External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will attend the swearing-in ceremony of US President-elect Donald Trump in Washington DC on January 20, a statement from the Centre said.

“On the invitation of the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee, External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr S. Jaishankar will represent the Government of India at the Swearing-In Ceremony of President-Elect Donald J Trump as the 47th President of the United States of America,” the statement read. 

During his visit to the US, Mr Jaishankar will also meet representatives of the incoming Trump administration and other dignitaries. 

Trump will be sworn in in a ceremony administered by the US Supreme Court Chief Justice in front of the Capitol building. Following the oath of office, Trump will deliver his inaugural address. Outgoing President Joe Biden will attend the event and witness the transfer of power. Trump, who was defeated in the 2020 Presidential elections, had not attended Biden’s inauguration. 

Trump has reportedly invited several world leaders to the inauguration ceremony. Argentina President Javier Milei and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have reportedly agreed to attend the event. Hungary’s Viktor Orban has said he would consider attending. 

The 78-year-old served as the 45th President of the US from January 2017 to January 2021.

A widow and her two children in Chandausi, Uttar Pradesh, were forcefully evicted from their home after authorities claimed it encroached on a historic stepwell discovered last month. Despite being issued a notice with a 24-hour deadline, they were evicted within an hour. The family alleges their property documents are legitimate, while officials say they are fake.

In Bijapur’s National Park area, police found three Maoists bodies and a significant cache of weapons and explosives. The discovery followed an IED attack that injured a CRPF jawan. Ongoing search operations are underway, with recent encounters at the Sukma-Bijapur border resulting in additional casualties and the recovery of additional weapons.