6,000 Special Guests from Diverse Backgrounds to Attend Red Fort Ceremony
Highlighting Achievements: Guests Include Olympic Athletes and Government Scheme Beneficiaries
PM’s Arrival: Welcomed by Top Defence and Govt Officials
Guard of Honour: A Salute from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Delhi Police”
Flag Unfurling Ceremony: 21 Gun Salute and Rashtriya Salute to Mark the Occasion
Flower Petal Shower: Aerial Tribute by Indian Air Force Helicopters”
National Anthem Performance: NCC Cadets and NSS Volunteers Lead the Celebration
New Delhi, Srinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the nation in celebrating the 78th Independence Day from the historic Red Fort in Delhi on August 15, 2024. The Prime Minister will unfurl the National Flag and deliver the customary address from the ramparts of this iconic monument. The theme for this year’s Independence Day is ‘Viksit Bharat @ 2047,’ aiming to bolster efforts to transform India into a developed nation by 2047. To enhance public participation, approximately 6,000 special guests will be invited to witness the ceremony at the Red Fort. These guests represent various sectors and include:
Beneficiaries of the Atal Innovation Mission and PM SHRI (Prime Minister’s Schools for Rising India) scheme, as well as students from the PRERANA School program. Tribal artisans, Van Dhan Vikas Members, and Tribal Entrepreneurs supported by the National Scheduled Tribes Finance & Development Corporation. Beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, and representatives of Farmers Producing Organisations. Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA), Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM), Anganwadi workers, elected women representatives, and beneficiaries of various women’s empowerment schemes like Sankalp and Sakhi Kendra.
Members of the Indian contingent from the Paris Olympics, one guest from each block of the Aspirational Blocks Programme, workers from the Border Roads Organisation, and winners of online competitions organized by the Ministry of Defence, MyGov, and Akashvani. Nearly 2,000 people from various States and Union Territories dressed in traditional attire. Upon his arrival at the Red Fort, Prime Minister Modi will be received by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh, Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth, and Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane. The Defence Secretary will introduce the General Officer Commanding (GoC), Delhi Area, Lieutenant General Bhavnish Kumar, who will then guide the Prime Minister to the Saluting Base for the Guard of Honour inspection.
The Guard of Honour will consist of one officer and 24 personnel each from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Delhi Police, coordinated by the Indian Navy and commanded by Commander Arun Kumar Mehta. Major Arjun Singh (Army), Lieutenant Commander Gulia Bhavesh NK (Navy), Squadron Leader Akshara Uniyal (Air Force), and Additional DCP Anurag Dwivedi (Delhi Police) will lead their respective contingents. Prime Minister Modi will then proceed to the ramparts to unfurl the National Flag, assisted by Lieutenant Sanjeet Saini. The flag unfurling will be synchronized with a 21 Gun Salute by the 1721 Field Battery (Ceremonial), commanded by Major Sabnis Kaushik. The National Flag Guard, consisting of one officer and 32 personnel each from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and 128 personnel from Delhi Police, will present the Rashtriya Salute.
The Army contingent will be led by Major Dinesh Ngangom, the Naval contingent by Lieutenant Commander Sachin Dhankhar, and the Air Force contingent by Squadron Leader CS Shravan Devaiah. The Delhi Police contingent will be commanded by Additional DCP Achin Garg. The Punjab Regiment Military Band, under Subedar Major Rajinder Singh, will play the National Anthem during the flag unfurling. Following the unfurling of the National Flag, flower petals will be showered by two Advanced Light Helicopters Dhruv of the Indian Air Force, piloted by Wing Commander Amber Agarwal and Wing Commander Rahul Nainwal. After the flag unfurling and flower petal shower, Prime Minister Modi will address the nation. The address will be followed by the National Anthem performed by 2,000 National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets and 500 National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers. The NCC cadets, forming the ‘My भारत’ logo with customized tricolour kits, will be seated on Gyanpath opposite the ramparts. This grand ceremony will serve as a platform to celebrate India’s achievements, honor its past, and rally support for its future goals as envisioned in ‘Viksit Bharat @ 2047.’
