Joe Biden has been sworn in as the 46th President of the United States. Very few people attended the swearing-in ceremony, which took place amid tight security as never before in US history. Soon after being sworn in, Biden signed 17 key decisions. The first sign was related to controlling of COVID. He has made wearing a mask for the next 100 days mandatory. Approved some plans to make vaccines available faster. Appointed a COVID response coordinator, and of the 17 files signed by Biden, nine were suspension orders made by Trump. The decision was made to stop the construction of the wall on the borders of Mexico. Racial equality, the accession to the Paris Environmental Treaty, the continuation of the moratorium, the suspension of interest on education, the partial lifting of the ban on the arrival of citizens from the seven Islamic countries, the repeal of the National Emergency Declaration (intended to raise funds for the construction of the Mexico Wall), and the enactment of the Population Act.
Biden quoted a letter from the 45th President, Donald Trump, to the new president. In the letter, Trump wrote that he wished him well, that he would support him, and that he would like to end his term peacefully. He commented that Trump was very happy to continue the tradition of this letter that has been coming for centuries.
After being sworn in as President, Biden addressed the gathering for the first time. “This is the day Democracy wins in America. Preservation of Democracy as President is the first priority of national defence. Do as much service to the people as you can. Not for power but for opportunities. Personal gain is not a priority. Public welfare is a priority. All together a new history can be written. Let us bring new lights with a united life free from differences and hatreds. Trust me. I will always tell the truth. I’ll be honest,” said Biden. Throughout the speech, national security, the elimination of hostilities, the elimination of racism, the protection of American citizens, the direction of the world, the creation of education and employment opportunities, the facilitation of foreign nationals, and opportunities for poor countries were the main topics.
Half an hour before Biden’s swearing-in as president, Kamala Harris (56) was sworn in as the 49th Vice President. She made history as the first woman to hold this position and as a person of Indian origin. She vowed to ‘faithfully carry out her responsibilities to protect this country and its constitution.’
The Senate committee gave a key report before Biden was sworn in as president. That report will have a lot of influence on the decisions that the president makes and the speeches that need to be made. Many senators in the report said that they could not trust China and that India was a trustworthy country. The Committee also plans to further enhance the strong bilateral ties between India and the United States. Senators Anthony Blinken (Minister of Foreign Affairs), Lloyd Austin (Minister of Defense), Avril Hennessy (Intelligence, CIA), etc. reported to the Senate Committee and the committee approved it. The report strengthens the India-Australia-Japan alliance, pressures countries to thwart terrorist conspiracies against India, restrict China from trying to invade Taiwan, protects rights in Hong Kong, maintains dominance in the Indo-Pacific region, and keep a vigil on China, which is posing a threat to US security, defence assistance to India etc. In the wake of these developments, it seems likely that Biden, as President, will also seek good relations with India. However, in the past, Biden has opposed the decision to suspend funding for Pakistan. He opposed President Trump’s decision during his tenure as a senator. Analysts expect him to maintain good relations with India now that he has become president and will have to make decisions based on committee reports and surveillance systems.
