New Delhi: Amid the scare of a new coronavirus strain detected in the United Kingdom (UK), the Indian government has decided fewer people will be permitted to witness the Republic Day parade at Rajpath. The parade is going to be shorter, with smaller marching contingents.
Close to 25,000 observers will be permitted at Rajpath this year, contrasted with more than 100,000 individuals who as a rule turn up for the parade that grandstands India’s military may and social variety. Kids under the age of 15 won’t be allowed at the parade.
The size of the marching contingents from the military and the para-military will likewise be smaller. These crews will just have 96 members contrasted with 144 in the conventional course, authorities said. The abbreviated course of the procession will see it end at the National Stadium rather than the Red Fort, the authorities stated, adding that the number of social projects will likewise be less.
The Independence Day festivities were additionally quieted because of the pandemic this year, with fewer VIPs going to the August 15 occasion at Delhi’s Red Fort while schoolchildren skipped it inside and out.
The Republic Day 2020 parade displayed a few firsts. Unexpectedly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid a wreath at the National War Memorial. Until 2019, recognitions were paid to saints at the Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate. The Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) exhibited its anti-satellite weapon for the first time.