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Vande Mataram Gets Special Place at 80th Independence Day

Red Fort Ready for 80th Independence Day as Vande Mataram Takes Centre Stage

The Red Fort will host India’s 80th Independence Day celebrations on August 15, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled to lead the national ceremony and hoist the Tricolour from the historic ramparts.

This year’s programme will carry two main themes: 150 years of the National Song, Vande Mataram, and the role of young Indians in the government’s Yuva Shakti for Viksit Bharat@2047 vision. For the first time, Vande Mataram will be performed as part of the Independence Day ceremony at the Red Fort.

The programme is part of the year-long national commemoration of 150 years of Vande Mataram. The celebration began in November 2025 and has been organised in phases, with the August 7 to 15 period forming the third major phase alongside the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign. The final phase is scheduled for November 1 to 7, 2026.

A ceremony led by the armed forces

The formal proceedings will begin with the Prime Minister’s arrival at the Red Fort. He will be received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh.

The Defence Secretary will introduce Lieutenant General Rajesh Sethi, General Officer Commanding of Delhi Area. Lt Gen Sethi will escort the Prime Minister to the saluting base, where a combined guard drawn from the three armed forces and Delhi Police will present a general salute.

The Prime Minister will then inspect the Guard of Honour.

The contingent will include one officer and 24 personnel each from the Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force and Delhi Police. The Indian Army is coordinating this year’s Independence Day ceremony.

The Guard of Honour will be commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Arjun Singh. The Army contingent will be led by Major Aditya Sharma, the Navy contingent by Lieutenant Commander Neelam Rana, the Air Force contingent by Squadron Leader Vipin Kumar, and the Delhi Police contingent by Additional DCP Vineet Kumar.

Lt Gen Sethi will then accompany the Prime Minister to the ramparts, where senior defence leaders will receive him. They include Chief of Defence Staff General NS Raja Subramani, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan and Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth.

Flag hoisting and 21-gun salute

The Prime Minister will hoist the National Flag with assistance from Captain Sonia Singh Chauhan. The flag ceremony will coincide with a 21-gun salute fired by the 1721 Field Battery (Ceremonial).

The battery will use indigenous 105mm Light Field Guns. Major Pawan Singh Shekhawat will command the ceremonial battery, while Naib Subedar Anuthosh Sarkar, an Assistant Instructor in Gunnery, will serve as the Gun Position Officer.

The use of Indian-made artillery for the national ceremony also reflects a change seen in recent Independence Day ceremonies. In 2022, Prime Minister Modi noted that an Indian-made gun had fired the ceremonial salute at the Red Fort for the first time after 75 years.

The National Flag Guard will comprise one officer and 32 other ranks each from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Delhi Police. Major Lokendra Singh Shekhawat will command the Inter-Services and Police Guard.

The Army unit will be commanded by Major Vikas Yadav, the Naval unit by Lieutenant Commander Abhilash, the Air Force unit by Squadron Leader Umesh G, and the Delhi Police unit by Additional DCP Vikas Meena.

Once the Tricolour is hoisted, the guard will present the Rashtriya Salute.

Vande Mataram gets a special place

The musical part of the ceremony will carry special meaning this year. The Army band, made up of one Junior Commissioned Officer and 25 other ranks, will play Vande Mataram, with Subedar Ishwar Singh conducting the band.

People present at the Red Fort will sing the National Song before the National Anthem is played.

The decision comes during the 150th anniversary year of Vande Mataram, written by Bankim Chandra Chatterji. Government records state that the song is believed to have been written in 1875 and first appeared in the literary journal Bangadarshan as part of his novel Anandamath. It was later published as a book in 1882.

The song became closely associated with India’s freedom movement. Rabindranath Tagore sang Vande Mataram at the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress in Calcutta. On August 15, 1947, Pandit Omkarnath Thakur broadcast the song over All India Radio after receiving an invitation from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

After Independence, Vande Mataram retained a special constitutional and ceremonial position. On January 24, 1950, Dr Rajendra Prasad, then President of the Constituent Assembly, stated that the song, because of its historic role in the freedom struggle, would receive equal honour with Jana Gana Mana, the National Anthem.

Youth and the 2047 target

The other major theme of this year’s ceremony is Yuva Shakti for Viksit Bharat@2047. The focus places young Indians within the government’s longer-term goal of making India a developed country by 2047, the centenary year of Independence.

The theme follows the direction of Prime Minister Modi’s 2025 Independence Day address, when he spoke at length about the 2047 vision and issues including technology, defence production, energy, agriculture and youth participation. His 2025 address lasted 103 minutes.

The 2026 ceremony therefore brings together two timelines. Vande Mataram represents a song that emerged during the freedom movement 150 years ago, while the youth theme points towards India’s stated development target for the next two decades.

For those gathered at the Red Fort on August 15, the sequence will remain familiar: the Prime Minister’s arrival, the military salute, inspection of the Guard of Honour, flag hoisting, the 21-gun salute, Vande Mataram and the National Anthem. The details, however, give this year’s ceremony a distinct place in the ongoing 150-year commemoration of the National Song.

