Approximately 10,000 special guests from different walks of life invited to witness the parade

ollowing are the sidelights of the 77^th Republic Day celebrations held at Kartavya Path in the national capital on Monday:

The overarching theme of the event was 150 years of ‘Vande Mataram’.dveisement

Prints of old paintings by artist Tejendra Kumar Mitra, illustrating the opening stanzas of ‘Vande Mataram’, adorned the enclosure backdrops along the Kartavya Path.President Droupadi Murmu led the ceremony that commenced at 10.30 am and lasted nearly 90 minutes.

Vice President C P Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the Chief of Defence Staff, the three Service chiefs, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Union ministers, foreign diplomats and senior officials were among the spectators.The President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, were the chief guests at the ceremonial parade.

The President of the European Commission attended the event in a maroon and gold silk brocade outfit.

A small EU military contingent carrying the military staff flag and flags of Operations Atalanta and Aspides, the naval operations of the grouping, also participated in the parade.

Murmu and the chief guests arrived at the venue in a ‘traditional buggy’ that was escorted by the President’s Bodyguard. Later, they also departed in it.

The guests at the saluting dais sat behind a glass shield panel.

Around 100 cultural artistes heralded the parade, on the theme ‘Vividata Mein Ekta’ (Unity in Diversity), a grand presentation of musical instruments, demonstrating the nation’s unity and rich cultural diversity.

During the parade, four Mi-17 1V helicopters showered flower petals while flying in the Dhwaj formation.

The parade was led by Parade Commander Lt General Bhavnish Kumar, General Officer Commanding, Delhi Area, a second-generation army officer.

Indian military’s Operation Sindoor also found prominence at the parade on the Kartavya Path, with a tri-services tableau themed on it, displayed among the showcased tableaux, and a special arrowhead formation during the flypast.

India showcased its frontline military assets, including Brahmos and Akash missiles, rocket launcher system ‘Suryastra’, Main Battle Tank Arjun and newly-raised Shaktiban Regiment.

Bhairav Light Commando Battalion and Shaktiban Regiment, rocket launcher system ‘Suryastra’ with deep-strike capabilities, made Republic Day parade debut.

In a first, Army assets, including indigenous platforms accompanied by personnel, rolled down Kartavya Path in a “phased battle array formation”.

Also, marking a first, the contingent members of the mounted 61 Cavalry were seen in battle gear during the parade.

A mixed scouts contingent having members drawn from Ladakh Scouts, Dogra Scouts, Arunachal Scouts, Kumaon Scouts, Garhwal Scouts, and Sikkim Scouts was also part of the parade.

Double-humped Bactrian camels and Zanskar ponies were also part of the ceremonial event for the first time.

Flypast saw participation of a total of 29 aircraft, including 16 fighter jets, four transport aircraft and nine helicopters. These included Rafale, Su-30 MKI, MiG-29 and Jaguar aircraft, complemented by strategic assets — C-130 and C-295, as well as the Indian Navy’s P-8i aircraft.

A total of 30 tableaux — 17 of states and Union Territories and 13 of various ministries and departments — rolled down Kartavya Path. The tableaux showcased a unique mix of 150 years of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’ and the nation’s rapid progress.

A joint ‘DareDevils’ team of motorcycle riders drawn from the Central Reserve Police Force and the Sashastra Seema Bal enthralled the audience with their manoeuvres.

Approximately 10,000 special guests from different walks of life were invited to witness the parade.

This year, the enclosures for the parade were named after the rivers flowing across the nation: Beas, Brahmaputra, Chambal, Chenab, Gandak, Ganga, Ghagra, Godavari, Sindhu, Jhelum, Kaveri, Kosi, Krishna, Mahanadi, Narmada, Pennar, Periyar, Ravi, Sone, Sutlej, Teesta, Vaigai and Yamuna.

Ludhiana Municipal Corporation acquires key property, demolition next

After years of delay, the last hurdle to providing direct access to martyr Sukhdev Thapar’s ancestral house in Ludhiana was cleared on Sunday, when the Municipal Corporation (MC) took possession of a 44.50 sq yd property blocking the route.

A joint team of MC officials, district administration and police reached Naughara Mohalla on Sunday morning to take possession. The process went off peacefully as the property owner had vacated the building a day earlier after being informed of the action.

MC officials pasted a notice declaring the property under municipal ownership and locked the premises to establish control. The building would now be demolished to allow construction of a direct road from Chaura Bazaar to Naughara Mohalla.

