Shaheedon Ko Shat Shat Naman
On 26th January, a nationwide flagship programme of NCC ‘Shaheedon Ko Shat Shat Naman’ was launched to honour the supreme sacrifices of the fallen heroes in defending the Nation. Next of Kin (NOK) of approximately 5,000 fallen heroes were presented with the Plaque of Gratitude by NCC cadets all over the country, at about the same time as Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi paid homage to the country’s bravehearts at the National War Memorial in New Delhi. The programme will continue till August 15, 2022. During the period, the NCC cadets, accompanied by NCC Officers/Permanent Instructor of State Directorates, will felicitate the NOKs of all 26,466 fallen heroes whose names were etched at the National War Memorial.
Kala Kumbh – Huge Scroll paintings to adorn Rajpath
Ten scrolls each of 75 metres in length and 15 ft in height were displayed along the Rajpath during the parade. They were prepared during the ‘Kala Kumbh’ event jointly organised by Ministries of Defence & Culture. The scrolls were painted in two phases - at Bhubaneswar & Chandigarh - by over 600 renowned artists and young aspirants from across the country. Inspiration was drawn from the unsung heroes of the freedom struggle showcasing the rich cultural heritage of indigenous and contemporary visual art practices.
Vande Bharatam Nritya Utsav
For the first time, dancers who perform during the cultural programme at the parade have been selected through a nation-wide competition ‘Vande Bharatam’, jointly organised by Ministries of Defence and Culture. The competition that began at the district level with the participation of nearly 3,870 dancers in 323 groups progressed to state and zonal levels over a period of two months in November and December. Finally, 480 dancers were selected. They showcased their talent during the parade at Rajpath.
Veer Gatha – Stories of Valour from school children
In another first, Ministry of Defence in collaboration with Ministry of Education organized nationwide ‘Veer Gatha’ competition to motivate school students to do projects on gallantry award winners. More than eight lakh students from around 4,800 schools across the country participated and shared their inspirational stories through essays, poems, drawings and multimedia presentations. After several rounds of evaluation, 25 were selected and declared as winners. They will receive cash prize of Rs 10,000 and witness the R Day parade.
Veer Gatha – Stories of Valour from school children
Vande Bharatam Nritya Utsav
Static Band Performance by CAPF
Before the commencement of the parade, the contingents of Central Armed Police Forces undertook static band performances in the seating enclosures at Rajpath.
LED Screens
For a better viewing experience at the parade, 10 large LED screens - five on each side of Rajpath – were installed. Curated films combining footages of previous Republic Day Parades, short films on the Armed Forces and stories related to various events in the run-up to the RDC 2022 were screened before the parade. Thereafter, the screens showed the live event.
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Beating the Retreat Ceremony
Apart from military bands performing martial tunes, some new activities have been planned during the Beating the Retreat Ceremony on January 29, 2022 at Vijay Chowk. These include a drone show and projection mapping.
Drone Show
A novel ‘Drone Show’ has been conceptualised, designed, produced and choreographed within the country. The ‘Make in India’ initiative has been organised by a startup ‘Botlab Dynamics’, supported by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and Department of Science & Technology. The show would be of 10 minutes duration involving around 1,000 drones fabricated through indigenous technology. Synchronised background music will also be played during the drone show.
Projection Mapping
Projection mapping show to commemorate 75 years of independence for duration of around 3-4 minutes would be showcased on the walls of North and South Block before the end of the ‘Beating the Retreat’ ceremony.