Home | The Days | National Days | Indian Republic Day

Sections

Newsletter
Email:
Poll: Like Our New Look?
Do you like our new look & feel?

Indian Republic Day

Font size: Decrease font Enlarge font

Abha* & Avdisha*

* Students, Wisdom World School, Kurukshetra, Haryana

-------------------------------------------------

India is a self-governing country since 15th of August 1947. India got independence from the British rule on 15th of August in 1947 which we celebrate as Independence Day. However, on 26th of January since 1950 we celebrate as Republic Day. The Constitution of India came into force on 26th of January in 1950, so we celebrate this day as the Republic Day every year.

Republic Day in India is celebrated every year with great honour on 26th of January to honour the Constitution of India as it came into force on the same day in the year 1950. However, it was adopted on 26 November 1949 by the Constituent Assembly. It had replaced the Government of India Act, 1935 into the governing document of the India. At this day, a national holiday is declared by the Indian Government. The new Indian constitution was sketched and approved by the Indian Constituent Assembly and decided to celebrate it on 26th of January every year as India became a republic country.

Republic day celebration is a huge national event celebration in India especially for students in the schools, colleges and other educational institutions. Varieties of activities are run by the teachers to enhance student’s skill and knowledge about Republic day of India. Speech recitation and group discussion are some of the most important activities on Republic Day of India.

Republic means the supreme power of the people living in the country and only public has rights to elect their representatives as political leader to lead the country in right direction. So, India is a Republic country where public elects its leaders as a President, Prime Minister, etc. Our Great Indian freedom fighters have struggled a lot to the “Purna Swaraj” in India. They did so that their future generations may live without struggle and led country ahead.

Indian Constitution was drafted by the Constituent Assembly. It took around three years (actually two years, eleven months and eighteen days) to be written. A Drafting Committee was set up by the Constituent Assembly on 29th of August in 1947 to draft the Constitution under the Chairmanship of Baba Sahab Dr. Bhim Roa Ambedkar. Some important figures of the drafting committee were also Jawaharlal Nehru, Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar, C. Rajagopalachari, Sanjay Phakey, Balwantrai Mehta, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Kanaiyalal Munshi, Rajendra Prasad, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Nalini Ranjan Ghosh, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, and Sandipkumar Patel. Some important women members of the committee were Sarojini Naidu, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Durgabai Deshmukh, Hansa Mehta, and Vijayalakshmi Pandit. Constitution of India gives rights to its citizens to select their own government.

On this day, in the National capital, New Delhi, a salute of 21 guns is given to the Indian National Flag and then National Anthem is sung. A huge parade by the Indian armed forces is held in front of the President of India and chief guest. School students also participate in the parade to show their creativity in the form of dance and songs. It also includes state wise tableau on the Rajpath to display the unity in diversity in India.

As per the great Indian culture and tradition अतिथि देवो भव: (Atithi Devo Bhav), every celebration of Republic Day or Independence Day welcomes dignitaries across the world. Below is the list of all the chief guests welcomed in India at each Republic Day from the year India was declared as the Republic country.

Year Guest Name Country
2018 Sultan and incumbent Prime Minister, Hassanal Bolkiah Brunei
  Prime Minister, Hun Sen Cambodia
  President, Joko Widodo Indonesia
  Prime Minister, Thongloun Sisoulith Laos
  Prime Minister, Najib Razak Malaysia
  President, Htin Kyaw Myanmar
  President, Rodrigo Roa Duterte Philippines
  President, Halimah Yacob Singapore
  Prime Minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha Thailand
  Prime Minister, Nguyễn Xuân Phúc Vietnam
2017 Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Abu Dhabi
2016 President, Francois Hollande France
2015 President, Barack Obama USA
2014 Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe Japan
2013 King, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck Bhutan
2012 Prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra Thailand
2011 President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono Indonesia
2010 President, Lee Myung Bak Republic of Korea
2009 President, Nursultan Nazarbayev Kazakhstan
2008 President, Nicolas Sarkozy France
2007 President, Vladimir Putin Russia
2006 King, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud Saudi Arabia
2005 King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck Bhutan
2004 President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Brazil
2003 President, Mohammed Khatami Iran
2002 President, Cassam Uteem Mauritius
2001 President, Abdelaziz Bouteflika Algeria
2000 President, Olusegun Obasanjo Nigeria
1999 King, Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev Nepal
1998 President, Jacques Chirac France
1997 Prime Minister, Basdeo Panday Trinidad and Tobago
1996 President, Dr. Fernando Henrique Cardoso Brazil
1995 President, Nelson Mandela South Africa
1994 Prime Minister, Goh Chok Tong Singapore
1993 Prime Minister, John Major United Kingdom
1992 President, Mário Soares Portugal
1991 President, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom Maldives
1990 Prime Minister, Anerood Jugnauth Mauritius
1989 General Secretary, Nguyen Van Linh Vietnam
1988 President, Junius Jayewardene Sri Lanka
1987 President, Alan Garcia Peru
1986 Prime Minister, Andreas Papandreou Greece
1985 President, Raúl Alfonsín Argentina
1984 King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck Bhutan
1983 President, Shehu Shagari Nigeria
1982 King, Juan Carlos I Spain
1981 President, Jose Lopez Portillo Mexico
1980 President, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing France
1979 Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser Australia
1978 President, Patrick Hillery Ireland
1977 First Secretary, Edward Gierek Poland
1976 Prime Minister, Jacques Chirac France
1975 President, Kenneth Kaunda Zambia
1974 President, Josip Broz Tito Yugoslavia
  Prime Minister, Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike Sri Lanka
1973 President, Mobutu Sese Seko Zaire
1972 Prime Minister, Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Mauritius
1971 President, Julius Nyerere Tanzania
1970 -  
1969 Prime Minister, Todor Zhivkov Bulgaria
1968 Prime Minister, Alexei Kosygin Soviet Union
  President, Josip Broz Tito Yugoslavia
1967 -  
1966 -  
1965 Food and Agriculture Minister, Rana Abdul Hamid Pakistan
1964 -  
1963 King, Norodom Sihanouk Cambodia
1962 -  
1961 Queen, Elizabeth II United Kingdom
1960 President, Kliment Voroshilov Soviet Union
1959 -  
1958 Marshall Ye Jianying People’s Republic of China
1957 -  
1956 -  
1955 Governor General, Malik Ghulam Muhammad Pakistan
1954 King, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck Bhutan
1953 -  
1952 -  
1951 -  
1950 President, Sukarno Indonesia
     
Rate this article
0