India celebrated its 75th Republic Day (R-Day) on 26th January 2024. The republic day events and parade were held at the newly-renovated and renamed Kartavya Path (previously known as Rajpath) in New Delhi, Delhi. The Republic day of India marks and celebrates the date on which the Constitution of India came into effect on January 26, 1950.
- President of India Droupadi Murmu unfurled India’s National Flag accompanied by Major Saumya Shukla ASC , it was followed by the National Anthem and a 21-gun salute from indigenous 105-mm Indian Field Guns.
Theme of R-Day 2024:
‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India) and ‘Bharat- Loktantra ki Matruka‘ (Bharat – The Mother of Democracy)
Chief Guest of the 75th Republic Day:
President of France Emmanuel Macron was the chief guest for Republic Day 2024. This is for the 6th time that French leader graced the occasion after President Jacques Chirac in 1976 & 1998, followed by Valery Giscard d’Estaing in 1980, Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008, and Francois Hollande in 2016.
- This also marks a reciprocal exchange following Prime Minister (PM) of India Narendra Modi’s visit to France in its Bastille Day on 14 July 2023.
- This visit by French President culminates in the 25th-anniversary celebrations of the Strategic Partnership between India and France.
Highlights w.r.t. Awards:
The highest gallantry awards included,
i.Param Vir Chakra winners – Subedar Major (Honorary Captain) Yogendra Singh Yadav (retd.) and Subedar Major Sanjay Kumar (retd.)
ii.Ashok Chakra winners – Major General CA Pithawalla (retd.), Colonel D. Sreeram Kumar and Lt. Col. Jas Ram Singh (retd.).
President approves Tatrakshak Medals to six Indian Coast Guard personnel
The President of India, Droupadi Murmu approved Tatrakshak Medals to 6 outstanding Indian Coast Guard (ICG) personnel for their act of conspicuous gallantry, exceptional devotion to duty, distinguished/meritorious service. This includes one President’s Tatrakshak Medal, and 5 Tatrakshak Medal.
- Since January 26th, 1990, these awards are annually presented to ICG personnel on Republic Day and Independence Day, recognizing their excellence, courage, and commitment in safeguarding maritime boundaries and upholding national values.
| Award | Recipient |
|---|---|
| President’s Tatrakshak Medal (Distinguished Service) | Inspector General (IG) Bhisham Sharma, TM (0247-L) |
| Tatrakshak Medal (Gallantry) | Comdt(Commandant) Sunil Dutt (0662-D) Comdt (JG) Saurabh (0735-S) |
| Tatrakshak Medal (Meritorious Service) | Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Anil Kumar Parayil (0265-C) DIG Jamal Taha (4085-J) Dipak Roy, P/Adh (AR), 01111-Z |
President approves conferment of Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of Awards-2023
President approved conferment of Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of Awards-2023 on 31 persons which includes 3 Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak, 7 Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak and 21 Jeevan Raksha Padak. Three awardees are posthumous.
| Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak Awardees |
|---|
| Master Anthony Vanmawia (Posthumous), Mizoram Ms. Melody Lalremruati (Posthumous), Mizoram Shri Sooraj R (Posthumous), Central Reserve Police Force |
Click Here for Full Official List of Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of Awards-2023
About Jeevan Raksha Padak:
Instituted in 1961, Jeevan Raksha Padak recognizes individuals for meritorious acts of human nature in saving the life of a person in cases like drowning in water, accidents, fire incidents, electrocution, natural calamities, rescue operation in mines etc. Presented in three categories, each award includes a medallion, a certificate signed by the Union Home Minister, and a monetary allowance.
i.Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak – For conspicuous courage in saving a life under circumstances of very great danger to the life of the rescuer.
- Monetary Allowance- Rs 2 lakh
ii.Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak – For courage and promptitude in saving life under circumstances of great danger to the life of the rescuer.
