Hyderabad: As India celebrates 75th anniversary of the Republic Day on January 26 to commemorate the framing of the country's own constitution, here is a look at the history of the special day, amendments to the constitution over the years and the chief guests from various countries to attend the event.
Republic Day, 2025
Though India became a free nation on August 15, 1947, it declared itself a Sovereign, Democratic and Republic state with the adoption of the Constitution on January 26, 1950.
A salute of 21 guns and the unfurling of the Indian National Flag by Dr. Rajendra Prasad heralded the historic birth of the Indian Republic on that day. Thereafter 26th of January was decreed a national holiday and was recognised as the Republic Day of India.
The Constitution gave the citizens of India the power to choose their own government and paved the way for democracy. Dr. Rajendra Prasad took oath as the first President of India at the Durbar Hall in Government House and this was followed by the Presidential drive along a five-mile route to the Irwin Stadium, where he unfurled the National Flag.
History of Republic Day of India
Dr BR Ambedkar was appointed the head of the drafting committee on August 28, 1947, with one objective - draft a permanent and organised constitution for India. The committee went back to its roots and referred to the Government of India Act, 1935. 141 days into working on it, a first draft of the constitution was submitted to the Assembly on November 4, 1947.
The basic five lines of principles the committee confined itself to were - the country being a Republican State, a Parliamentary form of government, a Federal structure, Fundamental Rights, an independent judicial branch.
Assembly sessions took place 166 days, for a period of two years, that were also open to the public. After a plethora of discussions, amendments and hard work, on January 24, 1950, 616 signatures were made by 308 members of the Assembly on the two hand-written copies (Hindi and English) of the final draft of Constitution of India.
After two days, on January 26, 1950, the longest written Constitution of the world that incorporated 448 Articles in 22 Parts, 12 Schedules, and 97 Amendments, was validated and found effect across every corner of the country.
The then President of Indonesia, Sukarno was the first Guest of Honour in India for the Republic Day celebration in 1950. On this day, the original handwritten copies of the Constitution are kept in helium-filled cases in the Library of Parliament House. Since then India celebration, January 26 has been celebrated as Republic Day.
Significance of Republic Day
Jawaharlal Nehru's Indian National Congress announced the Purna Swaraj movement on January 26, 1930. Even though this occurred a long time before India gained its independence, it set the stage for the country's struggle for liberty. In order to commemorate that momentous declaration and link India's fight for independence with its future as a republic, January 26 was selected as the date for the Constitution's drafting.
Republic Day 2025 Theme
The theme of Republic Day 2025 is Swarnim Bharat – Virasat aur Vikas' (Golden India – Heritage and Development), reflecting India's rich cultural heritage and its ongoing journey of progress its rich cultural legacy.
Republic Day 2025 chief guest
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will be the chief guest for Republic Day 2025, marking a significant milestone in the 75th anniversary.
Importance of Republic Day:
Republic Day is one of the most important National events in India. Republic Day is not just a commemoration of India's constitutional journey but is also a testament to its resilience, diversity, and commitment to democratic ideals.
Republic Day marks the day when the constitution of India came into effect, officialy transforming the nation into democratic republic on Jan 26, 1950 and replaced the colonial-era Government of India Act.
The day celebrates India's transition from a dominion under British eulr to a sovereign nation governed by it's own law and principles.
The day reaffirms India's commitment to equality , justice , liberty and secularism , as enshrined in the constitution. It emphasizes the importance of democratic values like public participation and rule of law.
Republic Day of India celebrates the adoption of the Indian Constitution to remind people of the efforts that went into the formation of the Constitution. The constitution of India says that the republic of India is a sovereign, socialist, secular and a democratic republic. The constitution of India assures the citizens their economic and political justice, liberty of thought, expression faith, belief and worship.
Facts of the Indian constitution
Where is the Constitution kept: The Original Copies Are Stored in Special Cases.
