Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Rajghat in New Delhi on Thursday to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi as part of the 78th Independence Day celebrations. On the social media platform X, the Prime Minister extended his Independence Day greetings to all Indians with the message, “Independence Day greetings to my fellow Indians. Jai Hind!”
After Rajghat, PM Modi will proceed to the Red Fort, where he will hoist the national flag and deliver his traditional address to the nation. This year’s celebrations at the Red Fort highlight the theme ‘Viksit Bharat @ 2047,’ reflecting the government’s vision of transforming India into a developed nation by the year 2047, according to an official statement released on Wednesday.
In an effort to boost public participation, around 6,000 special guests have been invited to attend the event at Red Fort. These guests come from diverse backgrounds, including youth, tribal communities, farmers, women, and others who have excelled through various government schemes. Attendees will include students from the Atal Innovation Mission, beneficiaries of the PM SHRI scheme, volunteers from Mera Yuva Bharat, and participants in the Meri Maati Mera Desh initiative. Tribal artisans, entrepreneurs supported by the National Scheduled Tribes Finance & Development Corporation, and beneficiaries of key agricultural schemes like Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi and Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana are also invited.
The event will be attended by frontline workers, including ASHA workers, Anganwadi staff, and elected women representatives, as well as beneficiaries of women empowerment programs like Lakhpati Didi and Drone Didi. Additionally, the Indian contingent from the recent Paris Olympics, block-level representatives from the Aspirational Blocks Programme, and workers from the Border Roads Organisation will be present.
The celebrations will also see the participation of nearly 2,000 people dressed in traditional attire from various states and union territories. Around 3,000 winners of online competitions organized by the Ministry of Defence, MyGov, and Akashvani will also attend.
Upon reaching the Red Fort, PM Modi will be greeted by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, MoS Defence Sanjay Seth, and Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane. The Defence Secretary will introduce the General Officer Commanding (GoC), Delhi Area, Lieutenant General Bhavnish Kumar, who will then conduct the Prime Minister to the Saluting Base. A combined Inter-Services and Delhi Police Guard will present a general salute, followed by an inspection of the Guard of Honour.
The Guard of Honour will feature officers and personnel from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Delhi Police, coordinated by the Indian Navy. Commander Arun Kumar Mehta will command the Guard of Honour, with service contingents led by Major Arjun Singh (Army), Lieutenant Commander Gulia Bhavesh NK (Navy), and Squadron Leader Akshara Uniyal (Air Force). The Delhi Police contingent will be commanded by Additional DCP Anurag Dwivedi.
Lieutenant Sanjeet Saini will assist PM Modi in unfurling the national flag, which will be synchronized with a 21-Gun Salute by the 1721 Field Battery, commanded by Major Sabnis Kaushik. The National Flag Guard, comprising personnel from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Delhi Police, will present the Rashtriya Salute during the flag unfurling. Commander Vinay Dubey will lead the Guard, with service contingents commanded by Major Dinesh Ngangom (Army), Lieutenant Commander Sachin Dhankhar (Navy), and Squadron Leader CS Shravan Devaiah (Air Force).
After the flag unfurling, 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. Following this, PM Modi will deliver his Independence Day address, after which the National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets will sing the National Anthem. Around 2,000 boy and girl cadets from across the country, along with 500 National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers, will also participate in the event.