Republic Day is celebrated with pride and grandeur every year, with ceremonious parades at the prestigious Rajpath in the National Capital. After gaining independence from the British on August 15, 1947, India was an independent dominion in the British Commonwealth of Nations. King George VI was still officially recognised as the state head of India. It was only after the constitution of India came into effect on January 26, 1950, that Bharat became a federal, democratic republic within the commonwealth, abolishing the monarchy.
The constitution was drafted by a drafting committee appointed by the Constituent Assembly, with Dr BR Ambedkar as the chairman. January 26 marks the day the Constitution of India came into effect. The date was picked as the day for the Indian book of law to come into force is because back during the independence struggle in 1929, during the Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress, when Jawaharlal Nehru was elected president, a resolution was passed demanding complete independence for the first time. The day, January 26, was declared 'Purna Swaraj Diwas'. As an honour to first Independence Day, members of the constituent assembly decided to enforce the constitution on January 26.
The parade of valour
The annual Republic Day parade which is organised every year puts the Indian might and culture on display. The event is telecast live on the public service broadcaster Doordarshan. Elaborate preparations have taken place ahead of the event. This year's parade has several special sets of performances and appearances.
16 Courageous children to be awarded the National Bravery Awards 2018
16 brave children have been selected from different parts of the country to be awarded the National Bravery Award. Given away every year under the aegis of the Indian Council for Child Welfare, winners of the awards will also participate in the march. This year, the children have been selected from 13 states, namely Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Mizoram, Karnataka, Punjab, Meghalaya, Odisha, Nagaland, Gujarat, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, and Uttarakhand. Four of the selected children will be awarded posthumously.
Recipients of the awards are given a medal, certificate and a cash prize. They are also given financial assistance to complete their schooling. The first award was presented to two children in 1958 by then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. One of the first recipient, Harish Chandra was honoured for saving the lives of hundreds of people trapped in tent that caught fire due to a short circuit at Delhi's Ramlila groun where Nehru was watching a performance.
