New Delhi, Ramadan 6, 1433, Jul 25, 2012, SPA - Pranab Mukherjee was on Wednesday sworn in as the country's 13th President at an impressive ceremony in the historic Central Hall of Parliament. Chief Justice of India S. H. Kapadia administered the oath of office to Mukherjee in the presence of Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, "Lok Sabha" (Lower House of Parliament) Speaker Meira Kumar, UPA (United Progressive Alliance) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Union Ministers, Governors and a host of dignitaries, according to a report of Press Trust of India. Mukherjee took the oath of office in the name of God in English to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the law." He was then given a 21-gun salute. --SPA 12:00 LOCAL TIME 09:00 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/1017974