Republic Day 26th January: History and Significance

By Vivek Chauhan|Updated : January 26th, 2022

Republic Day marks the celebration date when our Indian Constitution came into force. India was already an independent country but it was declared a Republic nation on 26th January 1950 with the adoption of Constitution which also replaced the Government of India Act (1935) as the governing document of our country. 26th January 1930 was celebrated as Purna Swaraj Day and hence this date was picked for the adoption of the constitution.  

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On 26th January 2022, President Shri Ram Nath Kovind will lead the nation in commemorating the 73rd Republic Day. This year's celebrations are special because the Republic Day falls in the 75th year of Independence and is being observed as 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' across the country.

 

To commemorate the occasion, the Ministry of Defence has planned a series of new events to take place during the main parade on Rajpath on January 26th and the 'Beating the Retreat' ceremony at Vijay Chowk on January 29th. Every year, the Republic Day celebrations will now last a week, from January 23 to January 30.

The celebrations will begin on January 23rd, the birth anniversary of great freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, and will conclude on January 30th, Martyrs' Day.

Many unique initiatives

Several firsts are planned for the main parade, including the launch of the National Cadet Corps' 'Shaheedon Ko Shat Shat Naman' programme, a grand flypast by 75 Indian Air Force aircraft/helicopters, cultural performances by 480 dancers chosen through a nationwide Vande Bharatam dance competition, a display of ten scrolls each 75 metres long prepared for the 'Kala Kumbh' event, and the installation of ten large LED screens. A drone show featuring 1,000 indigenously developed drones, as well as projection mapping, is planned for the 'Beating the Retreat' ceremony.

Parade Time change

The parade at Rajpath will begin at 1030 hrs, rather than 1000 hrs, to allow for better visibility of the parade and flypast.

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The Parade

  • Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will begin the Republic Day Parade ceremony by visiting the National War Memorial. He will lead the nation in laying a wreath in honour of the fallen heroes. Following that, the Prime Minister and other dignitaries will proceed to the saluting dais on Rajpath to watch the parade.
  • The National Flag will be unfurled, followed by the National Anthem and a booming 21-gun salute, as is customary. The parade will begin with President Shri Ram Nath Kovind saluting.
  • Lieutenant General Vijay Kumar Mishra, Ati Vishisth Seva Medal, a second-generation Army officer, will lead the parade. The Parade Second-in-Command will be Major General Alok Kacker, Chief of Staff, Delhi Area.
  • The recipients of the highest gallantry awards will be announced shortly. They include the Param Vir Chakra and Ashok Chakra winners.
  • Subedar Major (Honorary Captain) Yogendra Singh Yadav of the Param Vir Chakra, 18 Grenadiers (Retd) and Subedar (Honorary Lieutenant) Sanjay Kumar of the 13 JAK Rifles, and Colonel D Sreeram Kumar of the Ashok Chakra will follow the Deputy Parade Commander on Jeeps.
  • The Param Vir Chakra is given to the person who performs the most conspicuous act of bravery and self-sacrifice in the face of an enemy.
  • The Ashok Chakra is awarded for acts of valour and self-sacrifice that are not in the face of an enemy.

Tableaux

The tableaux of 12 states/union territories & nine ministries/departments on various themes prepared for the 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.' The following is a list of state/UT tableaux:

S No.

Tableaux

Theme

1

Arunachal Pradesh

Anglo-Abor (Adi) Wars

2

Haryana

Haryana: No 1 in Sports

3

Chhattisgarh

Godhan Nyay Yojana: A new path to prosperity

4

Goa

Symbols of Goan heritage

5

Gujarat

Tribal Revolutionaries of Gujarat

6

Jammu & Kashmir

Changing face of Jammu & Kashmir

7

Karnataka

Karnataka: The cradle of traditional handicrafts

8

Maharashtra

Biodiversity & State Bio-symbols of Maharashtra

9

Meghalaya

Meghalaya’s 50 years of Statehood and its tribute to Women-led cooperative societies and SHGs

10

Punjab

Punjab’s contribution in freedom struggle

11

Uttar Pradesh

ODOP and Kashi Vishwanath Dham

12

Uttarakhand

Pragati Ki Aur Badhta Uttarakhand

 

The list of tableaux of Ministries or Departments is as under:

S No.

Ministry/Department

Theme

1

Ministry of Education & Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship

National Education Policy

2

Ministry of Civil Aviation

UDAN - Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik

3

Ministry of Communication/Department of Posts

India Post: 75 years @ Resolve - Women Empowerment

4

Ministry of Home Affairs (CRPF)

CRPF: Saga of Valour and Sacrifice

5

Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (CPWD)

Subhash @125

6

Ministry of Textiles

Shuttling to the Future

7

Ministry of Law & Justice, Department of Justice

Ek Mutthi Aasmaa: Lok Adalat, Inclusive Legal system

8

Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation

Jal Jeevan Mission: Changing Lives

9

Ministry of Culture

150 years of Shri Aurobindo

The tableaus will be followed by cultural performances by 480 dancers selected from an all-India dance competition called 'Vande Bharatam.' For the first time, dance groups that will perform during the parade were chosen through an all-India competition. This event will be followed by a motorcycle display by the BSF's Seema Bhawani Motorcycle Team and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police's Himveers (ITBP).