Ashok Thapar of the Shaheed Sukhdev Thapar Memorial Trust said five properties were identified for acquisition to create direct access. “This last 44.50 sq yd was the main hurdle as the owner was not willing earlier. The MC deposited compensation in the court, after which possession became possible,” he said.

Trust members expressed satisfaction and urged the authorities to expedite the work. Ashok Thapar said the road should be completed before March 23, when the martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar and Rajguru would be observed, to enable easier public access.

Senior Deputy Mayor Rakesh Prashar said legal hurdles had been cleared and manual demolition would begin soon, followed by road construction.

Sukhdev Thapar was executed at the age of 23 along with Bhagat Singh and Rajguru on March 23, 1931, at Lahore Central Jail.

n a strongly-worded retort in the UNSC, India said it is not normal to tolerate Pakistan’s continued use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy, as New Delhi hit back at Islamabad’s envoy for advancing a “false and self-serving” account of Operation Sindoor.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, delivered a sharp response to comments made by Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad.

Ahmad spoke about Operation Sindoor, Jammu and Kashmir and the Indus Waters Treaty in his remarks at the UN Security Council open debate on Monday on ‘Reaffirming International Rule of Law: Pathways to Reinvigorating Peace, Justice, and Multilateralism.’

Harish said Pakistan, an elected member of the Security Council, has a single-point agenda – to harm India and its people.

With Ahmad telling the Council that Pakistan’s response to Operation Sindoor “established that there can be no ‘new normal’ based on coercion or impunity”, Delhi slammed Islamabad, with Harish asserting that terrorism can never be normalised as Pakistan wishes to do.

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“We have heard talk from the Representative of Pakistan about the new normal. Let me reiterate again that terrorism can never be normalised as Pakistan wishes to do. It is not normal to tolerate Pakistan’s continued use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy,” Harish said, adding that India will do whatever is required to protect and ensure the safety and security of its citizens.

“This hallowed chamber cannot become a forum for Pakistan to legitimise terrorism,” Harish said.

Harish said Pakistan’s envoy “advanced a false and self-serving account” of Operation Sindoor, launched by India in May last year, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.

“The facts on this matter are clear. Pakistan-sponsored terrorists killed 26 innocent civilians in a brutal attack in Pahalagam in April 2025. This august body itself called for holding the perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and brought to justice. That is exactly what we did,” Harish said.

Harish’s reference was to the press statement issued by the Security Council in April last year.

In the statement in which the 15-nation body had condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and had “underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice”, with the Council stressing that those responsible for these killings should be held accountable.

Harish underscored that India’s actions in Operation Sindoor were measured, non-escalatory, and responsible, and focused on dismantling the terrorist infrastructure and disabling terrorists.

“Till May 9, Pakistan was threatening more attacks on India. But on May 10, the Pakistani military called our military directly and pleaded for a cessation to the fighting,” he said, adding that the destruction caused to multiple Pakistani airbases by the Indian operation, including images of destroyed runways and burnt-out hangars, is in the public domain.

Hitting out strongly at Pakistan for raising the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, Harish said Pakistan has no locus standi to comment on matters that are internal to India.

“The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has been, is, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India,” he said.

On the Indus Waters Treaty, Harish said India had entered into the agreement 65 years ago in good faith, in a spirit of goodwill and friendship.

“Throughout these six and a half decades, Pakistan has violated the spirit of the Treaty by inflicting three wars and thousands of terror attacks on India. Thousands of Indian lives have been lost in Pakistan-sponsored terror attacks,” he said.

In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, Harish said India was “compelled to finally announce that the Treaty will be held in abeyance until Pakistan, a global epicentre of terror, credibly and irrevocably ends its support for cross-border and all other forms of terrorism.”

Further, India asserted that Pakistan is well advised to introspect about the rule of law.

“It could start by asking itself how it has let its armed forces engineer a constitutional coup through the 27th amendment and giving life-time immunity to its Chief of Defence Forces,” a reference to the 27th Constitutional Amendment passed in November last year under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that gives Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir lifelong immunity from any legal prosecution.

