The newly-inducted aircraft will carry out the 'Vertical Charlie' formation.
Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said the Modi government's "cheap politics" was at display on Friday when it broke tradition and denied Gandhi a front-row seat.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations at the Statue of Unity, commemorating Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birth anniversary with a unity pledge and parade.
Saudi king to be Republic Day chief guest
The parade began after President Ram Nath Kovind conferred the Ashoka Chakra -- India's highest peacetime gallantry award -- to Lance Naik Nazir Ahmad Wani, a militant-turned-soldier who laid down his life fighting a group of terrorists in Shopian in Kashmir in November.
The IAF's 32 aircraft will make an impressive flypast over the Republic Day parade venue in New Delhi.
This year's Republic Day parade in New Delhi, a traditional showcase for the country's defence arsenal, featured an unusually large number of new military systems. At the very start, four brand new Mi-17V5 helicopters flew past, carrying the national flag.
The display of India's military strength, specially the intercontinental ballistic missle Agni-V, has been highlighted by the Chinese official media in Beijing on Saturday.
Captain Shikha Surabhi is the first woman to lead a formation of 36 men and 9 Royal Enfields of the Indian Army's motorcycle display team on Republic Day.
Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe will pay a three-day official visit to India from January 25 during which he will attend the Republic Day Parade as Chief Guest and hold talks on key issues with his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh for the bilateral annual summit.
India's military prowess and its cultural diversity is bound to leave the chief guest, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, spellbound.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will be the chief guest at this year's Republic Day parade at Rajpath in New Delhi.
In an afterthought, the contingent of camels caparisoned in rich bridal attire and silver bracelets jingling has been finally called in to march down the Rajpath, keeping alive the 66-year-old tradition of the country's main parade on January 26.
A seven-layer security ring will be thrown around the VVIP enclosure on Rajpath for the Republic Day parade to be witnessed by US President Barack Obama and the airspace over the area would be monitored by a radar to be specially set up.
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".
To honour the Republic with a hope for better things to come for all, remember the founders long gone and think of those who serve in the nation's armed forces.
Speaking at the annual Republic Day military parade attended for the first time by troops from China and Saudi Arabia, Hussain said: "Pakistan is ready for dialogue with India and wants resolution of the Kashmir dispute, which is the unfinished agenda of the partition."
At 4 am, troops roared their war cry! In the long running tradition of the armed forces, soldiers seek the blessings of the Goddess before setting out on their mission -- in war or peace. The Republic Day parade is one such mission.
Over 70 companies of paramilitary forces and more than 15,000 police personnel will be deployed across the national capital for Republic Day celebrations, an official said. The city will be monitored by drones and CCTV surveillance, and cyber-specialist officers will be deployed to oversee operations. Multi-layered security arrangements, including six layers of checking and frisking, barricading, and thousands of CCTV cameras with Facial Recognition Systems (FRS), will be in place.
The spectator size too has been reduced to 25,000, officials said.
Continuing his annual tradition of sporting special traditional turbans during Republic Day celebrations, PM Modi wore a red headgear with yellow dots, gifted to him by the royal family of Jamnagar, Gujarat.
The Crown Prince, who arrived on a three-day official visit, will be accorded a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Wednesday, following which he will lay wreath at Mahatma Gandhi' memorial at the Raj Ghat.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a special postage stamp and a commemorative coin featuring Bharat Mata to mark the centenary celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
R-Day is a different sort of exercise for the defence forces and the security establishment. At one level it is an enormous tamasha, at another, it is a nightmare.
An impressive and colourful parade, a traditional attraction of the national event, marched down the thoroughfare connecting the Rashtrapati Bhawan and the historic India Gate as President Pratibha Patil took the salute from marching contingents.
It is impossible the control or reduce the fury of nature but, at a lower scale, it is worth experimenting to modify it, says Ajay Lele.
The mood in India is upbeat as it celebrates R-Day.
A marching contingent and band from Indonesia led the 76th Republic Day parade in New Delhi, India, marking the first time an Indonesian military contingent has participated in a parade abroad. The contingent, representing the spirit of "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika" (Unity in Diversity), displayed precise marching movements and harmonious melodies, reflecting the spirit and honour of the Indonesian Military Academy.
Despite suffering a personal tragedy weeks ago, when his father -- the legendary actor Dharmendra -- passed away, Sunny Deol stoically returned to work, and put the spotlight on his upcoming film, Border 2 at its teaser launch in Mumbai.
'For the first time in a hundred years, the army has been taken out of the political equation. And for the first time ever, there is only one man who calls the shots. Not even Mao had this kind of power.'
As the nation celebrates its 76th Republic Day, India's sports fraternity took to social media to share their patriotic sentiments and wishes with fans across the country on Sunday.
A pet project of the Indian Army, four-legged robotic prototypes have been making waves at the Republic Day and Army Day parades in the past year.
In its response, the Ministry of Defence issued a statement saying tableaux proposals from states and Union territories and central ministries or departments are evaluated by an 'expert committee' comprising eminent persons in the fields of art, culture, painting, sculpture, music, architecture and choreography among others.
The 75-member team of Indian Army's Grenadiers, which on Saturday participated in the event to commemorate Russia's victory in the Great Patriotic War, won hearts in Moscow for their marching skills, height and uniform.
Officials said the 90-member Border Security Force camel-mounted troops and band contingent has not been practising during the dress rehearsals of the event.
This was announced by External Affairs Spokesman Vikas Swarup in New Delhi on Sunday.
President Droupadi Murmu and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto arrived at Kartavya Path for the 76th Republic Day parade in a traditional horse-drawn buggy, a practice that made a comeback after a 40-year gap last year. The gold-plated, horse-drawn buggy is a black carriage with the national emblem embossed on it in gold. It was discontinued after the assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984 but was revived by President Pranab Mukherjee in 2014. The buggy's history dates back to the British era, with India winning ownership through a coin toss after independence.
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.
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