LIVE: 76th Republic Day: PM pays tribute at National War Memorial
#News Bureau January 26,2026
The country is celebrating its 76th Republic Day on Sunday. The Republic Day celebrations will be held at Kartavya Path, where President Draupadi Murmu will hoist the national flag. Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid floral tribute at the National War Memorial. Thousands of people are attending the Republic Day parade in Delhi. This year, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is the chief guest. Along with him, the country’s military contingents will also take part in the march-past at the ceremony.
A grand parade will be taken out at Kartavya Path to showcase the country’s military might and rich cultural heritage. This year’s celebrations are special as it is the platinum jubilee of the enactment of the Constitution.
During the main ceremony, 31 tableaux on the theme ‘Swarnim Bharat: Heritage and Development’ will take to the path of duty. For the first time, the tri-services tableau will depict the spirit of solidarity and integration among the armed forces.
For the first time, cultural performances by at least 5,000 artistes will cover the entire path of duty. The parade will begin at 10.30 am and will last for about 90 minutes. The ceremony will begin with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the National War Memorial, where he will lead the nation in paying tribute to the martyred heroes. The parade will begin with 300 cultural artistes playing ‘Saare Jahan Se Achcha’ with musical instruments brought from different parts of the country.
The tri-services tableau on the theme ‘Sashakt Aur Surakshit Bharat’ will showcase a joint operations room facilitating networking and communication among the three services. Another major attraction is the tableau of veterans on the theme ‘Sada Paramountcy Towards Developed India’.
Nari Shakti will be represented by experienced women officers of all three services. Among the contingents marching on the path of duty will be a 148-member women marching contingent of the Central Reserve Police Force. The Republic Day celebrations will end with the Beating Retreat ceremony held every year on January 29 at Vijay Chowk. It symbolizes the centuries-old military tradition.
President’s address to the country
On the eve of the Republic Day celebrations, President Draupadi Murmu praised the ‘One Nation, One Election’ Bill in her address to the nation. In this, she also praised the replacement of colonial-era criminal laws with new legislation and said that it emphasizes justice rather than punishment.
The President said, ‘We got independence in 1947, but many remnants of colonial mindset remained among us for a long time. Recently we are seeing concrete efforts to change that mindset. The most important of such efforts was the decision to replace the Indian Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code and Indian Evidence Act with the Indian Judicial Code, Indian Civil Defense Code and Indian Evidence Act.’
The President praised India’s economic growth, inclusion efforts for SC, ST and OBC communities, digital initiatives and progress in education, science and space.