Republic Day Parade: Nation to witness many firsts, check timings, other details
]
Republic Day Parade 2022 is all set to showcase India’s military might, cultural diversity and many unique initiatives to mark the celebration of the 75th year of Independence as part of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
President Ram Nath Kovind will lead the Nation in celebrating 73rd Republic Day on January 26, 2022.
The celebrations this year are special as Republic Day falls in the 75th year of Independence, being celebrated as ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ across the country.
To mark the occasion, the Ministry of Defence has conceptualised a series of new events during the main parade on Rajpath on January 26 and the ‘Beating the Retreat’ ceremony at Vijay Chowk on January 29.
It has been decided that the Republic Day celebrations will now be week-long from January 23-30 every year. The celebrations will commence on January 23, the birth anniversary of great freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and culminate on January, 30 which is observed as Martyrs’ Day.
According to the Ministry of Defence, for the first time, an Indian Air Force (IAF) will show grand flypast by 75 aircraft or helicopters.
A drone show by 1,000 indigenously developed drones has been planned for the ‘Beating the Retreat’ ceremony, along with projection mapping will be shown for the first time at the Republic day parade.
For the first time, 480 dancers who will perform during the cultural programme at the parade have been selected through a nationwide Vande Bharatam dance competition.
The main parade for the first time will also see the launch of ‘Shaheedon Ko Shat Shat Naman’ programme by National Cadet and a display of ten scrolls each of 75 metres prepared during the ‘Kala Kumbh’ event and installation of 10 large LED screens for a better viewing experience of spectators.
The parade at Rajpath will start at 10:30 am, instead of the earlier timing of 10 am to provide better visibility to the parade and flypast.
Special arrangements have been made keeping in view the current COVID-19 situation. The number of seats for spectators has been significantly reduced and people are being encouraged to register online to witness the live celebrations.
“Only double vaccinated adults/one dose vaccinated children of 15 years and above will be allowed entry at the parade. Children below 15 years of age will not be permitted,” the statement reads.
To watch the Republic Day Parade and at the ‘Beating the Retreat’ ceremony some sections of auto-rickshaw drivers, construction workers, safai karamcharis and frontline health workers will be invited.
The Republic Day Parade ceremony will commence with Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting the National War Memorial.
As per tradition, the National Flag will be unfurled followed by the National Anthem with a booming 21-gun salute.
The parade will commence with President Ram Nath Kovind taking the salute. The proud winners of the highest gallantry awards will follow.
The parade will be commanded by Parade Commander, Lieutenant General Vijay Kumar Mishra, Ati Vishisth Seva Medal, a second-generation Army officer. Major General Alok Kacker, Chief of Staff, Delhi Area will be the Parade Second-in-Command.
A total of six marching contingents of the Army will be there including the Rajput Regiment, the Assam Regiment, the Jammu and Kashmir Light Regiment, the Sikh Light Regiment, the Army Ordnance Corps and the Parachute Regiment.
The combined Band of the Madras Regimental Centre, the Kumoun Regimental Centre, Maratha Light Regimental Centre, Jammu & Kashmir Light Regimental Centre, Army Medical Corps Centre and School, 14 Gorkha Training Centre, Army Supply Corps Centre and College, Bihar Regimental Centre and Army Ordnance Corps Centre will also march past the saluting dais.
The theme of the marching contingents will be the display of the evolution of the uniform and personnel weapon of the Indian Army over the last 75 years.
The Naval contingent will comprise of 96 young sailors and four officers led by Lt Cdr Aanchal Sharma as Contingent Commander.
It will be followed by the Naval Tableau which is designed with the aim to showcase the multi-dimensional capabilities of the Indian Navy and highlight the key inductions under ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will display two tableaux, signifying the defence technological advancements of the country.
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) contingent will be led by Deputy Commandant H T Manjunath. ‘Ready, Relevant and Responsive’, the ICG, in January 2021, undertook a major fire-fighting operation ‘Sagar Aaraksha-II’ in foreign waters, to douse a major fire onboard MV X-press Pearl off Sri Lanka.
The marching contingents of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), led by Assistant Commandant Ajay Malik will also march past the saluting dais.
The National Cadet Corps (NCC) Boys Marching contingent, comprising of 100 Senior Division cadets, will be led by Senior Under Officer Rupendra Singh Chauhan of the Punjab Directorate.
