New Delhi, Jan 26 — India celebrated its 77th Republic Day on Monday with a ceremonial parade at Kartavya Path, showcasing the country’s military strength, cultural diversity and development journey, as President Droupadi Murmu led the national ceremony in the presence of top leaders and foreign dignitaries
The President arrived in a ceremonial buggy, escorted by the Rashtrapati ke Angrakshak, and was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the saluting base. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Luis Santos da Costa were the chief guests at this year’s celebrations.
The parade featured newly raised military units and mock-ups of major weapon systems linked to Operation Sindoor, alongside cultural tableaux reflecting India’s heritage. The theme for this year’s event is “150 years of Vande Mataram.”
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi paid tribute to fallen personnel by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial, accompanied by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the chiefs of the three armed forces.
Extending greetings to the nation, Modi wrote on X: “Best wishes on Republic Day. May this occasion add renewed energy and enthusiasm in our collective resolve to build a Viksit Bharat.”
President Murmu also conferred the Ashoka Chakra on Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla for exceptional bravery.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla unfurled the tricolour at his residence, calling Republic Day “a day of resolve, determination and abiding by the decorum of the Constitution.”
“Our Constitution is the largest written Constitution in the world and serves as a living guide for the nation,” Birla said.
Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan said the day reaffirmed the ideals of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity.
“January 26 stands as a tribute to the vision of the framers of the Constitution and our duties in upholding democratic values,” he posted.
Although India gained independence on August 15, 1947, it became a republic on January 26, 1950 — the day the Constitution came into force. The nearly three-year gap was spent drafting a detailed legal and political framework for a diverse, newly free nation.
The Constitution was prepared by the Constituent Assembly, chaired by Dr Rajendra Prasad, with the drafting committee led by Dr B R Ambedkar, widely regarded as the chief architect of the Constitution. After extensive debates and public consultation, the document was adopted on November 26, 1949, and implemented two months later..
While the word “secular” was formally added to the Preamble in 1976 through the 42nd Constitutional Amendment, the principle was embedded from the start — guaranteeing equal treatment of all religions and freedom of belief as a core constitutional value.