- Monetary Allowance- Rs 1.5 lakh
iii.Jeevan Raksha Padak – for courage and promptitude in saving life under circumstances of grave bodily injury to the rescuer.
- Monetary Allowance- Rs 1 lakh
The decoration is presented by the State/UT (Union Territory) Government or the concerned Ministry/Department to which the award winner belongs.
President Approves 1132 Gallantry Awards for Defence personnel:
During the event, a total of 1132 personnel of Police, Fire Service, Home Guard & Civil Defence and Correctional Service have been awarded Gallantry/Service Medals.
- It should be noted that the Government has streamlined and transformed the award system by consolidating 16 Gallantry/Service Medals into four medals. These are President’s Medal for Gallantry (PMG); Medal for Gallantry (GM); President’s Medal for Distinguished Service (PSM), and Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM).
Break-Up of Medals Awarded during Jan 26, 2024
| Name of the Medals | Number of Medals Awarded |
|---|---|
| President’s Medal for Gallantry (PMG) | 02 |
| Medal for Gallantry (GM) | 275 |
| President’s Medal for Distinguished Service (PSM) | 102 |
| Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM) | 753 |
About Awards:
i.PMG and GM are awarded on the ground of Rare Conspicuous Act of Gallantry and Conspicuous Act of Gallantry respectively in saving life and property, or in preventing crime or arresting criminals, the risk incurred being estimated with due regard to the obligations and duties of the officer concerned.
ii.PSM is awarded for special distinguished record in Service and MSM is awarded for valuable service characterized by resource and devotion to duty.
Key Points:
i.The PMG have been awarded to 2 BSF (Border Security Force) personnel namely Late Sanwala Ram Vishnoi & Late Shishu Pal Singh, for their outstanding peacekeeping task as part of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) as members of the 15th Congo Contingent of BSF at the Moroccan Rapid Deployment Battalion (MORRDB) Camp at Butembo.
ii.Among the 277 Gallantry Awards, 119 personnel from Left Wing Extremism affected areas; 133 personnel from Jammu & Kashmir region, and 25 personnel from other regions.
iii.Among 102 PSM, 94 awarded to Police Service, 4 to Fire Service, and 4 to Civil Defence & Home Guard Service.
iv.Out of 753 MSM, 667 awarded to Police Service, 32 to Fire Service, 27 to Civil Defence & Home Guard Service, and 27 to Correctional Service.
- Click Here for Official List
- Notably, MSM is also awarded to the 2005-batch IPS (Indian Police Services) officer of the Maharashtra cadre Manoj Kumar Sharma, whose life inspired the Hindi movie 12th Fail. He was among 37 Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel awardees.
v. State Wise/ Force Wise list of Medals Awardees
Highlights of R-Day Celebration
Govt release commemorative coin to mark 75th Republic Day
To mark the 75th Republic Day celebration, Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence Rs 75 commemorative silver coin, and a postage stamp of 75th Republic Day Celebrations. It is minted by Indian Government Mint, Mumbai, Maharashtra.
- It is in the denomination of Rs 75 with a weight of 40 grams.
- Diameter of the coin is 44 millimeters and have 200 serrations.
- The coin features the Lion Capitol of Ashoka Pillar at the center with the inscription ‘Satyamev Jayate’ below.
- On the left periphery is ‘Bharat’ in Devnagari script, and on the right is ‘INDIA’ in English.
Key Points:
i.Commemorative coins are legal tender but not for general use. These can be obtained from designated websites like www.indiagovtmint.in. The coin’s value is higher than printed.
ii.This is the 3rd commemorative coin release of 2024 after Rs 20 for 20 years of Vibrant Gujarat Summit, and Rs 100 for Sri Karpoori Thakur Birth Centenary.
Nari Shakti takes Centre Stage at 75th R-Day parade
For the first time, an all-women tri-services contingent marched down the Kartavya Path, reflecting India’s growing ‘Nari Shakti’ (women power). In another first, the parade was heralded by over 100 women artistes playing Indian musical instruments such as
Sankh, Naadswaram, Nagada, etc.
