New Delhi, Jan 25: Building on last year’s celebrations, in the 75th year of Independence, celebrated as ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, the 74th Republic Day Parade this year shall witness zeal, enthusiasm, patriotic fervour, and ‘Jan Bhagidari’, as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

President Droupadi Murmu will lead the Nation in celebrating Republic Day from Kartavya Path in New Delhi on January 26, 2023.

The week-long celebrations started on January 23, the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. To mark the occasion, a one-of-a-kind Military Tattoo, and Tribal Dance Festival ‘Aadi Shaurya – Parv Parakram ka’ was organized in New Delhi on 23 and 24 January.

The events will culminate on 30th January, which is observed as Martyrs’ Day.

The celebrations are marked through appealing performances from Vande Bharatamgroup of dancers from across the country, tales of bravery by Veer Gatha 2.0 participants, melodious performances by School Bands at the National War Memorial, the first-ever e-invitations, the largest-ever drone show, and 3-D anamorphic projection.

The Parade

The Republic Day parade, if you want to start at around 10:30 am, may be a unique mix of the country’s military prowess and cultural diversity, depicting the country’s growing indigenous capabilities, Nari Shakti, and the emergence of a ‘New India’.

The parade ceremony will commence with Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting the National War Memorial. He will lead the nation in paying solemn tributes to the fallen heroes by laying a wreath.

Thereafter, the Prime Minister and other dignitaries will head to the saluting dais at Kartavya Path to witness the parade.

As per tradition, the National Flag will be unfurled followed by the National Anthem with a booming 21-gun salute. Amongst the many firsts, the 21-gun salute will be given with 105-mm Indian Field Guns.

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It replaces the vintage 25-pounder gun, reflecting upon the growing ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence. Four Mi-17 1V/V5 helicopters of 105 Helicopter Unit will shower flower petals on the audience present at Kartavya Path.

The parade will commence with the President taking the salute. The parade will be commanded by Parade Commander, Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, a second-generation Army officer. Major General Bhavnish Kumar, Chief of Staff, HQ Delhi Area will be the Parade Second-in-Command.

The proud winners of the highest gallantry awards will follow.

They include the winners of Param Vir Chakra and Ashok Chakra. Param Vir Chakra winners Subedar Major (Honorary Captain) Bana Singh, 8 JAK LI (Retd); Subedar Major (Honorary Captain) Yogendra Singh Yadav, 18 Grenadiers (Retd) & Subedar (Honorary Lieutenant) Sanjay Kumar, 13 JAK Rifles and Ashok Chakra winners Major General CA Pithawalla (Retd); Colonel D Sreeram Kumar and Lieutenant Colonel Jas Ram Singh (Retd) will follow the Deputy Parade Commander on Jeeps.

The Param Vir Chakra is awarded for the most conspicuous act of bravery and self-sacrifice in the face of the enemy, while the Ashok Chakra is awarded for similar acts of valour and self-sacrifice but, other than, in the face of the enemy.

Indian Navy Contingent

The Indian Navy contingent will include 144 young sailors, led by Lt Cdr Disha Amrith as Contingent Commander. For the first time ever, the marching contingent consists of three women and six Agniveers.

It will be followed by the Naval Tableau, designed on the theme ‘Indian Navy – Combat Ready, Credible, Cohesive and Future Proof’. It will showcase the multi-dimensional capabilities of the Indian Navy, Nari Shakti and key indigenously designed and built assets under ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.

The ahead part of the tableau will illustrate the women aircrew of Dornier aircraft, highlighting all-women crew surveillance sortie undertaken last year. The main section of the tableau will display the ‘Make in India’ initiatives of the Navy. There will be a model of the new indigenous Nilgiri class ship with a Dhruv helicopter deploying marine commandos. On the sides, models of indigenous Kalvari class submarines will be depicted. The rear section of the tableau will display models of autonomous unmanned systems being indigenously developed under the iDEX-Sprint Challenge.

Indian Air Force Contingent

The Indian Air Force contingent will include 144 air warriors and four officers, led by Sqn Ldr Sindhu Reddy. The Air Force tableau, designed on the theme ‘Indian Air Force Power Beyond Boundaries’, will display a rotating globe highlighting IAF’s expanded reach, whereby it has been able to provide humanitarian assistance across borders, as also exercises conducted with friendly countries.