The original copies of the Indian Constitution, written in Hindi and English, are kept in special helium-filled cases in the Library of the Parliament of India.
Constitution Written: The original copies of the Indian Constitution were written in Hindi and English. Each member of the Constituent Assembly that drafted the Constitution, signed two copies of the constitution, one in Hindi and the other in English.
The English Version: There are a total of 117,369 words in the English version of the Constitution of India which contains 444 articles in 22 parts, 12 schedules and 115 amendments.
It Is the Longest Constitution in the World: With so much of writing, the Indian Constitution is the longest of any sovereign country in the world. In its current form , it has a Preamble, 22 parts with 448 articles, 12 schedules, 5 appendices and 115 amendments.
The Constitution Wasn’t Typed or Printed: Both the versions of the Constitution, Hindi and English, were handwritten. It is the longest handwritten constitution of any country on earth.
It Was Handwritten by Prem Behari Narain Raizada: The original Constitution of India was handwritten by Prem Behari Narain Raizada in a flowing italic style with beautiful calligraphy. The Constitution was published in Dehradun and photolithographed by the Survey of India.
Each Page Was Decorated by Artists from Shantiniketan: The original Constitution is hand-written, with each page uniquely decorated by artists from Shantiniketan including Beohar Rammanohar Sinha and Nandalal Bose.
Story of our National Flag
Every free nation of the world has its own flag. It is a symbol of a free country. The National Flag of India was adopted in its present form during the meeting of Constituent Assembly held on the 22 July 1947, a few days before India's independence from the British on 15 August, 1947. It served as the national flag of the Dominion of India between 15 August 1947 and 26 January 1950 and that of the Republic of India thereafter. In India, the term "tricolour" refers to the Indian national flag.
The National flag of India is a horizontal tricolor of deep saffron (kesari) at the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom in equal proportion. The ratio of width of the flag to its length is two to three. In the centre of the white band is a navy blue wheel which represents the chakra. Its design is that of the wheel which appears on the abacus of the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka. Its diameter approximates to the width of the white band and it has 24 spokes.
Award Distribution
Every year on the Republic Day, the Indian President bestows Padma Awards on Indian civilians. After the Bharat Ratna, these are India’s second highest civilian honours. In decreasing order of importance, these honours are granted in three categories: Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri.
1. Padma Vibhushan: for “distinguished and excellent service” The Padma Vibhushan is India’s second highest civilian honour.
2. Padma Bhushan: for “distinguished high-level service”. The Padma Bhushan is India’s third highest civilian honour.
3. Padma Shri: in recognition of “distinguished service”. Padma Shri is India’s fourth highest civilian honour.
Republic Day: Key Facts
Every year on the Republic Day eve, the Rashtrapati Bhawan gets illuminated by electronic lightings and recently the building has been illuminated with dynamic façade lightings which change its color every few seconds to a 1.6 crore colour combinations.
21 gun salutes are given every year when the President of India hoists the national flag on republic Day to mark the honour.
There is rule that the President of country would address on the Republic Day whereas the Prime Minister of the country would address on the Independence Day.
A garland is placed at Amar Jawan Jyoti at every national occasion by the Prime Minister to pay tribute to the brave soldiers of India who had sacrificed their lives in fighting for the Indian Independence.
Republic day of India is a great when all the deserving candidates are honoured with bravery awards such as Param Veer Chakra, Maha Veer Chakra, Veer Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Ashoka Chakra.
President Sukarno of Indonesia was the first chief guest at the first Republic Day Celebration of India on 26th of January, 1950.
Malik Gulam Mohammed (first governor general of Pakistan) was the first chief guest of the Rajpath parade in 1955 (Republic Day Parade was started first time).
26th January: The date has a history behind it
The date is mentioned in the history related to the mass movement demanding “Purna Swaraj” (Complete Independence) during 1929-30.
On one side Mahatma Gandhi was demanding gradual freedom starting from the domination status and on the other side Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose were demanding immediate and complete freedom.
