The Indian Army is celebrating its 76th Army Day in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, today, January 15, 2024. This is the second consecutive year the Army Day parade moved outside the National Capital.
Last year, the Army parade took place at MED & Centre's Parade Ground, Bengaluru. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh with Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath and Governor Anandi Ben Patel, attended the Army Parade as chief guests in Lucknow.
Why is Army Day celebrated?
On January 15, KM Cariappa took charge of the Indian Army from General Sir Francis Roy Bucher in 1949, who was the last British-serving Army chief.
KM Cariappa became the first-ever Indian General to command the Army in its long eventful journey. Later, General Cariappa also became the Field Marshal of India.
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KM Cariappa, who is popularly known as Kipper, received King's commission in 1919 and was part of the first group of Indian cadets at the Royal Military College in Sandhurst, UK. He was the first Indian who attended Staff College in Quetta and the first one to command a battalion.
In 1942, Cariappa raised the 7th Rajput Machine Gun which was later known as 17 Rajput. He was conferred with Field Marshal Rank in 1986 and passed away in 1993 at the age of 94.
Army Day 2024: Theme
Indian Army Day 2024 theme is “In Service of the Nation”. It majorly focuses on the essence of the Army revealing the fact that our soldiers symbolise unwavering dedication, commitment and professionalism.
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The 2024 theme also resembles the motto of the Indian Army, which reads "Service Before Self." The motto means that soldiers should always prioritise the safety and security of our Nation and inspire the youth to have love and respect for the Nation.
Use of AI in Army Parade
The Army Day parade is going to be special this year as "Best Marching Contingent" will be selected with the help of Artificial intelligence.
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There is a pattern in doing drills as they have to raise their hands and legs to a certain level doing their movement with the weapon within a certain timeframe. All the movements of each individual will be captured with a camera, and then computer software using artificial intelligence will give marks. However, the software will be supervised by humans.