The Republic Day parade, which will begin at around 1030 am, will be a unique mix of the country's military prowess and cultural diversity, depicting the country's growing indigenous capabilities, Nari Shakti and emergence of a 'New India'.
The majestic Rajpath saw a scintillating display of India's military might as the country celebrated its 69th Republic Day on Friday, with the leaders of all the 10 countries of the ASEAN attending the parade. Take a look here.
The defence budget was increased to Rs 3.37 lakh crore for 2020-21 against last year's Rs 3.18 lakh crore.
To secure the capital from aerial terror attacks following an intelligence alert, the Indian Air Force will maintain a three-fighter aircraft detachment at the Hindan air base in Ghaziabad near the capital till the Republic Day parade on January 26.
"We have very little time left for deciding on the chief guest and the process will be completed soon," a source familiar with the development said.
With a 'tilak' on his forehead and a 'puja thali' in his hands, Shinzo Abe's picture attending the 'Ganga aarti' alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the fabled Dashashwamedh Ghat in Varanasi in 2015 symbolised his 'India connect' and reflected the very special bond he shared with the country.
There is a deep-seated sense of rejection that the new generation Tamil youth have felt for a decade and more now, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
'The awareness of how big my father's sacrifice came to me when we went for the Republic Day parade and my mother received the Ashok Chakra,' Rukmini Vasanth, whose father Colonel Vasanth Venugopal was killed in action fighting terrorists, tells Rediff.com's Archana Masih.
'Let's be the strength of our nation and help it reach greater heights.'
The 122-member contingent of the Bangladesh armed forces comprising soldiers of the Bangladesh army, sailors of the Bangladesh navy, and air warriors of the Bangladesh air force was led by the contingent Commander Lieutenant Colonel Abu Mohammed Shahnoor Shawon and his deputies, Lieutenant Farhan Ishraq and Flight Lieutenant Sibat Rahman.
The all-women's contingent stole the show at the 66th Republic Day parade.
'Parading French troops alongside Indian military personnel, says Rajeev Sharma, turns India's non-alignment policy on its head!'
Thirty-six intrepid riders from the BSF Seema Bhawani All-Women Daredevil Motorcycle Team have set out on a pan-India journey with an important message -- there is nothing that can stop women from achieving their dreams.
Queen Elizabeth II, who died aged 96 on Thursday, was the first British monarch to accede to the throne after India's Independence from colonial rule in 1952 and admired the 'richness and diversity' of India where she made three State Visits over the course of her reign -- in 1961, 1983 and 1997.
Queen Elizabeth II made 3 State visits to India -- in 1961, 1983 and 1997.
Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday said the construction of a new Parliament building and redevelopment of the Central Vista Avenue, stretching from Rashtrapati Bhavan to the India Gate, will be completed in a time-bound manner.
President Droupadi Murmu will lead the nation in celebrating the Republic Day, and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will be the chief guest at the ceremonial event.
The chief guest normally travels with the Indian president in his car.
We asked you to share pics and stories of your furry companions. This is what Rediff reader Meher Vinay and Arunita Sarkar from Phoenix, USA shared.
Sources informed rediff.com that the Army categorically conveyed to the Prime Minister's Office and the Union Home Ministry that it would be forced to withdraw the massive deployment of tanks and armoured vehicles from the Republic Day parade if the Aam Aadmi Party agitators were not removed from the protest site.
Here are the major events that shaped the country in the past 48 hours.
As a tribute on 67th Republic Day, search giant Google's doodle on Tuesday showed a march of a richly caparisoned camel contingent of the Border Security Force, a major attraction at the annual parade at the Rajpath on January 26.
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha called off the tractor parade by farmers on Tuesday and appealed to participants to immediately return to their respective protest sites.
India is celebrating its 72nd Republic Day, the day its Constitution came into force in 1950.
Flight Lieutenant Srikant Sharma said that getting into the armed forces was a dream come true and this opportunity is an "icing on the cake".
Ahead of their proposed tractor parade on Republic Day, protesting farmer Unions Monday announced they will march towards Parliament from different locations on February 1 when the annual Union Budget is scheduled to be presented.
A farmer union leader alleged that the National Investigation Agency is filing cases against those who are part of the protest or supporting it.
After West Bengal and Maharashtra, Kerala's tableau proposal has been denied permission for this year's Republic Day parade on January 26. This is the second consecutive time that the state's proposal has been rejected. The Kerala government had proposed a theme depicting the art and architecture of the state, which was rejected by the screening committee of the defence ministry.
BJP says Rahul considered himself a 'super VVIP who should be put ahead of everyone else'.
Addressing a press conference, farmer leader Darshan Pal Singh said their proposed parade will be called "Kisan Parade" and it will be be held after the Republic Day parade.
Later, President Pranab Mukherjee hosted an 'At Home' at the Rashtrapati Bhavan where French President Francois Hollande was the chief guest.
To maintain law and order during the farmers' tractor parade, thousands of security personnel had been deployed at several border points.
Flight Lieutenant Adivitiya Bal was killed in the line of duty along with Wing Commander Mohit Rana in last week's MiG-21 crash in Barmer. His school in Nagrota, Jammu, gave a final salute to a worthy ex-student.
They just wanted their angst noticed, and as a symbol of recognition, Jallikattu, restored without the annual ritual of court cases and adjournments, explains N Sathya Moorthy.
India celebrated its 69th Republic Day with a grand parade at Rajpath, which was witnessed by thousands of people. As part of the celebrations, tableaux,including those representing various states, ministries, the All India Radio among others, rolled down Rajpath. Take a look at the colourful cultural pieces.
The Supreme Court on Monday restrained the Centre and Navy from releasing from services some officers (both male and female), who were not granted a permanent commission and sought reply from the Centre.
Ahead of Republic Day, the Delhi-National Capital Region has been put under a 'very high-security' cover after police received inputs from Intelligence agencies about a possible terror attack, officials said on Tuesday.
The word was chosen by an advisory panel of language experts Kritika Agrawal, Poonam Nigam Sahay and Imogen Foxell.
Amid a controversy over the rejection of West Bengal's tableau for the Republic Day parade themed on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and his Indian National Army, his daughter Anita Bose Pfaff said on Monday the legendary freedom fighter's legacy has often been 'partly exploited' for political reasons.
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