Republic Day 2024

• 30 Jan 2024

For Prelims: Constitution, National Cadet Corps, Republic Day, Poorna Swaraj Declaration

For Mains: Significance of Republic Day, Indian National Movement

Source: PIB

Why in News?

India celebrated its 75^th Republic Day on 26^th January 2024. The day is a celebration of the Constitution, and building India as a republic instead of a colony or dominion of any nation.

What are the Key Highlights of the Republic Day 2024?

• French Contingent:
  • The French military contingent participated in the Republic Day parade. The contingent belonged to the Corps of French Foreign Legion.
    • The French Foreign Legion is an elite military corps that is open to foreigners who want to serve in the French Army.
  • It was the second time the French armed forces participated in India's Republic Day celebrations.
    • In 2016, French troops became the first foreign military contingent to participate in the Republic Day parade.
• Nari Shakti:
  • The 75th Republic Day Parade at Kartavya Path showcased the themes of ‘Viksit Bharat’ and ‘Bharat- Loktantra ki Matruka’, emphasising a women-centric focus.
  • The Republic Day parade showcased India's military prowess and cultural diversity, with a special emphasis on Nari Shakti or women's empowerment.
    • For the first time, an all-women tri-services contingent participated in the parade.
• NCC Contingents:
  • The National Cadet Corps (NCC) Directorate Maharashtra contingent secures the Prime Minister's Banner at the Republic Day Camp 2024 for the third consecutive year.
    • The Prime Minister’s Banner is a prestigious award given to the best performing NCC state contingent at the Republic Day Camp, which is an annual event where NCC cadets from all over India showcase their skills and talents.
• Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar:
  • Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar are conferred on children with exceptional abilities and outstanding achievement in the fields of bravery, art & culture, sports, science & technology, innovation and social service.
• Veer Gatha 3.0:
  • The third edition of Project Veer Gatha was organised as a part of Republic Day Celebrations 2024 to inspire and spread awareness among children about the gallant deeds and sacrifices of the Armed Forces.
• Anant Sutra:
  • The 75^th Republic Day parade featured a unique installation called "Anant Sutra," which showcased sarees and drapes from all over India. As a tribute to the country's weaving and embroidery arts, as well as the women of India.
• Beating Retreat Ceremony 2024:
  • The Beating Retreat ceremony took place on 29^th January 2024 at Vijay Chowk in Delhi. The ceremony is a military tradition that marks the end of Republic Day celebrations.
  • The ceremony features music bands from the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) playing 31 Indian tunes.

What are Key Highlights of the Tableaus on Republic Day 2024?

