Ram Nath Kovind took oath as India's 14th President today at a simple ceremony held at the Central Hall of Parliament House. Kovind, who is the second Dalit President after KR Narayanan to enter the sprawling 340-room Rashtrapati Bhavan, was administered the oath of office by Supreme Court Chief Justice KS Khehar.

FULL TEXT: PRESIDENT RAM NATH KOVIND'S SPEECH IN PARLIAMENT

Addressing the gathering immediately after taking oath, President Kovind, 71, said pledged to protect the Constitution and said that the key to India's success is 'unity in diversity'.

PRESIDENT KOVIND'S OATH TAKING CEREMONY: HERE'S HOW IT HAPPENED

"We are different but we are one and united. These are the traditional values and there is no contradiction or alternative opinion about it," the new President said in his Hindi speech.

WATCH: FROM PARAUNKH TO RAISINA - RAM NATH KOVIND'S JOURNEY TO RASHTRAPATI BHAVAN

HERE'S WHAT ALL PRESIDENT KOVIND SAID:

Honoured to be sworn in as the 14th President of India; would be carrying out my responsibilities with all humility. The key to India's success is its diversity. Our diversity is the core that makes us so unique. We need to build an India that is an economic leader as well as a moral exemplar. Our Independence was the result of efforts by thousands of patriotic freedom fighters led by Mahatma Gandhi. I bow to the 125 crore citizens of this great nation and promise to stay true to the trust they have bestowed on me. We must combine tradition and technology, the wisdom of an age-old Bharat and the science of a contemporary India. Nations are not built by governments alone. Each citizen of India is a nation builder. Each one of us is a custodian of India's well-being and of the legacy that we will pass on to coming generations. The armed forces that protect our borders and keep us safe are nation builders. Those police and paramilitary forces that fight terrorism and crime are nation builders. Scientist concentrating tirelessly to send an Indian space mission to Mars, or invent a vaccine, is a nation builder. We need to sculpt a robust, high growth economy, an educated, ethical and shared community, and an egalitarian society. This is the India of our dreams, an India that will provide equality of opportunities.

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WATCH: President Ram Nath Kovind's oath taking ceremony