- The tableaux of the Indian Air Force (IAF), Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) paramilitary forces, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and other organisations showcased women’s participation in their respective operations.
The Highlight:
31-year old Major Divya Tyagi became the first woman officer in the Indian Army (IA) to lead an all-male contingent of the Bombay Sappers at the 2024 Republic Day parade. She is an officer in the 115th Engineer Regiment of the Corps of Engineer.
75th R-Day showcased marching contingent, band from France
i.A total of 25 Tableaux from 16 states and Union Territories (UTs) took part in the parade.
- Tableaux from the states and UTs – Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Ladakh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh.
- Tableaux from Ministries and Organizations – Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ministry of Culture, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Election Commission of India, and Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs.
ii.The parade also included French military contingent comprising 95 troops and 33-member French band contingent
- The French contingent also included Rafale fighter jets and a Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft.
- The band contingent was headed by Captain Khourda and the French military contingent was led by Captain Noel Louis and comprised of six Indian officers from the Corps of French Foreign Legion.
ISRO’s Tableau showcases Chandrayaan-3 success
ISRO’s successful launch of the Chandrayaan-3 mission was made a Tableau. The theme of the tableau was “Chandrayaan 3 – A Saga in the Indian Space History”.
- The tableau illustrated the successful Aditya L-1 mission to study the Sun as well as future missions such as Gaganyaan and Bhartiya Antariksh Station among others.
1,900 Sarees From Different States Displayed at R-Day Parade
The Ministry of Culture presented ‘Anant Sutra – The Endless Thread,’ a textile installation during parade. It pays homage to the timeless Indian sarees by featuring almost 1,900 sarees and drapes from across the nation, displayed on wooden frames.
- It included QR (Quick Response) codes for details on weaving and embroidery. The installation also highlights a 150-year-old saree.
President resurrects 250-yr-old tradition with majestic horse-drawn buggy
The President Droupadi Murmu resurrects 250-yr-old tradition with majestic horse-drawn buggy. She and her French counterpart Emmanual Macron arrived on Kartavya Path in a traditional buggy, which made a comeback after 40 years.
- They were escorted by the President’s Bodyguard — “Rashtrapati Ke Angrakshak”. The President’s Bodyguard is the senior-most regiment of the Indian Army. Notably, this regiment completed 250 years of service since its raising in 1773.
Key Points:
i.The gold-plated buggy, adorned with the national emblem, drawn by a mix of Indian and Austrian horses.
ii.The presidential buggy was in use for Republic Day functions till 1984 but was discontinued after the assassination of the-then prime minister Indira Gandhi.
iii.The buggy was last used by Giani Zail Singh in 1984.
iv.In 2014, the former President Pranab Mukherjee used it again for the beating retreat ceremony.
- His successor Ram Nath Kovind continued the tradition of riding the buggy. He inspected the Guard of Honour in the presidential buggy after taking oath in 2017.
Key Notes:
i.The third edition of Vande Bharatam dance competition and Project Veer Gatha organized as part of Republic Day Celebrations 2024.
ii.‘Bharat Parv’ at Red Fort is being held from January 23-31, 2024 on ‘Jan Bhagidari’ theme, showcasing Republic Day Tableaux, Military Bands, cultural performances, Crafts Bazaar, and Food Courts.
iii.Parakram Diwas by the Ministry of Culture at Red Fort was held on January 23, 2024, focusing on Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, featuring activities like 3-D projection mapping, light & sound show, plays, and dance performances.
Note:
i.India became a free and independent nation on 15th August 1947.
ii.The nation declared itself a Sovereign, Democratic and Republic state with the adoption of the Constitution on January 26, 1950.
iii.The Constitution of India replaced the Government of India Act 1935 as the governing document of India, thus turning the nation into a republic separate from British Raj.
