Health ministry struggles to make R-day tableau

After facing rejection for two consecutive years on the proposed tableau for the Republic Day parade, concerted efforts are on in the Union health ministry to make its tableau a hit this time.

The health ministry has chosen to showcase its flagship scheme Mission Indradhanush as their theme for the tableau for the parade on January 26. While the preparations regarding the same in the ministry of defence — the nodal ministry — have started, the health ministry is in full swing so as to leave no stone unturned.

“The flagship scheme Mission Indradhanush is a major scheme started by the present government. The first phase has been huge success and showcasing it on the parade is a good idea,” said a senior official. The scheme has been launched with an aim to assure full immunisation coverage by 2020. It has run into its second phase and has so far been quite successful in improving routine immunisation coverage. Mission Indradhanush, depicting seven colours of the rainbow, covers all such children who are either unvaccinated, or are partially vaccinated against seven vaccine preventable diseases which include diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B.

Earlier, the Union health ministry’s tableau — themed on the government’s fight against polio was rejected by the ministry of defence for lacking thematic and creative content. With India bagging the polio free tag from the World Health Organisation, it once again took a chance in 2014 and proposed the same theme. The tableau got rejected again. Instead, the Ayush ministry’s tableau got approval and made its debut in 2014 showcasing various aasnas of yoga.

The rejections left many fuming, but the officials are hopeful this time. The presentations before the expert committee that comprise of several eminent people from the field of art and culture have already started. The process of selection of tableaux start in August. Other ministries that may showcase their achievements are the HRD, agriculture, railways other than the tableaux by various states that will roll out on Rajpath at the 2016 Republic Day parade.