Finally, Nehru was elected as President and along with Sardar Patel, Rajaji and Gandhi, the Indian Declaration of Independence was drafted and on 31st December 1929, Nehru hoisted the tricolor flag with Gandhi charkha in centre.
On 26th January 1930, Purna Swaraj was publicly issued and 26th January was celebrated as “Indian Independence Day” for the next 17 years.
The Government of India Act 1935 was originally passed in August 1935 and is said to be the longest Act of (British) Parliament ever enacted by that time. The 1935 Act was the second installment of constitutional reforms passed by British Parliament for implementing the ideal of responsible government in India.
In 1947, we requested the British to grant freedom on the same date but Lord Mountbatten choose 15th August.
This was the reason when the constitution was formed, the date to declare it, was chosen as 26th January 1950.
Vande Mataram was adopted on 24th January 1950 as the National Song of India. The song is taken from the poem of the patriotic novel ‘Anandmath’ written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. Only the two verses of the poem have been adopted as the national song of India.
The National Emblem was adopted on 26 January 1950 – the day India was declared a republic with its Constitution coming into effect. A representation of Lion Capital of Ashoka was initially adopted as the emblem of the Dominion of India in December 1947. The current version of the emblem was officially adopted on 26 January 1950, the day India became a republic.
Important Amendments In Constitution
India's constitution is neither rigid nor flexible. Parliament is empowered to amend the Indian Constitution under Article 368, subjected to ‘Basic structure of Constitution’. It is done in three ways:
1. By simple majority
2. By special majority
3. By special majority with ratification by half of the states.
Important Amendments in the Indian Constitution
First Constitutional Amendment Act, 1951
Added Ninth schedule to protect land reforms and other laws from the scrutiny of Judicial review.
Insertion of new Article 31A and Article 31 B.
Amended Article 19 by adding three more ground of reasonable restriction on freedom of speech and expression.
Seventh Constitutional Amendment Act, 1956
State reorganization on a linguistic basis. Abolished classification of states into four categories and reorganized them into 14 states and 6 UTs.
Appointment of a Governor for two or more states.
Establishment of common High Court for two or more states, extended jurisdiction of the High Court to union territories. Appointment of additional and acting judges of High Court.
Insertion of new Article 350 A (instruction in mother-tongue at primary education to children belonging to linguistic minority) and 350B (Special Officer for linguistic minorities is provided) in part XVII.
Eighth Constitutional Amendment Act, 1960
Extended reservation of seats for the SCs and STs and special representation for Anglo-Indians in the Lok Sabha and state legislature.
Twenty-Fourth Constitutional Amendment Act, 1971
Amended Article 368 and Article 13, affirming the power of Parliament to amend any part of the Constitution including fundamental rights.
When an amendment to the Constitution adopted by both Houses of Parliament is submitted to the President for his approval, he is obliged to give his consent.
Twenty-Fifth Constitutional Amendment Act, 1971
Curtailment of the fundamental right to property.
Insertion of new Article 31 C, which provides that if any law is passed in order to give result to the DPSP contained in 39(b) and (c), that law will not be considered to be void on the ground that it removes or reduces any of the rights under Article 14, 19 or 31 and will not be challenged on the ground that it doesn't give effect to those principles.
Twenty-Sixth Constitutional Amendment Act, 1971
Insertion of Article 363 A giving effect to the abolishment of Privy purse paid to former rulers of princely states.
Forty-Second Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976
Amendment in Preamble by addition of three words- ‘Socialist’, ‘Secular’ and ‘Integrity’.
Addition of new Part IVA (Article 51 A) for fundamental duties.
Insertion of new Article 31 D for saving laws in respect of anti-national activities, taking precedence over fundamental rights.
Insertion of new Article 32 A for Constitutional validity of State laws not to be considered in proceedings under Article 32. Also added Article 226 A for Constitutional validity of Central laws not to be considered in proceedings under Article 226.
