Republic Day (India): Difference between revisions

{{short description|National day of India}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}

| holiday_name  = Republic Day of India

| type          = [[National day]]

| observedby    = [[India]]

| image        = [[File:Constitution of India.jpg|200px]]

| alt          = Republic Day

| caption      = The original text of the [[Preamble to the Constitution of India]]. The [[Constitution of India]] came into force on {{start date|1950|01|26|df=y + 1}}.

| longtype      = [[Public holidays in India|Public]]

| month        = January

| duration      = 1 day / 24 hours

| frequency    = Annual

| scheduling    = Same day each year

| date          = 26 January

| significance  = Inception of the [[Constitution of India]]

| celebrations  = Parades, Holidays in schools, speeches and cultural dances

'''Republic Day''' is the day when India marks and celebrates the date on which the [[Constitution of India]] came into effect on 26 January 1950. This replaced the [[Government of India Act 1935]] as the governing document of India, thus turning the nation into a [[republic]] separate from [[British Raj]].<ref name="law_min_intro">{{cite web|url=http://indiacode.nic.in/coiweb/introd.htm|title=Introduction to Constitution of India|access-date=14 October 2008|publisher=Ministry of Law and Justice of India|date=29 July 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022161409/http://indiacode.nic.in/coiweb/introd.htm|archive-date=22 October 2014}}</ref> The constitution was adopted by the [[Constituent Assembly of India|Indian Constituent Assembly]] on 26 November 1949 and came into effect on 26 January 1950. 26 January was chosen as the date for Republic Day as it was on that day in 1930 when the [[Purna Swaraj|Declaration of Indian Independence]] was proclaimed by the [[Indian National Congress]].

India achieved independence from the [[British Raj]]  on 15 August 1947 following the [[Indian independence movement]]. The independence came through the [[Indian Independence Act 1947]] (10 & 11 Geo 6 c 30), an [[Act of Parliament|Act]] of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]] that partitioned [[British India]] into the two new independent [[Dominion]]s of the [[Commonwealth of Nations|British Commonwealth]] (later Commonwealth of Nations).<ref name="the act">{{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo6/10-11/30|title=Indian Independence Act 1947|publisher=[[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]], [[Her Majesty's Government (term)|Her Majesty's Government]]|access-date=17 July 2012}}</ref> India obtained its independence on 15 August 1947 as a [[constitutional monarchy]] with [[George VI]] as head of state and [[Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma|the Earl Mountbatten]] as [[Governor-General of India|governor-general]]. The country, though, did not yet have a permanent constitution; instead its laws were based on the modified colonial [[Government of India Act 1935]]. On 29 August 1947, a resolution was moved for the appointment of Drafting Committee, which was appointed to draft a permanent constitution, with Dr [[B R Ambedkar]] as chairman. While India's [[Independence Day (India)|Independence Day]] celebrates its freedom from British Rule, the Republic Day celebrates the coming into force of its constitution. A draft constitution was prepared by the committee and submitted to the Constituent Assembly on 4 November 1947.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://parliamentofindia.nic.in/ls/debates/debates.htm|title=Constituent Assembly Debates (Proceedings)|access-date=25 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929102902/http://parliamentofindia.nic.in/ls/debates/debates.htm|archive-date=29 September 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Assembly met for 166 days in public sessions spanning two years, 11 months, and 17 days before adopting the Constitution. The 308 members of the Assembly signed two handwritten copies of the document (one in Hindi and one in English) on 24 January 1950, after much deliberation and some changes.<ref>{{Cite news|date=24 January 2019|title=In pomp and splendour|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/children/in-pomp-and-splendour/article26079712.ece|access-date=26 January 2022|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Two days later which was on 26 January 1950, it came into effect throughout the whole nation. On that day, Dr. Rajendra Prasad's began his first term of office as President of the Indian Union. The Constituent Assembly became the Parliament of India under the transitional provisions of the new Constitution.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Republic Day, January 26: History, Significance & Celebration |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/republic-day-january-26-history-significance-celebration/articleshow/73604790.cms|access-date=24 January 2021|work=The Times of India|date=25 January 2020}}</ref> On the eve of Republic Day, the President addresses the nation.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Wangchuk|first=Rinchen Norbu|date=25 January 2021|title=5 Pre-Republic Day Speeches by Presidents That Told Us How to Preserve the Republic|url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/247811/republic-day-president-address-to-the-nation-speech-constitution-ram-nath-kovind-abdul-kalam-india-nor41/|access-date=26 January 2021|website=The Better India|language=en-US}}</ref>

