India celebrates Republic Day on January 26 every year to mark the day the constitution was adopted in 1950, after the country gained independence from Britain three years earlier.
Republic Day has become an occasion to celebrate India's democratic traditions and military, as well as its cultural and regional diversity.
The 75th Republic day is to be marked by the traditional military and cultural parade in New Delhi, with French President Emmanuel Macron to attend the celebrations as chief guest.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu, the cabinet, opposition leaders and foreign diplomats will also watch the parade along the Kartavya Path – a refurbished 3km boulevard that is a part of Mr Modi’s Central Vista project in the heart of the capital.
What does Republic Day signify?
After gaining independence on August 15, 1947, India remained under the British Commonwealth, with the UK's monarch as its head of state.
But the leaders of India’s independence movement, including Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, believed the country should be a sovereign, democratic republic. After Mr Nehru became the first prime minister of an independent India, his government began to draft a constitution.
The constitution was officially adopted on January 26, 1950.
How does India celebrate Republic Day?
Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi begin with a 21-gun salute, followed by the President hoisting the national flag. The national anthem is also sung. It is a tradition to pay homage to soldiers killed in action.
A large part of the Republic Day parade is dedicated to showing India's military capabilities. The parade usually begins with the winners of gallantry awards saluting the President, commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces, from military vehicles.
This is often followed by a display of fighter jets, missiles and other military hardware. Members of the army, navy, air force, police and paramilitary forces then march along the route.
One of the highlights of the parade has always been the soldiers mounted on camels. The troops usually patrol India's border with Pakistan, in the Thar Desert. The army's motorcycle stunt riders also perform.
This year, a 95-member contingent from the French Foreign Legion and a 33-member band from France will march down the Kartavya Path.
The military display gives way to floats that put a spotlight on the culture and history of various states and regions, while there are also performances by musicians and dancers.
Thousands of schoolchildren take part in the event, performing dances and cultural activities as they pass along the route connecting India Gate to the President’s residence. Other events are held on a smaller scale in India's state capitals.
Who attends the Republic Day celebrations?
Many high-profile figures from around the world have attended Republic Day celebrations over the years. The chief guest is usually a head of state and their invitation is considered to be an opportunity to strengthen ties with New Delhi.
The chief guest at the first Republic Day Celebration in 1950 was Indonesian president Sukarno. King Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah of Nepal attended the following year.
India invited Pakistan's governor general Malik Ghulam Muhammad in 1955. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, attended the 1959 Republic Day celebration, with the UK's Queen Elizabeth II travelling for the event in 1961.
Chief of Defence Staff Lord Louis Mountbatten, viceroy of colonial India in 1947 and its governor general until 1948, was invited to be chief guest for Republic Day in 1964.
King Mohammad Zahir Shah of Afghanistan was the chief guest in 1967. Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first post-apartheid president, was chief guest in 1995.
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah was the chief guest in 2006, followed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2007 and French president Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008.
India invited Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe in 2014 and US president Barack Obama in 2015. In 2017, New Delhi sent an invitation to the UAE's President Sheikh Mohamed, who was Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces at the time.
British prime minister Boris Johnson was to be chief guest in 2021 but was unable to attend because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site
The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
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Can NRIs vote in the election?
Indians residing overseas cannot cast their ballot abroad
Non-resident Indians or NRIs can vote only by going to a polling booth in their home constituency
There are about 3.1 million NRIs living overseas
Indians have urged political parties to extend the right to vote to citizens residing overseas
A committee of the Election Commission of India approved of proxy voting for non-resident Indians
Proxy voting means that a person can authorise someone residing in the same polling booth area to cast a vote on his behalf.
This option is currently available for the armed forces, police and government officials posted outside India
A bill was passed in the lower house of India’s parliament or the Lok Sabha to extend proxy voting to non-resident Indians
However, this did not come before the upper house or Rajya Sabha and has lapsed
The issue of NRI voting draws a huge amount of interest in India and overseas
Over the past few months, Indians have received messages on mobile phones and on social media claiming that NRIs can cast their votes online
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The Election Commission lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police asking it to clamp down on the people spreading misinformation
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