It will be followed by tableaux of 12 States and Union Territories and nine Ministries and Departments, which have been prepared on various themes under ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
The theme of tableaux of Arunachal Pradesh is Anglo-Abor (Adi) Wars; Haryana’s is Haryana: No 1 in Sports; Chattisgarh’s is Godhan Nyay Yojana: A new path to prosperity; Goa’s is Symbols of Goan heritage; Gujarat is Tribal Revolutionaries of Gujarat; Punjab’s is Punjab’s contribution in freedom struggle; Jammu and Kashmir’s is Changing face of Jammu and Kashmir, among others.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education & Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship’s theme is National Education Policy, Ministry of Civil Aviation’s UDAN - Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik, Ministry of Textiles’s Shuttling to the Future among others.
The tableaux will be followed by cultural performances by 480 dancers chosen through an all-India dance competition ‘Vande Bharatam’.
The grand finale and the most keenly awaited segment of the parade, the Flypast will witness 75 aircraft/helicopters of the Indian Air Force displaying a number of formations, as part of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
A nationwide flagship programme of NCC ‘Shaheedon Ko Shat Shat Naman’ will be launched to honour the supreme sacrifices of the fallen heroes in defending the Nation.
Ten scrolls each of 75 metres in length and 15 feet in height will be displayed along the Rajpath during the parade.
In another first, the Ministry of Defence in collaboration with the Ministry of Education organized a nationwide ‘Veer Gatha’ competition to motivate school students to do projects on gallantry award winners. More
Before the commencement of the parade, the contingents of Central Armed Police Forces will undertake static band performances in the seating enclosures at Rajpath.
Apart from military bands performing martial tunes, some new activities have been planned during the Beating the Retreat Ceremony on January 29, 2022, at Vijay Chowk. These include a drone show and projection mapping.
Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.
Republic Day 2022 Highlights: Parade ends with splendid flypast, celebrations go on
]
India is celebrating the 73rd Republic Day today as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav commemorating 75 years of independence. The Republic Day parade this year is showcasing India’s military might, cultural diversity and many unique initiatives to mark the celebration of the 75th year of independence.
The grand Republic Day parade started at 10:30am today amid foggy weather. As per tradition, the national flag was unfurled followed by the National Anthem with a booming 21-gun salute, presented by Ceremonial Battery of 871 Field Regiment.
The celebrations commenced on January 23 as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the occasion of Netaji’s 125th birth anniversary, unveiled the hologram statue of the freedom fighter at India Gate in Delhi on Sunday.
Also Read | Republic Day 2022: History, significance, why the day is celebrated and all you need to know
As many as 75 aircraft of the Indian Air Force conducted a flypast showcasing the India’s military prowess at the event. For the first time, the defence ministry presented videos from the cockpit as the helicopters and aircraft flew over Rajpath. The Centre also installed 10 large LED screens, five on each side of Rajpath, for spectators at the location. The guest list was cut short this year to ensure necessary Covid protocols.
On the eve of Republic Day celebrations, President Ram Nath Kovind approved awards of 384 gallantry and other defence decorations to armed forces personnel and others.
The Centre also announced the Padma awards on Tuesday. The President approved the conferment of 128 Padma awards this year, including two duo cases, in which the award is counted as one. The list comprises four Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan and 107 Padma Shri awards.
A pledge for Republic Day
]
A 72nd anniversary is a reasonably short time in a republic’s lifespan. Still, it is not just a moment for celebration but equally for unbiased introspection. There are pockets of excellence that we should be proud of, but there are important basics that we need to improve as well.
Recuperating from the impact of two years of a pandemic isn’t easy. Some of our time-bound goals had to be extended as more pressing concerns engulfed our country. Despite the challenges, we have traversed a long journey — together as a nation, industry, and individuals. We now need to make a renewed effort towards achieving the objectives and laying the ground for our larger ambitions. India has a history of leapfrogging through phases of change. The revolution in the telecommunication industry, space science, and even digital payments are a few examples of India outperforming the world’s expectations. I have no doubt that we will do so again.
Opinion | The Indian republic is robust and thriving
The country’s democracy and its demography are its significant strengths. While marching towards the goal of becoming a $5 trillion economy, being a stable democracy in the region, having a huge market and consumer aspiration, and an immense demographic dividend are great benefits. We need to strengthen “Brand India” through transitions across social, political and economic spheres. There are aspects within each of these spheres that we can be proud of, even as we acknowledge that there are others we must try to change.
