Republic Day and its Significance

OV Digital Desk
4 Min Read
Republic Day

Image Source: https://tassco.org/

Republic Day is observed every year in India on 26 January. It is observed on day because of the fact that constitution of India came into effect on the same day and India became a sovereign nation free from British rule. On November 26, 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India adopted the Constitution of India, so we celebrate Constitution Day on November 26 every year.

Republic Day is a national holiday, and the main attraction is the parade, which starts at Rajpath and ends at India Gate.

The nation will celebrate its 73rd Republic Day this year. As a result of the COVID pandemic, the government has made some changes. Parades have been shortened this year, and marching contingents have been reduced to 96 from 144. Other COVID-related measures have also been adopted to curb the spread of COVID-19.

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Quick facts about Republic Day

Here are few facts about the celebration of republic day in India.

Since 1955, Rajpath has been the permanent location for the parade on 26th January. At the time, Rajpath was called Kingsway.

Every year the Prime Minister/President/or ruler of any nation is invited to the 26 January parade. Dr. Sukarno, president of Indonesia, was invited as a guest for the first parade. However, in 1955 when the first parade was held at Rajpath, the Governor-General of Pakistan was invited.

Parade participants start getting ready at 2 AM and arrive at 3 AM. In July of the previous year, all participants are informed about the parade preparations.il August, they practice parades at their regimental centres, and they’re in Delhi by December. Until they perform formally on the 26 January, the participants have already practiced 600 hours.

During the rehearsal for the parade of 26th January, each group covers 12 Kilometres, but on the day of the parade, they cover only 9 Kilometres. Each group participating in the parade is judged based on 200 parameters; based on this, the “best marching group” title is awarded.

Tableaux involved in the parade move at about 5 km/hr, so people can watch them closely. The drivers of these tableaux drive them through a small window. 12 states and union territories and 9 ministries and departments will showcase their tableaux in the Republic Day parade on 26 January 2022. Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand are some of them.

History of Republic Day

As of 1950, the Indian Constitution replaced the Government of India Act of 1935, imposed by the British government. The Constituent Assembly of India was elected after India gained its freedom from the British Monarchy. On 26 November 1949, India’s Constitution was adopted and came into effect on 26 January 1950. The Drafting Committee that drafted the Constitution of India was headed by Dr. BR Ambedkar, K.M. Munshi, Muhammed Saadullah, N Madhava Rao, and Gopala Swami Ayyangar, and Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, was the president.

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