Republic Day 2020 LIVE Updates: Parade displays Indian forces' prowess, states' pride

The 71st Republic Day celebrations are set to begin shortly in Delhi. The entire national capital has been put under a multi-layered, ground-to-air security cover with thousands of armed personnel keeping a tight vigil over it, including the celebration venue Rajpath.

President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be celebrating the occasion along with chief guest, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, and other dignitaries, besides thousands of citizens at Rajpath. Over ten thousand security personnel have been deployed to keep vigil over the Republic Day celebrations on Sunday, said officials.

This year's Republic day parade will witness 22 tableaux — six by central ministries and departments and 16 by states and Union Territories, out of the 56 proposals received. The states shortlisted are: Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Meghalaya, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh.

Prior to the 90-minute Republic Day ceremony, PM Modi will visit the  National War Memorial which houses the names of soldiers who laid down their lives for the country post-independence and was inaugurated in February 2019. Notably, this is for the first time that the prime minister would pay homage to martyrs at the National War Memorial instead of Amar Jawan Jyoti. After paying tributes to the martyrs, PM Modi and others would head to the Rajpath for the celebrations.

The National Flag will be unfurled followed by the National Anthem with a booming 21-gun salute. During the celebration at Rajpath, India's military might, cultural diversity, social and economic progress will be displayed during the 71st Republic Day celebrations. For the first time, a contingent of women bikers of CRPF will perform daredevil stunts. The Dhanush artillery will also be displayed for the first time during the Republic Day parade.

(With PTI inputs)