On November 25, 1949, in his final speech to the Constituent Assembly, Dr [[B R Ambedkar]] remarked about the potential and pitfalls of life after January 26, 1950,

{{cquote|On the 26th of January 1950, we are going to enter into a life of contradictions. In politics we will have equality and in social and economic life we will have inequality. In politics we will be recognising the principle of one man one vote and one vote one value. In our social and economic life, we shall, by reason of our social and economic structure, continue to deny the principle of one man one value. How long shall we continue to live this life of contradictions? How long shall we continue to deny equality in our social and economic life? If we continue to deny it for long, we will do so only by putting our political democracy in peril. We must remove this contradiction at the earliest possible moment or else those who suffer from inequality will blow up the structure of political democracy which this Assembly has so laboriously built up.<ref>{{cite web|title= BR Ambedkar: In his own words|date=14 April 2016 |url=https://www.livemint.com/Home-Page/JHyUYYjoMzBFWSKuptd8LK/BR-Ambedkara-man-of-many-parts.html|publisher=Mint|access-date=4 December 2022}}</ref>

}}

[[File:Rajendra Prasad readies to take part in the first Republic Day parade.jpg|thumb|President [[Rajendra Prasad]] ''(in the horse-drawn carriage)'' readies to take part in the first Republic Day parade on [[Rajpath]](now called 'Kartavya Path'), New Delhi, in 1950.]]

The main Republic Day celebration is held in the national capital, [[New Delhi]], at the [[Rajpath]] (officially named 'Kartavya Path'), before the [[President of India]]. On this day, ceremonious parades take place at the Kartvya path, which are performed as a tribute to India; its [[unity in diversity]] and rich cultural heritage.<ref>{{Cite web|date=24 January 2020|title=Republic Day 2020: History, significance and interesting facts|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/more-lifestyle/republic-day-2020-history-significance-and-interesting-facts/story-31qEM6TExdf0ZEBf3EtsiO.html|access-date=24 January 2021|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref>

==Delhi Republic Day parade==

On the eve of Republic Day, the President of India distributes [[Padma Awards]] to the civilians of India every year.These are the second highest civilian awards in India after Bharat Ratna. These awards are given in three categories, viz. Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, in decreasing order of importance.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Republic Day Celebration 2021 - Awards Recipients - Know India: National Portal of India|url=https://knowindia.gov.in/republic-day-celebration/awards-recipients.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170910230834/http://knowindia.gov.in/republic-day-celebration/awards-recipients.php|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 September 2017|access-date=24 January 2021|website=knowindia.gov.in}}</ref>

* [[Padma Bhushan]] for "distinguished service of a high order". Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in India.

While being national honours, the Padma awards do not include cash allowances, benefits, or special concessions in rail/air travel.<ref>"Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1219: Padma Awards (2015)"</ref> Per a December 1995 judgment of the [[Supreme Court of India]], no titles or honorifics are associated with the Bharat Ratna or any of the Padma awards; Honorees cannot use them or their initials as suffixes, prefixes or pre- and post-nominals attached to the awardee's name. This includes any such use on letterheads, invitation cards, posters, books etc. In the case of any misuse, the awardee will forfeit the award and cautioned against any such misuse upon receiving the honour.<ref>"Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2536: Use of Title of Awards (2016)"</ref>

File:The National Security Guard (NSG) Marching Contingent passes through the Rajpath, on the occasion of the 68th Republic Day Parade 2017, in New Delhi on January 26, 2017.jpg|[[National Security Guard]] commandos marching in the 2017 Republic Day Parade.