New Delhi: For the first time, the National Cadet Corps (NCC) will host its annual republic day parade in the evening next year — at Delhi’s Cariappa Parade Ground on 28 January.
The parade, which was previously held in the morning, will also include a drone show.
Sources in the defence and security establishment said the show’s theme would be Ek Bharat, Shresth Bharat. The drones have all been indigenously manufactured, they said.
The parade will culminate with the Prime Minister’s address at the annual event.
Marking a change from standard practice, the parade this year will include march-pasts by five NCC contingents, instead of the usual 17. These will include one horse-mounted and one youth-exchange programme contingent, sources added.
The parade will also see the distribution of the Prime Minister’s Best Cadet Award, along with a photo opportunity of the winners with the PM. A specially-minted coin will also be released to mark 75 years of the NCC, sources added.
The annual NCC Republic Day Parade is the culmination of the NCC Republic Day Camp. The NCC camp in turn marks the end of all NCC training activities. Every year, 1,850 cadets from 17 directorates attend the NCC camp. At the camp, instructors from the Indian Army put the cadets through rigorous training and drills.
The NCC is the largest uniformed youth organisation in the world. It was raised in 1948 and celebrated its 74th anniversary on 27 November, this year.
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