• Ministry of Culture's Tableau:
  • The tableau-themed 'Bharat: Mother of Democracy' has bagged the first prize among tableaus that were part of the 75th Republic Day parade.
    • It showcased the evolution of democracy from ancient India to modern times, using anamorphic technique.
• Defence Research and Development Organisation:
  • The DRDO tableau was themed "Self-reliance in Defence Technology".
  • The DRDO-developed systems and subsystems that were displayed on the tableau: are Missiles like Man Portable Anti-tank Guided Missile (MPATGM), Anti-Satellite (ASAT) Missile, and Agni-5 Surface-to-Surface Ballistic Missile, Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS), Naval Anti-Ship Missile–Short Range (NASM-SR), Anti-Tank Guided Missile ‘HELINA’, Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QRSAM), Astra, Light Combat Aircraft ‘Tejas’, ‘Uttam’ Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar (AESAR), Advanced Electronic Warfare System 'Shakti', Cyber Security systems, Command Control Systems and the Semiconductor Fabrication Facility.
• Army Tableau:
  • The Indian Navy tableau depicted the imposing indigenously built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and INS Delhi, INS Kolkata and INS Shivalik, the LCA, the ALH and the Kalvari-class submarine.
• Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways:
  • Sagarmala programme and Nari Shakti in the maritime sector were showcased in the tableau.
• Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
  • The purple revolution unfolding in the lavender fields of Bhaderwah in Jammu and Kashmir found a proud place on the tableau of the CSIR.
• Indian Space Research Organisation:
  • The tableau featured the landing of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft near the south pole of the Moon and the Aditya L-1 mission.
    • The lunar landing site of the spacecraft which was named Shiv Shakti Point was also featured.
  • The tableau illustrated future missions such as Gaganyaan and Bhartiya Antariksh Station among others.
• Arunachal Pradesh:
  • The state’s tableau showcased its Singchung Bugun Village Community Reserve, a 17 square kilometre biodiversity hotspot created in 2017 to protect the Bugun Liocichla, a critically endangered bird.
    • The Bugun Liocichla is named after the Buguns community.
  • Tableau was led by the Bugun folk dance.
• Manipur:
  • Manipur’s tableau showcased the women-run Ima Keithel, also known as the Mother’s Market.
    • The 500-year-old Ima Keithel is the only market in the world run entirely by women.
  • The Manipur tableau at the parade featured a woman weaving clothes using an "Eyong" loom- a traditional loom from Manipur.
• Madhya Pradesh:
  • The tableau showed the first woman fighter pilot of the Indian Air Force, Avani Chaturvedi of Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa district.
  • It also featured the Badal Mahal gate and weavers of the globally renowned Chanderi, Maheshwari and Bagh print sarees.
    • The gate is said to have been built during the rule of Sultan Mahmud Shah Khilji, the King of Malwa,
    • The tableau featured India’s Millet Mission ambassador and ‘Millet Woman of India Lahari Bai.
• Chhattisgarh:
  • The tableau depicted the ancient tribal form of Parliament in Bastar known as “Muria Darbar”. It also depicted a place called “Limau Raja”, situated in Bade Dongar, the ancient capital of Bastar.
• Ladakh:
  • The tableau depicted a high hill in Ladakh, with the world’s highest motorable road at Umling-La pass.
• Tamil Nadu:
  • The tableau highlighted the historical significance of the Kudavolai electoral system, which emerged during the 10th-century Chola era and marked an early stride towards democracy.
  • It also featured a scale model of the Vaikunda Perumal Temple in Uthiramerur where the Kudavolai system is practised, showcasing its integration into the local culture.
• Odisha:
  • The state’s tableau featured a heritage hut of Raghurajpur village, where women play a pivotal role in crafting Pattachitra and masks.
    • ‘Odisha Pattachitra’ masks are handcrafted from leftover paper’s Papier Mache paste.
    • The “War Horse of Konark Temple” symbolised Odisha’s rapid progress in shaping a developed India.
• Meghalaya:
  • The state’s tableau featured a unique freshwater scuba diving site along the Umngot River in Dawki.
  • The tableau celebrated community-led cleanliness initiatives in Mawlynnong, Asia’s cleanest village.
  • It also highlighted the state’s rich reserve, displaying its flora, and endemic species like the clouded leopard.
• Rajasthan:
  • The tableau promoted the state’s tourism potential, with the “ghoomar” dance and decorated camel icon.
    • Ghoomar, a traditional Bhil tribe folk dance, is a symbol of womanhood.
  • A statue of Meera Bai was displayed in the tableau, She was a great devotee of Lord Krishna and a Hindu poetess of the 16th century.
• Telangana:
  • The tableau honoured the legacy of tribal freedom fighters like Komaram Bheem, Ramji Gond and Chityalallamma (Chakalillamma).
    • Bheem and Ramji advocated for the freedom, dignity, and rights of indigenous tribal communities. They employed guerrilla warfare tactics to spread a powerful message of empowerment and justice.
• Uttar Pradesh:
  • Tableau symbolically represented the consecration ceremony that took place in Ayodhya, with an artistic model depicting Lord Ram in a young avatar (Ram Lalla).
    • It also depicted the first-ever operational high-speed regional rapid transit system (RRTS) of the country.
    • The tableau displayed the world’s fourth-largest international airport, Jewar Airport.
    • A group of women artists accompanying the tableau perform traditional dances ‘Charkula’ and ‘Wadhwa, popular in the Braj region.
• Gujarat:
  • The tableau was based on the theme Dhordo: Global Identity of Gujarat's Border Tourism.
    • Dhordo, located on India’s western tip, is the gateway to the Rann of Kutch.
    • Women dressed in traditional attire played garba along the tableau.
• Maharashtra:
  • Shivaji Maharaj’s establishment of ‘self-rule’ and respect for women in his ‘kingdom of the people’ formed the highlight of Maharashtra’s tableau.
• Haryana:
  • The tableau highlighted the state’s ambitious “Mera Parivar-Meri Pehchan” scheme.
  • It also highlighted the benefits of the ‘Parivar Pehchan Patra’ through a phone call such as the seamless procurement of ration, agricultural subsidies for farmer families, scholarships for young students, and pensions for the elderly.
• Jharkhand:
  • The tableau showcased the skill of tribal women in the production of Tasar silk with depictions of Tasar moth rearing, cocoon production, weaving and the modern journey of Tasar garments from design to global distribution.
    • Jharkhand “jhumar” folk dance was performed.

What is the History of Republic Day?

• About:
  • Republic Day commemorates the adoption of the Constitution of India on 26th January 1950, and the country’s transition to a republic which came into effect on 26th January 1950.
    • The constitution was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on 26^th November 1949 and came into effect on 26th January 1950.
  • The Constitution of India repealed the Indian Independence Act 1947 and Government of India Act 1935 when it became effective on 26^th January 1950. India ceased to be a dominion of the British Crown and became a sovereign, democratic republic with a constitution.
• History:
  • Declaration of Poorna Swaraj:
    • The Lahore Session of the INC in December 1929 passed the historic "Poorna Swaraj" resolution, calling for total self-rule/sovereignty and complete independence from British rule.
      • The Declaration of Independence was officially promulgated on 26th January 1930, and the Congress urged Indians to celebrate "independence" on that day.
  • Republic Day in Post-Independence India:
    • From 1930 to 1947, 26^th January was celebrated as "Independence Day" or "Poorna Swaraj Day."
    • India gained independence on 15^th August 1947, leading to a reevaluation of the significance of Republic Day.
    • The selection of 26th January for the promulgation of India's new constitution was ideal due to its existing nationalist significance and alignment with the "Poorna Swaraj" declaration.

Note

• On Republic Day every year, the President of India, who is the head of state, ‘unfurls’ the tricolour, while on Independence Day (August 15), the prime minister, who heads the Union government, ‘hoists’ the national flag.
  • While the two terms are often used interchangeably, these represent different techniques of presenting the tricolour.
  • On 26^th January, the flag is folded or rolled, and attached to the top of a pole. It is then unveiled (‘unfurled’) by the President, who does so without pulling it up.
    • ‘Unfurling’ is a symbolic gesture to renew the commitment to principles laid down in the Constitution, highlighting India's shift from being a British colony to becoming a sovereign, democratic Republic.
  • On 15^th August, on the other hand, the flag, positioned at the bottom of the pole, is raised ('hoisted') by the prime minister, from the bottom to the top.
    • Hoisting symbolises the rise of a new nation; patriotism, and freedom, from colonial rule.

Read more...

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Q. What was the exact constitutional status of India on 26th January 1950? (2021)

(a) A Democratic Republic
(b) A Sovereign Democratic Republic
(c) A Sovereign Secular Democratic Republic
(d) A Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic

Ans: (b)

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Mains

Q. Discuss each adjective attached to the word ‘Republic’ in the ‘Preamble’. Are they defendable in the present circumstances? (2013)