NEW DELHI: For the first time in the history of the Republic Day, the parade this year would commence with the music of sankh, nadaswaram, nagada and other Indian instruments to be played by women artists. Moreover, the majority of the marching contingents at the 75th Republic Day parade at Kartavya Path will be all-women personnel.
The skies above Kartavya Path will also witness an aerial display by combat jets and other aircraft of India and France.
In a briefing about the parade on Friday, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane said, “For the first time, the parade will be heralded by 100 women artists playing Indian musical instruments. The parade would commence with the music of sankh, nadaswaram, nagada, etc. to be played by women artists.”
“Women marching contingents will form the major chunk of the parade, with most of the tableaux of states/Union territories (UTs) and central ministries/organisations showcasing the country’s rich cultural diversity, unity and progress,” said the Defence Secretary.
The parade will also witness an all-women tri-service contingent marching down Kartavya Path for the first time. The CAPF contingents will also consist of women personnel. “The best representation of women will be seen in this year’s Republic Day parade,” the Defence Secretary said.
Chief Guest
French President Emmanuel Macron will be the Chief Guest at this year’s Republic Day parade.
“A 95-member marching contingent and 33-member band contingent from France will also take part in the parade. Along with the aircraft of the Indian armed forces, one Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft and two Rafale aircraft of the French Air Force will participate in the fly-past,” Aramane said.
These are going to be in addition to the air display to be conducted by the three services of India. “The flypast this year will feature 51 aircraft which will include 29 fighter aircraft, 8 transport planes, 13 helicopters, and one heritage aircraft. The aircraft will be Rafale, Sukhoi-30, Jaguar, C-130 and Tejas fighter jets. The flypast will include the four Army Aviation Corps Helicopters and a P-8I maritime patrol aircraft of the Indian Navy flying in different formations,” he said.
The parade will start at 1030 hrs and run for a duration of around 90 minutes. The seating capacity at Kartavya Path is 77,000, of which 42,000 is reserved for the general public.
Special Guests
Around 13,000 special guests have also been invited to witness the parade this year. The Defence Secretary stated that the objective is to provide an opportunity to people from all walks of life to take part in the national festival, in line with the government’s vision of Jan Bhagidari. He quoted the Prime Minister by saying that these guests are the pride of the country.
These special guests include best performers of in various fields and those who made best use of various schemes of the government such as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Rural & Urban), PM Ujjwala Yojana, PM Street Vendor's Aatmanirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi), PM Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, PM Fasal Bima Yojana, PM Vishwakarma Yojana, PM Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojna, PM Matsya Sampada Yojana, Stand-Up India scheme, Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme and Rashtriya Gokul Mission. Sarpanches of Vibrant Villages, women workers of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, electronics and manufacturing sectors & Central Vista Project, women space scientists of ISRO, yoga teachers (Ayushman Bharat), winners of international sports events and Paralympic medalists will also attend the parade, in addition to best self-help groups, Farmers Producer Organisations, references of PM Mann ki Baat programme, and ‘Super-100’ of Project Veer Gatha 3.0 & winners of National School Band Competition. These special guests will be prominently seated at Kartavya Path.
Tableaux
A total of 25 tableaux - 16 states/UTs and nine ministries/departments – will roll down the Kartavya Path during the parade. The states/UTs are Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Ladakh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Meghalaya, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana. The ministries/organisations are Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Ministry of Culture, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Election Commission of India and Central Public Works Department (CPWD).
'Anant Sutra'
The Ministry of Culture will be showcasing the 'Anant Sutra - The Endless Thread' textile installation at Kartavya Path. It will be installed behind the spectators seated in the enclosures. 'Anant Sutra' is a visually-stunning tribute to the saree, India’s timeless gift to the world of fashion. This unique installation will showcase nearly 1,900 sarees and drapes from every corner of the country, mounted at a height with wooden frames along the Kartavya Path. It will have QR codes which can be scanned to know the details about weaving and embroidery arts used in it.