Insertion of three new Articles regarding DPSP.
(i) Article 39 A: Free legal aid and Equal justice
(ii)Article 43 A: Participation of workers in the management of industries and
(ii) Article 48 A: Protection and improvement of environment and safeguarding of forests and wildlife.
Curtailment of power of Supreme Court and High Court with respect to judicial review and writ jurisdiction.
Made Constitutional amendment beyond judicial review.
The tenure (period) of Lok Sabha and State Legislative assemblies raised to 6 years by amending Article 83 and Article 172.
Frozen seats in Lok Sabha and State
Parliament is empowered to decide the powers, privileges and immunities of the members and the committees of each House of Parliament and State Legislature by amending Article 105 and Article 194.
Added new Part XIV regarding administrative tribunal and tribunal for other matters under Article 323 A and 323 B.
Addition of new Article 257 A for assistance to States by the deployment of armed forces or other forces of the Union.
Creation of All India Judicial Services under Article 236.
Facilitated a Proclamation of emergency in operation in any part of the territory of India.
Made President bound by the advice of Council of Ministers by amending Article 74.
Amendment in Seventh Schedule by shifting five subjects from the state list to the concurrent list
These are: (a) education, (b) forests, (c) protection of wild animals and birds, (d) weights and measures (e) administration of justice.
Extended one-time duration of President’s rule from six months to one year.
Forty-Fourth Constitutional Amendment Act, 1978
- Substituted term ‘Armed rebellion’ with earlier ‘Internal disturbance’ in case of national emergency.
- President can proclaim emergency only on the basis of written advice tendered by the cabinet.
- Removal of right to property from the list of fundamental right and recognized as a mere legal right.
- Provided that during national emergency fundamental right guaranteed under Article 20 and Article 21 cannot be suspended.
- Restored the original term of Lok Sabha and State Legislative assembly to five years.
- Restored the power of Election Commission in deciding matters related to election dispute of President, Vice-President, Prime Minister and Speaker of Lok Sabha.
- Guaranteed right of the media to report the proceedings in Parliament and the State Legislatures freely and without censorship.
- Set some procedural safeguards with respect to a national emergency and President’s rule.
- Restored the powers of Supreme Court and High Court taken away in earlier amendments.
- In the case of issuing ordinances, the amendment did away with the provision that made the satisfaction of the President or Governor as final justification.
- President can now send back the advice of cabinet for reconsideration. Reconsidered advice, however, is binding on the President.
Sixty-First Constitutional Amendment Act, 1988
Proposed to reduce the voting age from 21 years to 18 years for Lok Sabha and State legislative assembly election.
Sixty-Ninth Constitutional Amendment Act, 1991
Granted the National Capital a special status among the Union territories to ensure stability and permanence. Amendment also provided with a Legislative Assembly and a Council of Ministers for Delhi.
Seventy-Third Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992
Added new Part IX that gave Constitutional status to the Panchayati Raj Institution. Inserted new Eleventh schedule having 29 functions of Panchayat.
Seventy-Fourth Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992
Granted Constitutional status to Urban Local Bodies. Added ‘The Municipalities’ as new Part XI-A in the Constitution. Inserted Twelfth schedule having 18 functions of the municipality.
Eighty-Fourth Constitutional Amendment Act, 2002
Readjustment and rationalization of territorial constituencies, without altering the number of seats allotted in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative assemblies to be fixed on the basis of 1991 census till 2026.
Eighty-sixth Constitutional Amendment Act, 2002
Inserted new Article 21-A in the Constitution which provided for free and compulsory education to all children of the age of 6 to 14 years.
Inserted Article 51-A as a fundamental duty which provided for the education of a child between the age of 6 and 14 years.
Changes in the DPSP Article 45 which provided free and compulsory education for all children up to the age of 14 years.