The demographic dividend alone will be insufficient if enough attention isn’t paid to both education and skill development. Over the years, the government and India Inc. have played critical roles in this. A certain level of education and imbibing a culture of skill learning are indispensable for attaining the sustained economic growth objectives of the future. Strengthening public-private partnerships to improve employability through policy interventions and supportive ecosystem development is critical. Moreover, policy measures must be initiated to arrest the declining female labour force participation rate, at a larger scale than at present.
For India to strengthen its position as a key global player, it is important to improve the ease of doing business here by measures such as liberalising policy to attract domestic capital investment and foreign investment and fast-paced but sustainable infrastructure growth.
Whilst the agricultural sector contributes close to 20 per cent of the country’s GDP, it continues to employ most of the country’s population. To double farmers’ incomes and increase productivity, strong attempts must be made to develop a culture of agriprenuership. Working in tandem with industry, farmers and academia, the government needs to create the right interventions that will both boost farmers’ morale and improve their productivity and per capita income. While policy is one part of the solution-seeking process, a combination of geospatial, technological and agricultural science can chart the path for innovative and sustainable solutions for several issues plaguing the sector.
The pandemic has also brought to light the need to provide universal access to basic healthcare. On a positive note, it also showcased the underlying capabilities and benefits of the PPP model in creating a robust mechanism to achieve this objective. There are definite learnings that can be collectively put into practice to improve the ecosystem over time.
Lastly, there is no denying that the pandemic made us all pause and think about what really matters. Historically, such moments have often triggered a change in people’s mindsets. One key takeaway that must always be held close to our hearts is building an empathetic nation. During this tumultuous time, there were myriad positive rays of hope with people standing by each other, supporting each other, and increasingly becoming more sensitive to the idea of sustainability. Going forward, this is one lesson from the past two challenging years that we must carry with us.
We will be celebrating our 73rd Republic Day in a few years and what I wish to see most then is an innovation-driven, empathetic, and happy India.
This column first appeared in the print edition on January 26, 2022 under the title ‘Going forward, with empathy’. The writer is executive director and chief brand officer, Godrej
Republic Day 2022: Here’s when and where to watch parade ceremony
]
The Republic Day parade is one of the most watched and awaited events on January 26 as the country celebrates the day when the Constitution of India came into existence.
Being held under the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic, this year’s Republic Day’s parade will be a muted affair, with the number of people allowed to attend the event reduced significantly.
Among other restrictions, children below the age of 15 and those who have not taken both doses of the vaccine will not be allowed to attend this year’s Republic Day parade.
The Republic Day parade ceremony will commence with Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting the National War Memorial. After this, the National Flag will be unfurled, followed by the singing of the National Anthem with a booming 21-gun salute.
Also read | R-day 2022 parade: DRDO to display two tableaux; Here’s what in store
The parade will commence with President Ram Nath Kovind taking the salute.
The parade will showcase India’s military might, cultural diversity and many unique initiatives to mark the celebration of the 75th year of Independence as part of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
When & Where to watch Republic Day Parade 2022?
The parade at Rajpath will start at 10:30am.
People can watch the celebrations from the comfort of their homes as the event will be telecast live on various platforms. Those interested in watching the parade can tune in on Doordarshan’s YouTube Channel. They can also follow the Press Information Bureau which will also be live-streaming the event on its YouTube channel.
Further, the Union Ministry of Defence will also host the event on two of its platforms – www.indianrdc.mod.gov.in and a YouTube channel ‘Indian RDC’.
What to expect from the parade?
For the first time, the parade will see the launch of ‘Shaheedon Ko Shat Shat Naman’ programme by the National Cadet and a display of 10 scrolls each of 75 metres prepared during the ‘Kala Kumbh’ event and installation of 10 large LED screens for a better viewing experience of spectators.
A total of six marching contingents of the Army will be there, including the Rajput Regiment, the Assam Regiment, the Jammu and Kashmir Light Regiment, the Sikh Light Regiment, the Army Ordnance Corps and the Parachute Regiment.
In view of the Covid-19 pandemic, special arrangements have been put in place to reduce the risk of virus spread. The number of seats for spectators has been reduced to 5,000-8,000, down from 1.25 lakh during the pre-Covid times.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Republic Day 2022 celebrations: Full dress rehearsals held in Srinagar
]
Ahead of Republic Day celebrations, full dress rehearsal was held at Sher-I-Kashmir stadium in Srinagar on January 24. Jammu and Kashmir Police march-past during full dress rehearsal for the Republic Day parade that is to be held on January 26. India will celebrate its 73rd Republic Day on January 26.