Bharat Express and the Jan Shatabdi. Her exemplary service includes operating the Chennai-Vijayawada and Chennai-Coimbatore routes since their inception. Her quick reflexes, sharp alertness, and thorough understanding of railway signaling have earned her accolades from senior officials.
Significant Presence at the Ceremony
Menon will be joined by an elite group of railway employees who have also been chosen to witness this landmark event. Surekha Yadav who is Asia’s first woman loco pilot is another one of the prominent faces among the distinguished guests who will reportedly be attending the PM Modi’s swearing-in ceremony. Yadav, who operates the Vande Bharat train from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to Solapur, is one among the ten loco pilots who have been invited for the event. Surekha is well known for breaking new ground in 1988 as India’s first female train driver and continues to lead as the first woman pilot of the Vande Bharat Express.
The ceremony will also honor various other professionals, including sanitation workers, transgenders, and laborers who contributed to the Central Vista Project.
Grand Arrangements and Distinguished Guests
Preparations are underway to accommodate the 8,000 guests that are expected at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The swearing-in ceremony will be administered by President Droupadi Murmu, with the proceedings starting at 7:15 PM on Sunday. Among the notable attendees will be leaders from South Asia, including Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Invitations for the significant event have also, reportedly, been extended to Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, and Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth.
Previously, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swearing-in Ceremony for the year 2014, was also attended by prominent figures from across the globe including the leaders from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation(SAARC) countries. Additionally, in 2019, leaders from the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) countries were the guests at PM Modi’s swearing ceremony for his secong term in office.
A Political Milestone
This event marks a significant political milestone, as Narendra Modi becomes only the second Indian Prime Minister after Jawaharlal Nehru to win three consecutive terms. However, unlike Nehru’s single-party majority, Modi’s BJP will lead a coalition government. The BJP won 240 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, a reduction from the 303 seats secured in 2019. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has achieved a total of 293 seats, surpassing the majority mark of 272, but still relies on key allies.
The BJP’s coalition includes significant partners such as Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party, which secured 16 seats, and Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United, which won 12 seats. This coalition ensures Modi’s continued leadership despite the BJP not achieving a majority on its own.