Eighty-Seventh Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003
Readjustment and rationalization of territorial constituencies in the states to be fixed as per 2001 census instead of earlier 1991 census.
Eighty-Ninth Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003
Creation of two separate bodies out of combined body namely ‘National Commission for Scheduled Castes’ under Article 338 and ‘National Commission for Scheduled Tribes’ under Article 338-A.
Ninety-First Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003
Inserted new clause Article 75 (1A): provides that the total number of ministers, including the PM, in the COM shall not exceed 15% of the total number of members of LS.PM- Prime Minister COM- Council of Ministers LS- Lok Sabha
Inserted fresh clause Article 75 (1B): Provides that a member of either House of Parliament belonging to any political party that is disqualified on grounds of defection from being a member of that House shall also be disqualified from being a Minister.
Provides that the total number of ministers, including the CM, in the COM shall not exceed 15% of the total number of members of the State Legislative Assembly.
CM- Chief Minister COM- Council of Ministers
Inserted new clause Article 164 (1B) which says, a member of Legislative assembly of the State or either House of State Legislature belonging to any political party who is disqualified on the ground of defection for being a member of that House shall also be disqualified to be appointed as a minister.
Removal of the provision in Tenth Schedule pertaining to an exemption from disqualification in case of the split by one-third members of the legislature party.
Ninety-Seventh Constitutional Amendment Act, 2011
- It gave Constitutional protection to Co-operative societies by making the following changes.
- Right to form Co-operative society as a fundamental right under Article 19.
- Insertion of the new Directive Principle of State Policy under Article 43-B for promotion of Co-operative societies.
- Added new Part IX B under the Constitution as ‘The Co-operative societies’ under Article 243-ZH to 243-ZT.
Ninety-Ninth Constitutional Amendment Act, 2014
Insertion of new Article 124-A which provided for the establishment of the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) for the appointment and transfer of judges of the higher judiciary. However, it was later struck down by apex court and held as unconstitutional and void.
Hundredth Constitutional Amendment Act, 2015:
This amendment gave effect to the acquisition of territories by India and transfer of certain territories to Bangladesh in pursuance of the Land Boundary Agreement and its protocol entered into between the Governments of India and Bangladesh.
Hundred and First Constitutional Amendment Act, 2016:
Insertion of new Article 246-A, 269-A and 279-A for enrollment of Goods and Service Tax (GST) that made changes in Seventh Schedule and course of inter-state trade and commerce.
Hundred and Second Constitutional Amendment Act, 2018:
- It provided for the establishment of National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) as a Constitutional body under Article 338-B of the Constitution. It is vested with the responsibility of considering inclusion and exclusion of communities in the list of backward communities for reservation in jobs.
Hundred and Third Constitutional Amendment Act, 2019:
- In relation to the current reservation, the reservation of up to 10% for "economically weaker segments" in academic organizations and government jobs has been made.
- It gives effect to the mandate of the Directive Principle of State Policy under Article 46.
- It added new provisions under Article 15 (6) and Article 16 (6) to permit the government to ensure the advancement of "economically weaker segments."
Hundred and Fourth Amendment Act, 2020: Extended the deadline for the cessation of seats for SCs and STs in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies from seventy years to eighty. Removed the reserved seats for the Anglo-Indian community in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
Hundred and Fifth Amendment Act, 2021: Restored state governments’ power to prepare the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) list.
Hundred and Sixth Amendment Act 2023: This was the women’s reservation bill which reserves one-third of all seats for women in Lok Sabha, State legislative assemblies, and the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, including those reserved for SCs and STs.
15 WOMEN WHO HELPED DRAFT THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION
The Constitution of India was adopted by the elected Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949 and came into effect on 26 January 1950.
The total membership of the Constituent Assembly was 389. While we all remember Dr. B R Ambedkar as the Father of the Constitution and other pioneering male members who helped draft the Indian Constitution, the contribution of the fifteen female members of the Constituent Assembly is easily forgotten.
