Republic Day 2019: 'Nari shakti', military might on display at parade

India's 70th Republic Day: Theme for the Republic Day celebrations this year was the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Catch LIVE updates on R-Day celebrations

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Pranab Mukherjee, Bhupen Hazarika, Nanaji Deshmukh awarded Bharat Ratna

While Hazarika is an Assamese icon, Mukherjee — the first Bengali to be the President of India — is considered an icon in Bengal. Hazarika, who passed away in 2011, was a renowned musician, singer and lyricist. He was a legislator of the Assam Assembly from Nauboicha constituency from 1967 to 1972, having contested as an independent. The award to Hazarika comes at a time the BJP runs a government in Assam — its first-ever in the state. Hazarika, born in 1926, was conferred with the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 1987, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1992 and the Padma Vibhushan posthumously in 2012. Read on...

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Traffic restrictions in Delhi for smooth conduct of Republic Day parade

Elaborate traffic arrangements and restrictions have been put in place in Delhi for smooth conduct of the Republic Day parade between Vijay Chowk and Red Fort Grounds.

 

Metro services will be available for commuters at all stations on Republic Day, but there will be no boarding and de-boarding at Central Secretariat and Udyog Bhawan stations from 5 am till 12 noon.

 

Boarding and de-boarding will not be allowed between 8.45am to 12 noon at Lok Kalyan Marg (Race Course) and Patel Chowk metro stations, they said. The parade will start at 9.50am from Vijay Chowk and pass through Rajpath, Tilak Marg, Bahadur Shah Zafar (BSZ) Marg, Netaji Subhash Marg and proceed for the Red Fort.

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Police are using counter-drone technology to thwart any attack

The police are also using counter-drone technology to thwart any attack or identify any suspicious flying object, a senior police officer said.

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Anti-aircraft guns, SWAT women commandos, snipers deployed in Delhi for security on Republic Day

SWAT women commandos, mobile hit teams, snipers are among the varied layers of security under which the national capital has been placed for the Republic Day celebrations. Elaborate measures, including deployment of anti-aircraft guns, were put in place to secure the airspace.

 

Mobile hit teams, anti-aircraft guns and sharpshooters have also been deployed to keep a watch on the eight-km-long parade route from Rajpath to the Red Fort, besides the nearby localities. Thirty-six women commandos of the Delhi Police's Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) unit, who were formally inducted in August last year, will also be part of the security arrangements.

 

Parakram vans, that are manned by NSG-trained commandos, had been patrolling strategic locations to ensure that security is not jeopardised. Snipers have been stationed atop high-rise buildings while scores of CCTV cameras are keeping a tight vigil on people's movements on the parade route. Nearly 25,000 security personnel drawn from the Delhi Police and central security forces were deployed in Central Delhi.

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