75th Republic Day Parade: President Smt Droupadi Murmu will lead the Nation in celebrating the 75th Republic Day from Kartavya Path in New Delhi on January 26, 2024. French President Mr Emmanuel Macron will be the Chief Guest at the parade, which is set to showcase India’s rich cultural diversity, unity & progress; its military prowess on the back of increasing indigenous capabilities, and the growing Nari Shakti.
Based on the twin themes of ‘Viksit Bharat’ and ‘Bharat – Loktantra ki Matruka’, this year’s parade will witness the participation of around 13,000 Special Guests – an initiative which will provide an opportunity to people from all walks of life to take part in the celebrations and encourage Jan Bhagidari in this national festival.
For the first time ever, the parade will be heralded by over 100 women artists playing Indian musical instruments. The parade would commence with the music of Sankh, Naadswaram, Nagada, etc. to be played by these women artists. It will also witness the maiden participation of an all-women Tri-Service contingent marching down the Kartavya Path. Women pilots will also enthrall the audience during the Fly-past, representing Nari Shakti. The contingents of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) will also consist of only women personnel.
The parade
The Republic Day parade will commence at 1030 hrs and run for a duration of approx. 90 minutes. The ceremony will start with the visit of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to the National War Memorial, where 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.
The arrival of the President of India and her French counterpart will be escorted by the President’s Bodyguard – ‘Rashtrapati Ke Angrakshak’. The President’s Bodyguard is the senior most Regiment of the Indian Army. This Republic Day is special for this elite Regiment as the ‘Angrakshak’ have completed 250 years of service since its raising in 1773. The two Presidents will arrive in the ‘Traditional Buggy’, the practice which is making a comeback after a gap of 40 years.
As per tradition, the National Flag will be unfurled followed by the National Anthem with a booming 21-gun salute given with indigenous gun system 105-mm Indian Field Guns. Four Mi-17 IV helicopters of 105 Helicopter Unit will shower flower petals on the audience present at Kartavya Path. This will be followed by ‘Aavaahan’, a band performance by over 100 women artists playing various types of percussion instruments, symbolising Nari Shakti.
The parade will then commence with the President taking the salute. The parade will be commanded by Parade Commander, Lieutenant General Bhavnish Kumar, General Officer Commanding, Delhi Area, a second-generation Army officer. Major General Sumit Mehta, 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 Param Vir Chakra winners Subedar Major (Honorary Captain) Yogendra Singh Yadav (Retd) & Subedar Major Sanjay Kumar (Retd), and Ashok Chakra winners Major General CA Pithawalla (Retd), Colonel D Sreeram Kumar & Lt Col Jas Ram Singh (Retd). 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.
French Contingent
Kartavya Path will be witness to a march past by a combined Band and Marching contingent of the French Armed Forces. A 30-member band contingent will be headed by Captain Khourda, which will be followed by a 90-member marching contingent, led by Captain Noel. One Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircraft and two Rafale fighter jets of the French Air & Space Force will fly above the contingents while they march past the saluting dais.
Indian Army Contingent
The first Army contingent leading the Mechanised Column will be of 61 Cavalry, led by Major Yashdeep Ahlawat. Raised in 1953, the 61 Cavalry is the only serving active Horsed Cavalry Regiment in the world, with the amalgamation of all the ‘State Horsed Cavalry Units’.It will be followed by 11 Mechanised Columns, 12 marching contingents, and a fly past by Advanced Light Helicopters of Army Aviation Corps.
Tank T-90 Bhishma, NAG Missile System, Infantry Combat Vehicle, All-Terrain Vehicle, Pinaka, Weapon Locating Radar System ‘Swathi’, Sarvatra Mobile Bridging System, Drone Jammer System, and Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile System among others will be the main attractions in the mechanised columns.
Marching down the Kartavya Path for the first time would be an all-women Tri-Service contingent, led by Captain Sandhya of Military Police, with three supernumerary officers Captain Sharanya Rao, Sub Lieutenant Anshu Yadav & Flight Lieutenant Shrishti Rao, and an all-women Armed Forces Medical Services contingent, headed by Major Srishti Khullar with Captain Amba Samant of Army Dental Corps, Surgeon Lieutenant Kanchana of Indian Navy & Flight Lieutenant Dhivya Priya of Indian Air Force.
The Army Marching Contingents will include The Madras Regiment, The Grenadiers, Rajputana Rifles, Sikh Regiment and the Kumaon Regiment.
Indian Navy Contingent
The Indian Navy contingent will consist of 144 men and women Agniveers, led by Lt Prajwal M as Contingent Commander and Lt Mudita Goyal, Lt Sharvani Supreiya & Lt Devika H as Platoon Commanders. It will be followed by the Naval Tableau, depicting the themes ‘Nari Shakti’ and ‘Sea Power Across the Oceans Through Indigenisation’.