On this Republic Day, let’s take a look at the powerful women who helped draft our Constitution.
Here is the table with the overlapped words fixed, while keeping the text intact and maintaining the original table format:
| S.NO | NAME | ABOUT WOMEN MEMBER |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ammu Swaminathan | Ammu Swaminathan was born into an upper caste Hindu family in Anakkara of Palghat district, Kerala. She formed the Women’s India Association in 1917 in Madras, along with Annie Besant, Margaret Cousins, Malathi Patwardhan, Mrs Dadabhoy and Mrs Ambujammal. She became a part of the Constituent Assembly from the Madras Constituency in 1946. In a speech during the discussion on the motion by Dr B R Ambedkar to pass the draft Constitution on November 24, 1949, an optimistic and confident Ammu said, “People outside have been saying that India did not give equal rights to her women. Now we can say that when the Indian people themselves framed their Constitution they have given rights to women equal with every other citizen of the country.” She was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1952 and Rajya Sabha in 1954. In 1959, an avid film buff, Ammu became the Vice President of the Federation of Film Societies with Satyajit Ray as President. She also presided over the Bharat Scouts and Guides (1960-65) and the Censor Board. |
| 2 | Dakshayani Velayudhan | Dakshayani Velayudhan was born on July 4, 1912, on the island of Bolgatty in Cochin. She was the leader of the (then titled) Depressed Classes. Belonging to the Pulaya community who were severely discriminated against, she was among the first generation of people to be educated from the community and the first woman to wear an upper cloth. In 1945, Dakshayani was nominated to the Cochin Legislative Council by the State Government. She was the first and only Dalit woman to be elected to the Constituent Assembly in 1946. Dakshayani sided with B R Ambedkar on many issues related to the Scheduled Caste community during the Constituent Assembly debates. |
| 3 | Begum Aizaz Rasul | Begum Aizaz Rasul, born into the princely family of Malerkotla, was married to the young landowner Nawaab Aizaz Rasul. She was the only Muslim woman member of the Constituent Assembly. With the enactment of the Government of India Act 1935, Begum and her husband joined the Muslim League and entered electoral politics. In the 1937 elections, she was elected to the U.P. Legislative Assembly. In 1950, the Muslim League in India dissolved and Begum Aizaz Rasul joined Congress. She was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1952 and was a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly from 1969 to 1990. Between 1969 and 1971, she was the Minister for Social Welfare and Minorities. In 2000, she was awarded a Padma Bhushan for her contribution to social work. |
| 4 | Durgabai Deshmukh | Durgabai Deshmukh was born in Rajahmundry on 15 July 1909. At twelve years of age, she participated in the Non-Co-operation Movement and along with Andhra Kesari T. Prakasam, she participated in the Salt Satyagraha movement in Madras city in May 1930. In 1936, she established the Andhra Mahila Sabha, which within a decade became a great institution of education and social welfare in the city of Madras. She was the Chairwoman of several central organizations like Central Social Welfare Board, National Council for Women’s Education and National Committee On Girls’ and Women’s Education. She was a Member of Parliament and the Planning Commission. She was also associated with the Andhra Educational Society, New Delhi. Durgabai was awarded the fourth Nehru Literary Award in 1971 for her outstanding contribution to the promotion of literacy in India. In 1975, she was awarded the Padma Vibhushan. |
| 5 | Hansa Jivraj Mehta | Born on July 3, 1897, to the Dewan of Baroda Manubhai Nandshankar Mehta, Hansa Mehta studied journalism and sociology in England. Along with being a reformer and social activist, she was also an educator and writer. She wrote many books for children in Gujarati and also translated many English stories including the Gulliver’s Travels. She was elected to the Bombay Schools Committee in 1926 and became president of All India Women’s Conference in 1945–46. In her presidential address at the All India Women’s Conference convention held in Hyderabad, she proposed a Charter of Women’s Rights. She held different posts in India from 1945 to 1960, such as the vice-chancellor of SNDT Women’s University, member of the All India Secondary Board of Education, president of Inter-University Board of India and vice-chancellor of Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, among others. |
