Droupadi Murmu, a tribal politician, sworn in as India's new president

Droupadi Murmu was sworn in as India’s 15th president on Monday by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana at the central hall of parliament.

Now, she has become the first tribal and the second woman to hold the top constitutional post.

She was elected as the 15th president of India after she defeated opposition’s Yashwant Sinha with an impressive margin. She is also the youngest president in the history of India.

Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Members of the Council of Ministers, Governors, Chief Ministers, heads of diplomatic missions, MPs, and principal civil and military officers attended the oath ceremony.

"I started my life journey from a small tribal village," Murmu, 64, said after taking the oath of office in parliament.

"From the background, I come from, it was like a dream for me to even get elementary education," she added.

"But despite many obstacles, my resolve remained strong and I became the first daughter from my village to go to college."

Murmu's win was considered a certainty because of the strength of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies in the parliament and state assemblies.

Analysts said the move will likely help Prime Minister Narendra Modi extend his base among the poor tribal communities ahead of his re-election bid in 2024.

"Her assuming the Presidency is a watershed moment for India, especially for the poor, marginalized and downtrodden," Modi said on Twitter after Murmu's address. 

Murmu said her election would give hope to those left behind by India's recent economic growth.

"It is a matter of great satisfaction to me that those who have been deprived for centuries, who have been away from the benefits of development... are seeing their reflection in me," she said.

India's prime minister wields executive power, but the president can send back some parliamentary bills for reconsideration and also plays a guiding role in the process of forming governments.

Murmu is the country's second woman president after Pratibha Patil, who held the position for five years from 2007.