68th Republic Day: India displays military might, vibrant culture at Rajpath

New Delhi: The nation's military prowess and achievements in different fields, state-of- the-art defence platforms, its diverse cultural and social traditions, and the government's emphasis on self-reliance and indigenisation will be showcased before the public at the historic Rajpath when the country is celebrating its 68th Republic Day.

The main highlight of this year's Parade was the the fly-past from Tejas, India's single-seat, single-jet engine and multi-role light fighter which is designed for the Indian Army and Navy.

Following are the other highlights:

• The display team of Corps of the Military Police enthralled the crowd by their dare devil stunts at the parade. Like every year, they showcased some heroic motor bike stunts that were received by loud applause from the crowd.

The dare devils stole the show at the parade. (Photo: ANI/Twitter)

• After all the states were done, a Tableau featuring the benefits of the Goods Services Tax was shown to the public. The GST is known to be one of the biggest task reforms undertaken by the Government. 
  GST Tableau.

• The state of Jammu and Kashmir was up after Tripura and it brought in with the snowy beauty of the hill state. The tableau resemble popular tourist destination Gulmarg, all covered in snow, with a skiing resort on display, complete with cable cars.

The Jammu and Kashmir tableau at Republic Day parade.

• The Tripura tableau displayed the Reang dance, the dance of a leading ethnic tribe in the state. It was performed by young women, who held plates in their hands and made some acrobatic moves to slow tradition music.

The Tripura tableau at Republic Day parade.

• Delhi made a comeback to the parade after a three year break and its theme was education. Children dressed in lab coats highlighted initiatives taken by the government such as model school projects, parent teachers training programme, skill development centres and mega parent-teacher meetings.

The Delhi tableau at Republic Day parade.

• The Punjab tableau added a fun flavour to the parade with women dressed in traditional suits dancing to the beats of an upbeat number. It featured the "Jago Aiya" dance which is a popular dance form that takes place one night before a Punjabi wedding.

The Punjab Tableau. (Photo: DD videograb)

• The Gujarat tableau rolled in with a peppy folk song that had a cheery beat. Women and men were dressed in the traditional costumes of Kutch, decked in ornaments. They displayed the culture and arts of the region. They brought the flavour of the world famous Rann of Kutch festival which is still ongoing in the state.

• Indian Coast Guard, CRPF march past the saluting dais.
  
• BSF camel mounted regiment offer their salute to the President and the Chief guest. Dressed in colourful attire, the camels were a sight to behold, mounted by equally vibrantly dressed BSF men in orange and golden turbans.
  
• The Indian Air Force tableau marches down the Rajpath. And in a display of women power, it was a young, smartly dress woman cadet that saluted the crowds from the tableau.
  
• IAF band playing 'galaxy riders' marches down the Rajpath
  

• The Ex servicemen tableau was the first tableau to roll down Rajpath’s road. “Always in service of the nation” was the theme of the tableau.

Ex-servicemen tableau at RepublicDay parade.

• The Republic Day parade was led by the UAE contingent as Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is the Chief Guest of grand celebration.

UAE contingent marching at Rajpath.

• Late Hangpan Dada was awarded the Ashok Chakra posthumously. He is the only recipient of the highest gallantry medal this year. The award was presented to his wife Chasen Lowang Dada by President Pranab Mukherjee.

President Pranab Mukherjee presents Ashok Chakra(Posthumous) for Havildar Hangpan Dada. The award is received by his wife Chasen Lowang Dada.

• The national flag was unfurled at Rajpath along with a 21-gun salute. The national anthem was played after the flag hoisting.

The tricolour at Rajpath. (Photo: ANI/Twitter)

• After paying tributes to martyred jawans, Modi arrived at Rajpath to witness the Republic Day parade. A jubilant crowd cheered loudly for the Prime Minister as he reached the venue.

Modi greeting the Chief Justice of India. (Photo: ANI/Twitter)

• After two minutes of silence, the Prime Minister signed the ceremonial book and penned down his thoughts.

9.30 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to India’s martyrs at the Amar Jawan Jyothi and laid a wreath at the memorial.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paying his respects to martyred jawans.

Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Gujarat, Lakshdwaeep, Karanataka, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, West Bengal, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Jammu & Kashmir, Assam, were the states that showcased their tradition and culture through their respective tableau.

Delhi Police and paramilitary personnel are keeping a tight vigil on Republic Day with an eye on the movement of animals in view of intelligence inputs that terror groups might use them as suicide bombers.

Delhi Police was sent a special advisory informing them that terror groups might use animals to target crowded areas like important installations, railway stations, etc, to create a panic situation.

While the Delhi Police was earlier issued an advisory stating that terror groups might use new techniques, later they received a special advisory warning of this kind of an attack.

The advisory issued by Special Cell of Delhi Police and asked personnel to keep a track of stolen pets since terror groups might have stolen them to carry out terror strikes.

The entire Central and New Delhi region will have nearly 60,000 security personnel drawn from Delhi Police and Central security forces guarding every nook and corner. Muksh Kumar Meena, special commissioner of police, New Delhi range said, "There is foolproof security in place. Senior officers of Delhi Police will be patrolling the area while borders have been sealed."

In view of recent intelligence inputs that terror groups like LeT might be planning to use helicopter charter services and charter flights to launch attack through air, Delhi Police along with other security agencies are keeping a tight vigil.

Police is using counter-drone technology to thwart any attack or identify any suspicious flying object, a senior police officer said.

Apart from this, security personnel will be stationed atop tall buildings with anti-aircraft guns. CCTV cameras have been installed and a special control room has been set up where the feed will be monitored by Delhi Police and paramilitary personnel, the officer said.

The advisory that has been issued to security agencies states that "it is imperative for the security forces to be familiar with the range of threats for devising appropriate counter means" since the use of conventional weapons by the terrorist and criminal groups is a part of an ongoing process to develop new techniques and tactics.

Security forces have also been asked to ensure that proper frisking and checking of police personnel and other personnel is carried out since there is a possibility that terrorists may disguise themselves as security personnel.

According to the advisory, "terrorists may use uniform of security forces for fidayeen attack" and there should be adequate arrangements made for identification and frisking of personnel who are part of the celebrations.

Security agencies have also been warned that some Muslim extremist organisations are planning 9/11 type of attacks using aeroplanes carrying personnel and weapons on board.

'NOTAM' (Notice to Airmen) has been declared from 10.35 AM to 12.15 PM during which no commercial flights will land or take off at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police has set up a wireless integrated public address (WIPA) system to enhance security at crowded places and popular markets in the city. WIPA is a centralised public address system now installed at 31 crowded places and markets in Delhi, and also in 13 major metro stations.