PARAM VISHISHT SEVA MEDAL
IC-47657H LT GEN MICHAEL ANTHONY JUDE FERNANDEZ, AVSM, VSM, ENGRS
IC-48427F LT GEN ARVIND WALIA, AVSM, ENGRS (RETD)
ATI VISHISHT SEVA MEDAL
IC-48525F LT GEN VIKAS ROHELLA, SM**, ENGRS
IC-50664K LT GEN HARPAL SINGH, VSM, ENGRS
YUDH SEVA MEDAL
IC-59016H BRIG ARUN KUMAR DAMODARAN, ENGRS, ADG MIL SVY
SENA MEDAL (DISTINGUISHED)
C-46930A MAJ GEN MANOJ OOMMEN, ENGRS
MAJ GEN RAJU BATRA, ENGRS
MAJ GEN RAJESH BHAT, ENGRS
BRIG PARAMJIT SINGH JYOTI, VSM, ENGRS
BRIG RAMAN KUMAR SV, ENGRS
VISHISHT SEVA MEDAL
MAJ GEN RAJDEEP SINGH RAWAL, SM, ENGRS
MAJ GEN JITENDRA SINGH, ENGRS
COL ASHISH UPRETI, ENGRS
COL SAMRAT SHAHAJI NIGDE, ENGRS
MENTION-IN-DESPATCHES
OPERATION RAKSHAK
SPR SHYAM SETHUMADHAVAN, ENGRS, 44 RR
OPERATION SNOW LEOPARD
SPR BILLINGI MOHANA RAO, 11 ENGR REGT
OPERATION HIFAZAT
MAJ DEEPAK PHOGAT, ENGRS, 37 ASSAM RIF
RESCUE OPERATION
SPR BUDDHE LOKESH, 201 ENGR REGT
MISC OPERATIONS
MAJ NAGENDRA SINGH, ENGRS, 93 RCC (GREF)
CAPT DEVAM TRIVEDI, AMC, 55 ENGR REGT

Also clears military decorations to 301 personnel

President Smt Droupadi Murmu has approved Gallantry awards to 70 Armed Forces personnel, including six posthumous, on the eve of 77^th Republic Day. These include one Ashok Chakra; three Kirti Chakras; 13 Shaurya Chakras, including one posthumous; one Bar to Sena Medal (Gallantry); 44 Sena Medals (Gallantry), including five posthumous; six Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry) and two Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry). The full list of the recipients is as follows:

            The President also approved 301 military decorations to Armed Forces and other personnel. These include 30 Param Vishisht Seva Medals; four Uttam Yudh Seva Medals; 56 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals; 09 Yudh Seva Medals; two Bar to Sena Medals (Distinguished); 43 Sena Medals (Distinguished); eight Nao Sena Medals (Distinguished); 14 Vayu Sena Medals (Distinguished); and 135 Vishisht Seva Medals. The list of recipients is as follows:

List of Awards .Pdf

On Republic Day eve, the government announced 131 Padma awards for the year 2026, including five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri which include two cases in which the award for two individuals is counted as one. the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said.

Former Kerala Chief Minister and veteran communist leader V. S. Achuthanandan and actor Dharmendra have been awarded the second-highest civilian honour, Padma Vibhushan, posthumously for 2026, a government statement said Sunday.

Former Supreme Court judge KT Thomas for public affairs, Hindustani Classical musician and violinist N Rajam in Art, eminent Malyalam journalist P Narayanan in literature and education have been awarded Padma Vibhushan, it said.Playback singer Alka Yagnik, former Uttarakhand chief minister Bhagat Singh Koshyari, actor Mammootty and banker Uday Kotak are among those awarded Padma Bhushan, the Home Ministry said.

Ad guru Piyush Pandey, JMM founder Shibu Soren and BJP leader VK Malhotra have been awarded Padma Bhushan, while actor and comedian Satish Shah has been awarded Padma Shri, posthumously, it said.

Ninety awardees are women and the list includes six persons from the category of foreigners, NRI, PIO and OCI, and 16 posthumous awardees, it said.

Tennis legend Vijay Amritraj has been awarded Padma Bhushan; cricketer Rohit Sharma, women’s cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur and hockey player Savita Punia have been awarded Padma Shri, the statement said.

Former JNU VC M Jagadesh Kumar, former Prasar Bharti CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati and actors R Madhavan and Prosenjit Chatterjee are also among those awarded Padma Shri, the ministry said.

PM congratulates Padma awardees

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday congratulated all the Padma awardees for their contribution to diverse fields.

“Congratulations to all the Padma Awardees for their outstanding contributions to our nation. Their excellence, dedication and service across diverse fields enrich the fabric of our society,” the prime minister said in a post on X.

He said the honour reflects the spirit of commitment and excellence that continues to inspire generations. — with PTI

After repairs, the pole has now been reinstalled at the same spot near Braham Buta Akhara.

Maiden celebrations held at Irwin Stadium in 1950

Seventy six years ago, on a cold January morning in 1950, a newly independent nation stood at attention. India had just become a republic. There were no long-standing traditions, no iconic boulevard yet only hope, resolve and a country learning how to celebrate itself.

