NSG to make debut at Republic Day parade, Indo-Tibetan Border Police to be absent

The NSG, an elite counter-terror force raised in 1984, will make their debut in the parade this year and have the famed Black Cat Commandos marching in the parade.

Guardians of India’s frontiers, the Border Security Force (BSF), the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) will not be participating in the Republic Day parade this year, a defence ministry official said on Tuesday.

NSG Commandos during the rehearsal ahead of the Republic Day parade in New Delhi. (PTI)

However, the multi-hued caparisoned Camel Contingent of the BSF will, as usual, walk down Rajpath.

BSF's camel-mounted contingent during a rehearsal at Rajpath ahead of the Republic Day parade, in New Delhi.

Five contingents from the forces under the home ministry will be participating in the Republic Day parade this year, according to the official. These contingents will be from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Delhi Police, BSF’s Camel Contingent and the elite National Security Guard (NSG).

NSG Commandos during a rehearsal ahead of the Republic Day parade.

This is the second year in a row that the ITBP and the SSB will be missing from the Republic Day parade.

Home ministry officials, however, said a decision on participation in the parade is a prerogative of the Defence Ministry, and called it a “routine matter”.

With Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan as the chief guest at the parade this year, a marching contingent from the United Arab Emirates is also likely to participate, though a confirmation has not been received yet in this regard, the official added.

Altogether, there will be 23 tableaux -- 17 from different states and six from the ministries, apart from those of the armed forces.