Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. and Kamala Harris took oath as the 46th President of the United States of America and Vice President today, ending the term of the 4-year long Republican government. Creating a milestone, Kamala Harris has been selected as the first Indian-American female Vice-President of the country.
US President Donald Trump and his allies had tried to overturn the election results on the basis of unproven claims of large scale electoral fraud, but have not been successful so far. Also, according to sources cited by the Wall Street Journal, Outgoing US President Donald Trump has considered launching a new “Patriot Party” following his exit from the White House.
Hours after swearing-in, Joe Biden plans to sign 15 executive orders – including rejoining the Paris climate agreement, a 100-day mask mandate, and reversing the Muslim ban – undoing some of the major policies of his predecessor Donald Trump and etc.
The Biden administration has certainly characterised itself to have a more moderate and less radical approach towards domestic and international affairs. He is likely to follow Obama’s trajectory on climate change and health care. He has pledged to have the most diverse administration thus far, and he seems to be in the process of fulfilling that promise.
With regard to India, Biden has developed a record with his comments on the country’s Citizenship Amendment Act and the revocation of article 370 in Kashmir. While such interferences may cause friction between the governments of the two countries, Biden’s support for the H1B visas and their mutual desire to counter China provides hope and avenues for cooperation.
Only time will tell how good an ally does the Biden administration be to India and what strategies does the Modi government enforce to maintain good relations with the US.