That first Republic Day parade was held at Irwin Stadium, today known as National Stadium. It was simple and restrained, yet deeply symbolic, reflecting a young republic still shaping its identity and its rituals. Five years later, in 1955, that search for expression found its defining stage.

The grand ceremonial boulevard stretching from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate, then called Rajpath, was chosen as the permanent route of 3 kms for the Republic Day parade. Designed by British architect Edwin Lutyens as an imperial vista, the avenue was reclaimed and reimagined, transforming a colonial showpiece into the heartbeat of India’s democratic pride.

From that moment, Rajpath became far more than a road.

Each year, it carried the measured march of soldiers, vibrant stories of India’s states through tableaux and the growing confidence of a republic finding its voice. The echo of boots on stone, slow glide of cultural narratives and the thunder of fighter jets overhead turned the avenue into a living theatre of national aspiration.

Decades passed. Governments changed. Generations grew up watching the same spectacle, often from the same spot, wrapped in winter shawls and wonder. Yet every January 26, the nation returned faithfully to that ceremonial stretch of land.

In September 2022, Rajpath was rechristened Kartavya Path, marking a conscious departure from colonial symbolism and a renewed emphasis on duty, service and civic responsibility. The name changed, but the essence endured.

Today, as India marches confidently into its Amrit Kaal, the Republic Day Parade reflects a nation at ease with its past and assured of its future. Indigenous defence platforms, women-led contingents, digital coordination and themes of development, inclusivity and self-reliance now define the spectacle. The parade no longer merely displays power, it tells a story of purpose. As the columns once again move forward, they retrace not just a route, but a timeline from the uncertainty of 1950 to the self-belief of a modern republic.

On this road, history does not rest in archives. It marches year after year into the future.

The present route

The Republic Day Parade begins at Rashtrapati Bhavan, proceeding along Kartavya Path, passing iconic landmarks such as Vijay Chowk, India Gate and C-Hexagon, before concluding near the National Stadium.

Retired Punjab cadre DIG honoured as ‘unsung hero’ for turning street cleaning into a lifelong mission of public serviceChandigarh’s ‘Broom Warrior’ ex-IPS Inderjit Sidhu chosen for Padma Shri at 88

Chandigarh’s octogenarian retired Punjab cadre IPS officer Inderjit Singh Sidhu has been chosen for the prestigious Padma Shri award for social service, according to a notification issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

A copy of the notification, which is with The Tribune, said Sidhu, 88, is among 113 Padma award recipients announced on the occasion of Republic Day and among 45 individuals selected from across the country in the ‘unsung heroes’ category.

Sidhu, who retired as Deputy Inspector General (DIG) from the Punjab Police in 1996, has earned nationwide admiration for his quiet yet powerful commitment to cleanliness in Chandigarh.

Over the past several years, the former police officer has been stepping out of his home every morning at dawn to clean streets and public spaces around his neighbourhood in Sector 49, often single-handedly collecting garbage and transporting it in a rehri or cycle cart for proper disposal.

His selfless efforts drew widespread attention last year after videos showing him sweeping roads and pulling a cart full of waste went viral on social media. The visuals struck a chord with people across the country and were even shared by Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra, who hailed Sidhu as a symbol of purpose, discipline and service beyond age and official position.

Residents say Sidhu began the cleanliness drive after repeatedly flagging the issue of garbage accumulation with civic authorities without seeing lasting results.

Instead of complaining further, he chose action, turning what began as a solitary effort into a source of inspiration for his family, neighbours and many others. Though some initially dismissed his work as eccentric, his persistence gradually transformed attitudes, with several locals now joining and supporting his mission.

Despite the attention and accolades, Sidhu has consistently played down his role, saying he simply believes in keeping his surroundings clean and finds personal satisfaction in doing so. He has often remarked that there is dignity in labour and no task is too small when it comes to public good, expressing hope that Chandigarh can set an example by ranking among the cleanest cities in the country.

Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria welcomed the Centre’s decision to honour Sidhu, calling it a fitting recognition of an extraordinary citizen’s spirit. “Inderjit Singh Sidhu has shown that service to society does not end with retirement or age. His dedication to cleanliness and civic responsibility is deeply inspiring and should be emulated by citizens across the country. Such individuals strengthen the moral fabric of our society,” Kataria told The Tribune.

The Padma Shri recognition places Sidhu among a diverse group of ordinary Indians making exceptional contributions in their own quiet ways. For Chandigarh, his honour stands as a reminder that lasting change often begins not with authority or slogans, but with personal example and unwavering commitment to the common good.