Fewer vip invites 32 000 seats for the general public at republic day parade

Fewer vip invites 32 000 seats for the general public at republic day parade

Brisk training: Assam Rifles personnel marching past during a rehearsal for the Republic Day parade on Kartavya Path.

From over one lakh seats in the previous editions, the Republic Day parade here this time will have only around 45,000. A reorganisation of the seating arrangement and a massive cut in number of invitations to VIPs and officials led to the fall.

Of the 45,000 seats, 32,000 have been opened for the general public, Rajesh Ranjan, Joint Secretary (Ceremonial), Defence Ministry, told presspersons on Wednesday. All the invitations went online.

‘The participation of the public in these programmes is the main theme of this year. We tried to tailor the event in such a fashion,’ Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane said.

Like last year, the Republic Day celebrations will begin on January 23, coinciding with Parakram Parv, which marks the birth anniversary of Subhas Chandra Bose, and end on January 30, Martyrs Day.

During the parade, a 120-member Egyptian Armed Forces contingent will march on Kartavya Path as the chief guest, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, looks on.

The flypast will see 50 aircraft and helicopters of which 23 will be fighter jets, Wing Commander Indranil Nandi, spokesperson of the Indian Air Force Western Air Command, said in a briefing.

At the Beating Retreat ceremony on January 29, there was never seating for the general public and the attendance was by invitation.

However, this year 1 0%, or around 1,200 seats, have been opened for the public, Mr. Ranjan said.

On tableau selection for the Republic Day parade, which has been a touchy issue with some States in the past, Mr. Aramane said the selection has been done in a very ‘systematic fashion’.

‘We tried to involve the State governments, made the process transparent and made available to them the criteria of selection. So that it becomes a celebration of the Union of States,’ he said.

Special invites have been sent to common people from all walks of society such as the shramyogis involved in the construction of the Central Vista.