Special Guests

Approx. 5,000 Special Guests, from different walks of life, have been invited to witness the celebrations at Red Fort this year. These include:

International Yoga Day Volunteers
Women Entrepreneurs under PM Mudra Yojana
Beneficiaries under NAMASTE, PM AJAY, SEED
Best performing MY Bharat Volunteers
Best performing beneficiaries of PMAY(U)
Street vendors under PM SVANidhi
Urban sanitation workers under Swachh Bharat Mission
Best performing Delhi Metro workers
Best performing workers of Kartavya Path/Central Vista
Youth innovators under National Innovation Programmes
Best Innovators/Scientists in different fields
Sarthi/Cab Driver/Taxi Drivers of Bharat Taxi in Delhi
Best interns under Prime Minister Internship Scheme
Best performing start-ups supported under various schemes
Best performing Youth trained under PM Kaushal Vikas Yojana
Best performing start-ups supported under Start-up India Seed Fund
Nursing Orderlies (Ward Attendants) and other staff of Government Hospitals in Delhi
PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana beneficiaries
Artisans under PM Vishwakarma scheme
Best performing beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan (PM-SYM) Yojana
Best performing farmers under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY)
Best performing students of various quizzes, competitions, etc of Delhi government schools

Over 1,500 people from various States/Union Territories dressed in traditional attire have also been invited to witness the grand ceremony.

Public Convenience

Provision of cloak room: The availability of cloak rooms was applauded by visitors during Republic Day Celebrations. For the ease of users, 25 cloak rooms at six locations have been installed for the forthcoming Independence Day Celebrations.
Volunteers at helpdesk: 200 volunteers – 100 from NCC & 100 from ‘MY Bharat’ – will assist visitors along with police personnel in reaching the enclosures. The volunteers can be identified on the way to the Red Fort.
Provision of Wheelchairs: NCC cadets will be present at metro stations and parking areas for all the visitors who need assistance with wheelchairs.
Metro Services: Metro will be operational from 4 AM on 15th August for people to reach the venue. Metro Services will be provided free of cost to all invitees. Metro QR codes are being provided with the e-invitation.
Parking facility at Parade Ground: Parking facility will be available for visitors with valid parking/labels.
Ramp facility for pedestrians: To facilitate smooth movement of pedestrians from upper Subhash Marg to lower Subhash Marg, more robust ramps and stairs have been installed.
Use of Google & Mappls Maps: On the day of the main event, traffic restrictions will be available on Google & Mappls Maps to facilitate the citizens.
Invitation Card: This year, the invitation card depicts the Seva Teerth & Dharam Chakra.
Rain Ponchos: Owing to the unpredictable weather conditions on the day of the main ceremony, rain ponchos will be provided to all invitees in Madhav Das Park and August 15 Park in addition to the dignitaries at the Rampart.

Names of Enclosures

To end VIP culture and underscore the importance of water conservation, the seating enclosures were named after rivers in Republic Day 2026. For the Independence Day Celebrations, the names of the seating enclosures have been named after major lakes of India. These include Badkhal, Bhimtal, Chandratal, Chilika, Dalpat Sagar, Dimna, Dudhsagar, Haflong, Harike, Hussain Sagar, Kanwar, Kankaria, Kolleru, Loktak, Lonar, Pangong Tso, Pulicat, Pushkar, Rabindra Sarobar, Ramgarh Tal, Rudrasagar, Sakhya Sagar, Shanti Sagar, Vembanad and Wular.

Swachhata Campaign

This year, a post-event Swachhata Campaign is being organised at Red Fort involving NCC cadets and MY Bharat Volunteers. The objective of the campaign is to ensure systematic plogging and prompt removal of garbage after dispersal of spectators right after the ceremony at Red Fort.

Drainage Management

In view of potential rainfall during the Independence Day Ceremony, several measures have been taken to prevent water overflow. Drainage and sewage systems in and around the Red Fort and nearby premises are being thoroughly cleaned.

Competitions

In the run-up to Independence Day, quizzes and competitions were conducted by the Ministry of Defence in collaboration with MyGov. The details of the competitions are as follows:

Essay Competition on ‘Role of AI in building a Viksit Bharat by 2047’
Painting Competition on ‘India 1947 vs India 2047’
Online quiz contests on ‘Constitution of India – Fundamental rights, duties, key articles and makers’; Women in India’s Freedom Movement – From Rani Lakshmibai to Sarojini Naidu and beyond; Major milestones of Modern India: Technological progress and achievements in Space Technology; and India’s success story in Nuclear Technology

Around 600 winners of the competitions will also be part of the celebrations. Other Ministries/Department, Govt. of NCT of Delhi and Delhi Police also organised the following online quizzes and activities:

Education Department, Govt. of NCT of Delhi: My Bharat Collage Competition; Salute the Heroes – Wall Display Activity; Cultural Fusion Performances/Competitions; Quiz Relay; Recycled Tricolour Art Activity; Tiranga Cyclothon; Tiranga Run; Tiranga Walkathon; Har Ghar Tiranga
Delhi Police: Debate competition on True Patriotism; Patriotic song singing competition; Essay writing and quiz competition on freedom Fighters; Slogan writing and creative writing competition on National Integrity; Poster making and painting competition on ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’; Street play on National Unity; Awareness programmes against drug abuse; Women’s safety and self-defence programme; Cyber awareness and cyber security programme; and ‘Unity in Diversity’ cultural programme.

Band Performances

To promote patriotic fervour among citizens and celebrate Independence Day, many band performances are being held at 343 prominent locations across the country. The performances are being carried out by the bands of Army, Navy, Air Force, Indian Coast Guard, NCC, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Border Security Force (BSF), Integrated Defence Staff (IDS), Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Assam Rifles. Entry to these band performance venues is open to the public.