India's 70th Republic Day: PM Modi Wishes The Nation; Tight Security Across Delhi Photo: FILE India's 70th Republic Day: PM Modi Wishes The Nation; Tight Security Across Delhi Photo: FILE Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is set to attend India’s 76th Republic Day celebrations as the Chief Guestmegapanalo, according to the sources. The national capital of India will host Subianto as part of the event, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled to hold wide-ranging talks with the Indonesian leader during his visit.
India has yet to officially announce this year’s Republic Day chief guest.
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It is noteworthy that, 76 years ago, the chief guest of India’s first republic day celebration in 1950 was also from Indonesia. The then President of Indonesia, Sukarno was hosted by the then President of India Rajendra Prasad.
10,000 special guests will attendant the historic R-day parade
new slot sitesThe Ministry of Defence has invited nearly 10,000 special guests to attend the Republic Day Parade at Kartavya Path. These guests, representing a wide array of sectors, include members of the Paralympic contingent, sarpanches from top-performing villages, handloom artisans, and forest and wildlife conservation workers, among others.
The special guests were invited in line with the government’s initiative to promote ‘Jan Bhagidari’ (public participation) in national events. The invitees, drawn from 31 categories, are recognized for their exceptional contributions in various fields and their active participation in government schemes. Among the categories are ‘Best Performing Water Warriors,’ ‘Disaster Relief Workers,’ ‘Best Start-Ups,’ and ‘Road Construction Workers.’
The guests also include achievers such as medalists from the Chess Olympiad, Bridge World Games, and Snooker World Championships. The invitees also include sarpanches whose villages have met the targets in several flagship government schemes.
The special guests will also visit significant landmarks in Delhi, including the National War Memorial and PM Sangrahalaya, and interact with various ministers. In a first, members of self-help groups (SHGs) working in areas like food, nutrition, health, water sanitation, and gender activities, as well as disaster relief workers and environmental conservationists, will attend the event.
Other invited groups include PM-JANMAN participants, tribal artisans, and farmers involved in renewable energy projects like the PM Surya Ghar and PM KUSUM schemes.
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This year’s Republic Day celebrations promise to showcase not only India’s rich cultural heritage but also the contributions of those working on the ground to create a ‘Swarnim Bharat’ (Golden India).
Republic Day Chief Guest through the years
Traditionally, India invites world leaders to attend the Republic Day celebration as chief guest evey year. Here’s a look back at chief guests who graced the occasion in previous years:
2024: French President Emmanuel Macron
2023: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi
There was no Republic Day Chief guest in 2021 and 2022 in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020: Then Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro
2019: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa
2018: Leaders of all 10 ASEAN countries attended the event
2017: Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
The minister also encouraged people arriving from abroad to contact the health department if they experience any symptoms. She assured that the state is prepared to handle an increase in cases and that new guidelines for prevention and treatment will be released soon.
Shah addressed the contentious issue of reservations, launching an attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. He claimed, “Rahul Baba goes abroad and says we will end reservations. But as long as even one BJP MP is in Parliament, reservation will not be abolished,” assuring the public that the BJP would maintain reservations for the SC, ST, and OBC communities. “You cannot end reservation while the BJP is in power,” he added.
2016: Then French President Francois Hollande
2015: Then US President Barack Obama
2014: Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
2013: Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck
2012: Prime Minister of Thailand Yingluck Shinawatra
2011: Then Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
2010: Then South Korean President President Lee Myung Bak
2009: Then President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev
2008: Then French President Sarkozy
The then British Prime Minister John Major had attended the R-Day celebration in 1993, Nelson Mandela participated as the then South African President in 1995, French president Chirac graced the occasion in 1998. Other world leaders who have attended the celebration include Nepal’s King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, who came here in 1999, Iran's then President Mohammed Khatami in 2003, and President of Maldives Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in 1991.
Along with the above-mentioned namesmegapanalo, the heads of state and government who have attended the Republic Day celebrations include Nicolas Sarkozy, Vladimir Putin, Nelson Mandela, John Major, Mohammed Khatami and Jacques Chirac.