The first part of the tableau showcases the women in the Indian Navy in All Roles and in All Ranks across the Navy while the second depicts the very first indigenous Carrier Battle Group, comprising the Aircraft Carrier Vikrant, her highly capable escort ships Delhi, Kolkata and Shivalik, the Light Combat Aircraft and Advanced Light Helicopter, the Kalvari Class Submarine and the GSAT-7, Rukmani Satellite.
Indian Air Force Contingent
The Indian Air Force (IAF) will comprise 144 airmen and four officers, led by Squadron Leader Rashmi Thakur. Squadron Leaders Sumita Yadav & Pratiti Ahluwalia and Flight Lieutenant Kirti Rohil will march past as supernumerary officers behind the Contingent Commander. The IAF tableau is on the theme ‘Bharatiya Vayu Sena: Saksham, Sashakt, Aatmanirbhar’.
The tableau depicts LCA Tejas and Su-30 flying over the IOR, and a C-295 transport aircraft being flown by women aircrew in the cockpit. The GSAT- 7A positioned on the tableau represents the IAF’s incorporation of space technology in its operations. The tableau shows that IAF has been at the forefront of rendering humanitarian aid, both within and across borders.
Veterans’ Tableau
Another highlight of the parade would be the Veterans’ Tableau on the theme ‘Rashtra Nirmaan: Pehle Bhi, Ab Bhi, Aage Bhi aur Hamesha’. It will showcase the bravery and sacrifices of the Ex-servicemen in the service of the nation.
DRDO Tableau & Equipment
Many critical systems/technologies developed by DRDO will be showcased during the parade. As an enabler of ‘Aatmanirbharta’, the valuable contribution of women scientists of DRDO in core areas of Defence Research has been significant. The DRDO tableau is based on the theme ‘Women power in protecting the nation by providing the defence shield in all 5 dimensions namely Land, Air, Sea, Cyber, and Space’.
Women’s involvement in Defence R&D will be prominently highlighted in the tableau. Outstanding Scientist Smt Sunita Devi Jena will be the Contingent Commander, with Smt P Laxmi Madhavi, Smt J Sujana Choudhary and Smt A Bhuvaneswari also present on the tableau. The tableau displays Man Portable Anti-tank Guided Missile (MPATGM), Anti-Satellite (ASAT) Missile, Agni-5, Surface-to-Surface Ballistic Missile, Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS), Naval Anti-Ship Missile–Short Range (NASM-SR), Anti-Tank Guided Missile ‘HELINA’, Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QRSAM), Astra, Light Combat Aircraft ‘Tejas’, ‘Uttam’ Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar (AESAR), Advanced Electronic Warfare System ‘Shakti’, Cyber Security systems, Command Control Systems and the Semi Conductor Fabrication Facility.
Indian Coast Guard
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) contingent will be led by Assistant Commandant Chunauti Sharma followed by officers of the guard Assistant Commandants Priya Dahiya, Hardik and Pallavi. The ICG, with a fleet of 154 ships & 78 aircraft, is capable of countering threats at & to the sea. It is also the nodal agency for coordinating Maritime Search & Rescue in 4.6 million square km Indian Search & Rescue Region. It has saved about 11,516 lives at sea since inception which translates to saving one life every second day.
Contingents of CAPF & Delhi Police
The contingents of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and Delhi Police will be led by women personnel. Border Security Force marching contingent will be headed by Assistant Commandant Monika Lakra; Central Industrial Security Force by Assistant Commandant Tanmayee Mohanty; Central Reserve Police Force by Assistant Commandant Megha Nair; Indo-Tibetan Border Police by Assistant Commandant Moniya Sharma; Sashastra Seema Bal by Deputy Commandant Nancy Singla; and Delhi Police by Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Shweta K Sugathan.
The Camel Contingent of Border Security Force will be led by Deputy Commandant Manohar Singh Kheechee. For the second time, female camel riders on their decorated camels will be taking part in the parade.
NCC Contingents
Various contingents of the NCC will witness female representation. For the first time, there will be all-girl Tri-Service Marching contingent, which will be headed by Senior Under Officer Tanu Tevatia of Uttar Pradesh Directorate. The Girls Marching contingent (Army), comprising 148 cadets, will be led by Senior Under Officer Punnya Ponnamma from Karnataka & Goa Directorate. The NCC band will also have an all-girl representation. The Combined Band consisting of Girls from Birla Balika Vidya Peeth Pilani, Rajasthan and North-Eastern Region will be headed by Senior Under Officer Yashasvica Gaur and Ankita Sharma.
NSS contingent
Two hundred (200) female volunteers will form the National Service Scheme (NSS) contingent. It will be led by Ragina Tamang from Sikkim, Regional Directorate of NSS, Guwahati.
Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar winners
Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar are conferred on children with exceptional abilities and outstanding achievement in the fields of bravery, art & culture, sports, science & technology, innovation and social service.
