New Delhi: The first session of 17th Lok Sabha commenced here Monday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is also the leader of the House, taking oath as Member.

As soon as the House met, the Members stood in silence for a few minutes as per the convention after the assembling of the new Lok Sabha.

When Modi's name was called out, Members from the ruling NDA thumped the desk greeting the Prime Minister with slogans such as 'Modi Modi' and "Bharat Mata ki Jai.

The panel of presiding officers - K Suresh, Brijbhushan Sharan Singh and B Mehtab - took oath as Members after the Prime Minister.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, and Chemical and Fertilisers Minister D V Sadanand Gowda also took oath.

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Bengaluru (PTI): Eighteen candidates who appeared for a recently conducted Army Group C recruitment examination here were arrested for allegedly cheating and indulging in malpractice, police said on Tuesday.

The arrests were made based on an FIR filed by S S Jyothirlingam, Colonel and Security Officer to the Commandant and Managing Director of the 515 Army Base Workshop, where the examination was held on February 8, police said.

The examination was conducted for direct recruitment to Civil Defence Employee Group C posts, specifically Lower Division Clerk positions, they said.

According to the FIR, during the course of the examination, 18 candidates were allegedly caught cheating by using digital and electronic devices with the intention of securing a government job through unfair means.

Electronic devices were found in their possession within the examination premises. In the case of two candidates, electronic devices were also found in bags kept outside the examination hall, it said.

"Based on the complaint, we registered an FIR for cheating and examination malpractice. The electronic devices have been seized. After questioning the candidates, we arrested all 18 of them on February 9 in connection with the incident," a senior police officer said.

Further investigation is underway.