PM Modi will unfurl the flag at 7.30 am and will then address the nation. (File)
India will celebrate its 77th Independence Day today with Prime Minister Narendra Modi unfurling the flag at Delhi's iconic Red Fort. There are expectations that PM Modi will make some key announcements ahead of next year's general election.
Here are the top 10 points in this big story:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unfurl the flag at 7.30 am and will then address the nation. Cabinet ministers, political leaders, all three service chiefs and bureaucrats are expected to be present for the occasion.
This year will mark the culmination of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav – a government initiative to mark 75 years of Independence which started in 2021.
A bi-partisan delegation of US lawmakers is expected attend and hear the Prime Minister's address. The G20 logo will be part of floral decorations at the Red Fort.
Around 1,800 people from different professions -- nurses, sarpanches of Vibrant Villages, teachers, farmers, and fishermen -- have been invited as special guests for the programme in line with the government's vision of "Jan Bhagidari".
The "Har Ghar Tiranga" programme – encouraging people to display the national flag in their home – continues this year too. PM Modi has encouraged people to change their social media profile image and use one featuring the national flag.
The government has installed a number of selfie points across Delhi to highlight its various initiatives. The spots include National War Memorial, India Gate, New Delhi Railway Station, Pragati Maidan and Raj Ghat. The Defence ministry is conducting an online selfie contest on the MyGov portal from August 15-20.
The celebrations at the Red Fort will be held under strict security, with the deployment of 1,000 facial recognition cameras, anti-drone systems, and over 10,000 police personnel. Unlike the last few years, there will be no Covid restrictions, news agency Press Trust of India quoted senior police officer Dependra Pathak as saying.
In his Independence Day address in 2018 – ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections -- PM Modi had rolled out the world's largest government-funded healthcare programme, the Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Scheme.
In her address to the country on Monday evening, President of India Droupadi Murmu she wants the daughters of India "to move forward" and be able to "face every challenge". "I am happy to note that the economic empowerment of women is being given special focus in our country," she said.
She also underscored the right to equality granted by the Constitution, saying, "Each Indian is an equal citizen, each one has equal opportunity, rights and duties in this land".
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