DRDO Tableaux

  • The Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO) will display two tableaux representing the country's defence technological advancements.
  • The tableaux are titled 'Suite of Indigenously Developed Sensors, Weapons, and Electronic Warfare Systems for LCA Tejas' & 'Air Independent Propulsion System' for the Indian Navy submarines.
  • The first tableau will feature an indigenously developed Advanced Electronically Scanned Array Radar, five different aerial launched weapons, and an Electronic Warfare Jammer, all of which will be used in order to enhance the capabilities of Tejas, a fourth-generation LCA (Light Combat Aircraft).
  • The second tableau features an indigenously developed AIP System for the underwater propulsion of Indian Naval submarines.
  • The AIP System is powered by fuel cells developed in-house, as well as a novel onboard hydrogen generator.

Fly Past

  • The Fly Past, the parade's grand finale and most anticipated segment, will feature 75 Indian Air Force aircraft/helicopters performing a variety of formations for the first time as part of 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.'
  • Rafale, Jaguar, Sukhoi, Mi-17, Sarang, Apache, and Dakota aircraft/helicopters will fly in various formations, including Rahat, Eklavya, Meghna, Trishul, Tiranga, Vijay, and Amrit.
  • The ceremony will conclude with the singing of the national anthem and the release of Tri-color balloons.
  • For the first time ever, the IAF has collaborated with Doordarshan to broadcast cockpit videos during the flyover.

The details of the new initiatives planned for the Republic Day parade are as follows:

Shaheedon Ko Shat Shat Naman

  • On 26th January, NCC will launch a nationwide flagship programme, 'Shaheedon Ko Shat Shat Naman,' to honour the supreme sacrifices of the fallen heroes in defending the nation.
  • Approximately 5,000 fallen heroes' next of kin (NOK) will be presented with the Plaque of Gratitude by NCC cadets across the country, around the same time Pm Narendra Modi pays tribute to the country's bravehearts at the National War Memorial in New Delhi.
  • The programme will run until August 15, 2022. During this time, NCC cadets will honour the NOKs of all 26,466 fallen heroes whose names are inscribed on the National War Memorial, accompanied by NCC Officers/Permanent Instructors of State Directorates.

Kala Kumbh – Rajpath to be adorned with massive scroll paintings

  • During the parade, ten scrolls, each 75 metres long and 15 feet tall, will be displayed along the Rajpath.
  • They were created during the 'Kala Kumbh' event, which was co-organized by the Ministries of Defence and Culture.
  • Over 600 renowned artists & young aspirants from across the country painted the scrolls in two phases, in Bhubaneswar and Chandigarh.
  • The unsung heroes of the freedom struggle provided inspiration, as did the rich cultural heritage of indigenous and contemporary visual art practises.

Vande Bharatam Nritya Utsav

  • For the first time, dancers who perform during the parade's cultural programme were chosen through a national competition called 'Vande Bharatam,' which was co-organized by the Ministries of Defence & Culture.
  • The competition, which began at the district level with nearly 3,870 dancers in 323 groups, advanced to the state and zonal levels over the course of two months in November and December.
  • Eventually, 480 dancers were chosen. They will show off their skills during the Rajpath parade.

Veer Gatha – Stories of Valour from the school children

  • Another first was the organisation of a nationwide 'Veer Gatha' competition by the Ministry of Defence in collaboration with the Ministry of Education to encourage school students to do projects on gallantry award winners.
  • More than eight lakh students from approximately 4,800 schools across the country took part and shared their inspiring stories through essays, drawings, poems, and multimedia presentations.
  • After several rounds of judging, 25 people were chosen and declared winners. They will receive the cash prize of Rs 10,000 and will be able to witness the R Day parade.

CAPF's Static Band Performance

  • Before the parade begins, contingents of the Central Armed Police Forces will perform static band performances in the Rajpath seating enclosures.

LED Screens

  • Ten large LED screens, five on each side of Rajpath, will be installed for a better viewing experience during the parade.
  • Before the parade, curated films combining footage from the previous Republic Day Parades, short films on the Armed Forces, and stories related to various events leading up to the RDC 2022 will be screened.
  • Following that, the live event will be shown on the screens.

India is the cradle of the human race,
The birthplace of human speech,
The mother of history,
The grandmother of legend,
And the great-grandmother of tradition.
Our most valuable and
most astrictive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only!

- Mark Twain

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