It may also show off Light Combat Aircraft Tejas MK-II, Light Combat Helicopter ‘Prachand’, Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft NETRA, and C-295 Transport aircraft.

The tableau will also display a team of GARUDs in combat gear with laser designation equipment and specialist weapons.

Indian Army Contingents

The first contingent withinside the uniform of the 61 Cavalry will be led by Captain Raizada Shaurya Bali. The 61 Cavalry is the only serving active Horse Cavalry Regiment in the world, with the amalgamation of all the ‘State Horse Units’.

The Indian Army may be represented through a Mounted Column of 61 Cavalry, nine Mechanised Columns, six marching contingents, and a fly-past by Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) of the Army Aviation Corps.

Main Battle Tank ARJUN, NAG Missile System (NAMIS), Infantry Combat Vehicle of BMP-2 SARATH, Quick Reaction Fighting Vehicle, K-9 Vajra-tracked Self-Propelled Howitzer Gun, BrahMos missile, 10m Short Span Bridge, Mobile Microwave Node & Mobile Network Centre and AKASH (New Generation Equipment) will be the main attractions in the mechanised columns.

A total of six marching contingents of the Army, which include The Mechanised Infantry Regiment, The Punjab Regiment, The Maratha Light Infantry Regiment, The Dogra Regiment, The Bihar Regiment, and The Gorkha Brigade will march beyond the saluting dais.

Indian Coast Guard Contingent

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) marching contingent may be led by Deputy Commandant Rohit Singh. The ICG, with 157 ships and 78 aircraft, is capable of countering threats at and to the sea.

The continuous vigil of the ICG has enabled the seizure of contraband worth over ₹14,546 crore since its inception, including ₹ 2,620 crore in 2022 alone. Its reach and capability were demonstrated during the flag hoisting on 100 inhabited and uninhabited far-flung islands as part of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’. The ICG has been a pioneer in women’s empowerment, offering opportunities to women officers in all spheres.

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Tableau of States/UTs & Ministries/Departments

23 tableaux – 17 from States /Union Territories and six from various Ministries /Departments, depicting the nation’s rich cultural heritage, economic progress, and strong internal and external security will also roll down the Kartavya Path.

Details of the 17 tableaus of States/UTs with their themes are as follows:

  • Andhra Pradesh, Prabhala Theertham – A festival of Peasantry during Makara Sankranthi
  • Assam- Land of Heroes and Spiritualism
  • Ladakh- Tourism and Composite Culture of Ladakh
  • Uttarakhand- Manaskhand
  • Tripura- Sustainable Livelihood through Tourism and Organic Farming in Tripura with the active participation of women.
  • Gujarat- Clean Green Energy Efficient Gujarat
  • Jharkhand- Baba Baidyanath Dham
  • Arunachal Pradesh- Prospects of Tourism in Arunachal Pradesh
  • Jammu & Kashmir- Naya Jammu and Kashmir
  • Kerala- Nari Shakti
  • West Bengal- Durga Puja in Kolkata: Inscribing Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO
  • Maharashtra- Sade Tin Shaktipithe and Nari Shakti
  • Tamil Nadu- Women Empowerment and Culture of Tamil Nadu
  • Karnataka- Celebrating the Power of Nari
  • Haryana- International Gita Mahotsav
  • Dadar Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu- Conservation of Tribal Culture & Heritage
  • Uttar Pradesh- Ayodhya Deepotsav

Details of six tableaux of Ministries/Departments are as follows:

  • Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (Indian Council Agriculture Research)
  • International Year of Millets: 2023 – India’s Initiative
  • Ministry of Tribal Affairs- Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs)
  • Ministry of Home Affairs (Narcotics Control Bureau)- Narcotics Control Bureau: Resolve @75 – Drug-Free India
  • Ministry of Home Affairs (Central Armed Police Forces)- Nari Shakti in CAPF
  • Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (Central Public Works Department)- Biodiversity Conservation
  • Ministry of Culture- Shakti RupenaSamsthita