Republic Day 2021: How this year's celebration will be different

Republic Day 2021 will be slightly different on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. The parade will be shorter this year, instead of ending at the Red Fort, it will culminate at National Stadium. However, people will still be able to view the tableaux performance at Red Fort.

Credit: IANS

India is all set to celebrate its 72nd Republic Day to honour the enactment of the Constitution of India which came into effect on January 26, 1950. Traditionally, the highlight of Republic Day is the iconic parade that showcases India’s military prowess and cultural heritage. But this year, the commemoration will be slightly different on account of the pandemic and events in the past year.

Here is how Republic Day 2021 will be different: 

What changes have been made for the parade due to Covid?

For the first time since 1966, there will be no chief guest in the Republic Day parade. Originally, British PM Boris Jonhson was invited to come to India for the parade. However, he had to cancel his visit due to the outbreak of a new Covid strain in the UK. Before this, India didn’t have a chief guest for the parade in 1952, 1953 and 1966.

The spectators will be limited to 25,000 compared to 150,000 last year (4,500 tickets are for the general public). Similarly, the number of media persons at the ceremonial event will be cut from 300 to 200. The size of marching contingents has been reduced from 144 to 96. Children under the age of 15 will not be allowed to attend.

The parade will be shorter this year, instead of ending at the Red Fort, it will culminate at National Stadium. However, people will still be able to view the tableaux performance at Red Fort.

Unfortunately for audiences, there will be no motorcycle stunts this time. Due to COVID-19 safety norms, gravity-defying stunts by motorcycle-borne men, a major attraction for the crowd at Republic Day celebrations on the Rajpath, will be missing this year.

Lastly, the parade of gallantry awardees and children who have earned bravery awards will also not be there at the 72nd Republic Day event, owing to social distancing, officials said.

What will be new at the Republic day parade 2021?

Rafale fighter jets, instated into the Indian Air Force (IAF) last year, will take part in the parade for the first time and end the flypast with the 'Vertical Charlie' formation.  The parade will also be featuring one of India’s first women fighter pilots - Bhawna Kanth and a contingent of the Bangladesh Armed Forces.

For the first time, the Central Reserve Police Force, will have its own tableau in the parade with the theme - ‘combat skills of CRPF in conflict zones’ as stated by Inspector General, Training, CRPF RK Yadav, the reserve force in a Livemint report. The main attraction of the CRPF tableau will be the fascinating panoramic four-eyed night vision goggles (NVGs), a warfare gadget which is known as the 'king of night vision'.

The Union Territory of Ladakh will make its tableau debut in the parade with the Indian Astronomical Observatory, one of the world’s highest sites for optical, infrared, and gamma-ray telescopes. 

The upgraded Schilika weapon system will make a premier at the Republic Day parade in Rajnath, led by Preeti Chowdary, the only woman contingent commander from the Army, according to ANI. “It can track and shoot enemy targets up to 2 kilometers on the ground and about 2.5 kilometers in the air," Captain Preeti Chowdhary told the news agency.     

The Ministry of Information and Biotechnology will depict the 'Vocal for Local' initiative of the government. "There will be nine tableaus from ministries, including Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Electronics and IT, Ministry of Ayush, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting; and six from the defence arm, including of IAF, Navy, Indian Naval Coast Guard, two from the DRDO and one from BRO (Border Roads Organisation)," the official said.

The tableau of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) will showcase the efforts made by scientists to manufacture COVID-19 vaccine indigenously. The tableau would depict various stages of pre-trial and trial phases of vaccine, a scientist from the DBT said during a media preview held at a camp at Delhi Cantonment.