Army Day parade to held in Lucknow

The Indian Army will hold its annual Army Day parade in Lucknow on January 15, 2024, as part of its efforts to increase public engagement and showcase its strength. Similarly, the Indian Air Force will hold its Air Force Day parade in Prayagraj on October 8, and the Navy Day celebrations will take place at the Sindhudurg Fort off the Maharashtra coast. These moves aim to foster national unity and highlight the military's capabilities.

NEW DELHI: The Indian Army will hold its annual Army Day parade at Lucknow on January 15, 2024, in line with the three services now organising their flagship ceremonial events outside the national capital, officials aware of the matter said on Sunday.

Army Day parade was traditionally held in Delhi before it moved to Bengaluru this year (PTI)

The parade was traditionally held in Delhi before it moved to Bengaluru this year.

After conducting the parade in Bengaluru, the army is now ensuring that each of its six operational commands gets a chance to host the parade, said one of the officials cited above. The aim is to increase public engagement, foster national unity, and showcase the might and discipline of the army before diverse audiences, he added.

The air force and the navy are also following a similar approach.

This year’s Air Force Day parade will be held at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh on October 8 when the Indian Air Force celebrates its 91st anniversary. The parade was traditionally held at the Hindan air base till 2021 before the event was taken outside the national capital. It was held in Chandigarh last year.

Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the navy’s new ensign at the commissioning ceremony of aircraft carrier Vikrant, with the flag drawing inspiration from the seal of the Maratha king and the Cross of St George being dropped. Modi described the move as getting rid of the burden of a colonial past.

Navy Day celebrations were held in Visakhapatnam last year, the first time outside New Delhi.

Key conferences of the armed forces, including the Combined Commanders’ Conference, have also been held outside New Delhi after the NDA government came to power nine years ago.

On April 1, Modi assessed the operational readiness of the armed forces in the backdrop of the lingering border row with China, carried out a security review, and asked the military to stay prepared for new and emerging threats, at the Combined Commanders’ Conference held in Bhopal.

Before that, on March 6, defence minister Rajnath Singh addressed the inaugural session of a top navy meeting on board India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, with the move bringing into sharper focus the country’s steps towards achieving self-reliance in the defence manufacturing sector.