Troops rehearse for 75th Republic Day Parade amid biting cold

New Delhi [India], January 2 : Braving the bitter cold and the early-morning fog, the forces were seen marching to drumbeats during dress rehearsals for the 75th Republic Day parade at the Kartavya Path in the national capital on Saturday.

Undeterred by the sharp chill in the air on a day when the city recorded a minimum temperature of 10°C, the soldiers were seen matching steps with characteristic discipline and accord.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier extended a formal invitation to French President Emmanuel Macron to be the Chief Guest at the 75th Republic Day function.
"My Dear Friend President Emmanuel Macron, we eagerly look forward to receiving you as the Chief Guest at the 75th Republic Day. We will also celebrate India-France strategic partnership and shared belief in democratic values. Bientot!" PM Modi posted from his official X handle earlier. inviting the French President to the main event.
The Delhi Police, meanwhile, has been conducting mock drills as part of its security preparedness for Republic Day.
Meanwhile, a total of 2,274 cadets from all 28 States and eight Union Territories will participate in the month-long National Cadet Corps (NCC) Republic Day Camp 2024.
With 907 girls, this year's camp will see the largest participation of girls cadets.
Camp 2024 commenced at the Cariappa Parade Ground, Delhi Cantt, with Sarva Dharma Puja on December 30, 2023.
This diverse participation includes 122 cadets from Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, apart from 171 from the North-Eastern Region, effectively portraying a microcosm of 'Mini India'.
After an allegation by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann about discrimination over the selection of tableaux for the Republic Day Parade 2024, Ministry of Defence sources on Sunday said that the Punjab tableau did not align with the "broader themes" of this year's tableau.
According to the sources, the tableau proposal of Punjab was considered in the first three rounds of meetings of the Expert Committee.
After the third round of meetings, the tableau of Punjab could not be taken forward by the Expert Committee for further consideration for not aligning with the broader themes of this year's tableau, said the sources.
Furthermore, as per the MoD sources, West Bengal's sources were also rejected for the same reasons.
While the tableau proposal of West Bengal was considered in the first two rounds of meetings of the Expert Committee,. After the second round of meetings, the tableau of West Bengal could not be taken forward by the Expert Committee for further consideration for not aligning with the broader themes of this year's tableau, the sources added.
For Republic Day Parade 2024, 30 States/UTs had shown their willingness to participate in the parade including the State of Punjab and West Bengal, the sources said.
Out of these 30 States/UTs, like every year, only 15-16 States/UTs will be finally selected to present their tableaux in the Republic Day Parade 2024, it added