Highlights:
– PM Modi hoists Tricolour at Red Fort on August 15.
– ‘Vande Mataram’ sung at Red Fort for first time.
– About 5,000 special guests invited from all walks of life.
– Seating enclosures named after India’s major lakes.
Peerzada Masarat Shah
New Delhi, Aug 13 (BuzzBytes): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the 80th Independence Day Celebrations from the Red Fort in Delhi on August 15, 2026. The grand event is set to commemorate 150 years of the enduring legacy of the National Song ‘Vande Mataram’ and celebrate the energy, aspirations and pivotal contribution of ‘Yuva Shakti’ in driving India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat by 2047. For the first time, ‘Vande Mataram’ will be rendered during the celebrations at Red Fort.
Upon his arrival at the Red Fort, the Prime Minister will be received by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh, Raksha Rajya Mantri Sanjay Seth and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh. The Defence Secretary will introduce the General Officer Commanding, Delhi Area, Lieutenant General Rajesh Sethi to the Prime Minister. The GoC, Delhi Area will then conduct the Prime Minister to the Saluting Base where a combined Inter-Services and Delhi Police Guard will present general salute to Narendra Modi. Thereafter, the Prime Minister will inspect the Guard of Honour.
The Guard of Honour contingent for the Prime Minister will consist of one officer and 24 personnel each from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Delhi Police. The Indian Army is the coordinating service for the Independence Day Celebrations this year. The Guard of Honour will be commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Arjun Singh. The Army contingent in the Prime Minister’s Guard will be commanded by Major Aditya Sharma, the Naval contingent by Lieutenant Commander Neelam Rana and the Air Force contingent by Squadron Leader Vipin Kumar. The Delhi Police contingent will be commanded by Additional DCP Vineet Kumar.
After inspecting the Guard of Honour, the Prime Minister will proceed to the ramparts of the Red Fort where he will be greeted by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh, Raksha Rajya Mantri Sanjay Seth, Chief of Defence Staff General NS Raja Subramani, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan and Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth. The GoC, Delhi Area will conduct the Prime Minister to the dais on the ramparts to hoist the National Flag.
Captain Sonia Singh Chauhan will assist the Prime Minister in hoisting the National Flag. It will be synchronised with the 21-Gun Salute by the gunners of the 1721 Field Battery (Ceremonial). The ceremonial battery, utilising the indigenous 105mm Light Field Guns, will be commanded by Major Pawan Singh Shekhawat and the Gun Position Officer will be Naib Subedar (Assistant Instructor in Gunnery) Anuthosh Sarkar.
The National Flag Guard, comprising one officer and 32 Other Ranks each from the Army, Navy and Air Force and Delhi Police, will present the Rashtriya Salute at the time of hoisting of the National Flag by the Prime Minister. Major Lokendra Singh Shekhawat will be in command of this Inter-Services Guard and Police Guard.
The Army Contingent in the National Flag Guard will be commanded by Major Vikas Yadav, the Naval contingent by Lieutenant Commander Abhilash and the Air Force Contingent by Squadron Leader Umesh G. The Delhi Police contingent will be commanded by Additional DCP Vikas Meena.
After being hoisted, the Tricolour will receive a Rashtriya Salute. The Army band, consisting of one JCO and 25 Other Ranks, will play the tune of ‘Vande Mataram’ and the national song will be sung by everyone present at Red Fort. It will be followed by the recitation of the National Anthem. The Band will be conducted by Subedar Ishwar Singh.
As soon as the National Flag is hoisted by the Prime Minister, flower petals will be showered at the venue by two Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force, one trooping the national flag and the other trooping a flag depicting ‘Vande Mataram’. The captains of the helicopters will be Wing Commander Rajat and Squadron Leader Ankit Varshney.
After the showering of flower petals, the Prime Minister will address the Nation. At the conclusion of his speech, the cadets of the National Cadet Corps and ‘My Bharat’ volunteers will sing the National Song ‘Vande Mataram’ followed by the National Anthem. A total of 2,500 boy and girl cadets from the Army, Navy and Air Force wings, along with ‘My Bharat’ volunteers, will participate in the celebrations. These cadets and volunteers will be seated on Gyanpath, opposite the Rampart, and will form the words ‘Vande Mataram’. View cutters depicting the theme ‘Viksit Bharat @2047’ will be installed at Gyanpath.
Approximately 5,000 Special Guests from different walks of life have been invited to witness the celebrations at Red Fort this year. These include International Yoga Day Volunteers, Women Entrepreneurs under PM Mudra Yojana, beneficiaries under NAMASTE, PM AJAY and SEED, best performing MY Bharat Volunteers, best performing beneficiaries of PMAY(U), street vendors under PM SVANidhi, urban sanitation workers under Swachh Bharat Mission, best performing Delhi Metro workers, best performing workers of Kartavya Path and Central Vista, youth innovators under National Innovation Programmes, best innovators and scientists in different fields, Sarthi, cab and taxi drivers of Bharat Taxi in Delhi, best interns under the Prime Minister Internship Scheme, best performing start-ups supported under various schemes, best performing youth trained under PM Kaushal Vikas Yojana, best performing start-ups supported under the Start-up India Seed Fund, nursing orderlies and other staff of government hospitals in Delhi, PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana beneficiaries, artisans under the PM Vishwakarma scheme, best performing beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan Yojana, best performing farmers under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana, and best performing students of various quizzes and competitions of Delhi government schools.
Over 1,500 people from various States and Union Territories dressed in traditional attire have also been invited to witness the grand ceremony.
On public convenience, the availability of cloak rooms was appreciated by visitors during the Republic Day Celebrations, and for the ease of users 25 cloak rooms at six locations have been installed for the forthcoming Independence Day Celebrations. A total of 200 volunteers, 100 from NCC and 100 from ‘MY Bharat’, will assist visitors along with police personnel in reaching the enclosures. The volunteers can be identified on the way to the Red Fort. NCC cadets will be present at metro stations and parking areas for all visitors who need assistance with wheelchairs.
The Metro will be operational from 4 AM on 15th August for people to reach the venue, and Metro Services will be provided free of cost to all invitees, with Metro QR codes being provided along with the e-invitation. Parking facility will be available for visitors with valid parking labels at Parade Ground. To facilitate smooth movement of pedestrians from upper Subhash Marg to lower Subhash Marg, more robust ramps and stairs have been installed. On the day of the main event, traffic restrictions will be available on Google and Mappls Maps to facilitate citizens.
This year, the invitation card depicts the Seva Teerth and Dharam Chakra. Owing to unpredictable weather conditions on the day of the main ceremony, rain ponchos will be provided to all invitees in Madhav Das Park and August 15 Park, in addition to the dignitaries at the Rampart.
To end VIP culture and underscore the importance of water conservation, the seating enclosures were named after rivers in Republic Day 2026. For the Independence Day Celebrations, the names of the seating enclosures have been named after major lakes of India. These include Badkhal, Bhimtal, Chandratal, Chilika, Dalpat Sagar, Dimna, Dudhsagar, Haflong, Harike, Hussain Sagar, Kanwar, Kankaria, Kolleru, Loktak, Lonar, Pangong Tso, Pulicat, Pushkar, Rabindra Sarobar, Ramgarh Tal, Rudrasagar, Sakhya Sagar, Shanti Sagar, Vembanad and Wular.
This year, a post-event Swachhata Campaign is being organised at Red Fort involving NCC cadets and MY Bharat Volunteers. The objective of the campaign is to ensure systematic plogging and prompt removal of garbage after the dispersal of spectators right after the ceremony at Red Fort. In view of potential rainfall during the Independence Day Ceremony, several measures have been taken to prevent water overflow, and drainage and sewage systems in and around the Red Fort and nearby premises are being thoroughly cleaned.
In the run up to Independence Day, quizzes and competitions were conducted by the Ministry of Defence in collaboration with MyGov. These included an essay competition on ‘Role of AI in building a Viksit Bharat by 2047’, a painting competition on ‘India 1947 vs India 2047’, and online quiz contests on the Constitution of India covering fundamental rights, duties, key articles and makers; Women in India’s Freedom Movement from Rani Lakshmibai to Sarojini Naidu and beyond; major milestones of Modern India including technological progress and achievement in Space Technology; and India’s success story in Nuclear Technology.
Around 600 winners of the competitions will also be part of the celebrations. Other Ministries and Departments, the Government of NCT of Delhi and Delhi Police also organised online quizzes and activities. The Education Department, Government of NCT of Delhi organised the My Bharat Collage Competition, Salute the Heroes Wall Display Activity, Cultural Fusion Performances and Competitions, Quiz Relay, Recycled Tricolor Art Activity, Tiranga Cyclothon, Tiranga Run, Tiranga Walkathon and Har Ghar Tiranga. Delhi Police organised a debate competition on True Patriotism, a patriotic song singing competition, essay writing and quiz competition on freedom fighters, slogan writing and creative writing competition on National Integrity, poster making and painting competition on ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, a street play on National Unity, awareness programmes against drug abuse, a women’s safety and self-defence programme, a cyber awareness and cyber security programme, and a ‘Unity in Diversity’ cultural programme.
To promote patriotic fervour among citizens and celebrate Independence Day, a number of band performances are being held at 343 prominent locations across the country. The performances are being carried out by the bands of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Indian Coast Guard, NCC, Central Reserve Police Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Central Industrial Security Force, Sashastra Seema Bal, Border Security Force, Integrated Defence Staff, Railway Protection Force and Assam Rifles. Entry to these band performance venues is open to the public.
Flag hoisting will be carried out by the Indian Navy and the local administration in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep—((BuzzBytes))