| 6 | Kamla Chaudhary | Kamla Chaudhary was born in an affluent family of Lucknow, however, it was still a struggle for her to continue her education. Moving away from her family’s loyalty to the imperial government, she joined the nationalists and was an active participant in the Civil Disobedience Movement launched by Gandhi in 1930. She was vice-president of the All India Congress Committee in its fifty-fourth session and was elected as a member of the Lok Sabha in the late seventies. Chaudhary was also a celebrated fiction writer and her stories usually dealt with women’s inner worlds or the emergence of India as a modern nation. |
| 7 | Leela Roy | Leela Roy was born in Goalpara, Assam in October 1900. Her father was a deputy magistrate and sympathised with the Nationalist Movement. She graduated from Bethune College in 1921 and became assistant secretary to the All Bengal Women’s Suffrage Committee and arranged meetings to demand women’s rights. In 1923, with her friends, she founded the Dipali Sangha and established schools which became centres of political discussion in which noted leaders participated. Later, in 1926, the Chhatri Sangha, an association of women students in Dacca and Kolkata, was founded. She was instrumental in forming the Dacca Mahila Satyagraha Sangha, which played an active role in the anti-salt tax movement. She became the editor of a journal, Jayashree, which had the blessing of Rabindranath Tagore. In 1937, she joined the Congress and in the next year, founded the Bengal Provincial Congress Women’s Organisation. She became a member of the women’s subcommittee formed by Subash Chandra Bose and when Bose went to jail in 1940, she was nominated the editor of the Forward Bloc Weekly. Before leaving India, Netaji gave complete charge of party activities to Leela Roy and her husband. In 1947, she founded the Jatiya Mahila Sanghati, a women’s organisation in West Bengal. In 1960, she became the chairwoman of the new party formed with the merger of the Forward Bloc (Subhasist) and the Praja Socialist Party but was disappointed with its working. |
| 8 | Malati Choudhury | Malati Choudhury was born in 1904 to a distinguished family in East Bengal (now Bangladesh). In the year 1921, at the age of 16, Malati Choudhury was sent to Santiniketan where she got admitted to Viswa-Bharati. She married Nabakrushna Choudhuri, who later became the Chief Minister of Odisha and shifted to Odisha in 1927. During the Salt Satyagraha, Malati Choudhury, accompanied by her husband, joined the Indian National Congress and participated in the movement. They educated and communicated with the people to create a favourable environment for Satyagraha. In 1933, she formed Utkal Congress Samajvadi Karmi Sangha along with her husband which later came to be known as the Orissa Provincial Branch of the All India Congress Socialist Party. In 1934, she joined Gandhiji in his famous “padayatra” in Orissa. She set up several organisations such as the Bajiraut Chhatravas for the upliftment of vulnerable communities in Odisha. She protested against the proclamation of Emergency by Indira Gandhi and was eventually imprisoned. |
| 9 | Purnima Banerjee | Purnima Banerjee was the secretary of the Indian National Congress committee in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. She was one among a radical network of women from Uttar Pradesh who stood at the forefront of the freedom movement in the late 1930s and 40s. She was arrested for her participation in the Satyagraha and Quit India Movement. One of the more striking aspects of Purnima Banerjee’s speeches in the Constituent Assembly was her steadfast commitment to a socialist ideology. As secretary for the city committee, she was responsible for engaging and organizing trade unions, kisan meetings and work towards greater rural engagement. |
| 10 | Rajkumari Amrit Kaur | Amrit Kaur was born on 2 February 1889 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. She was India’s first Health Minister and she held that post for ten years. Daughter of Harnam Singh, son of the erstwhile Maharaja of Kapurthala, she was educated at the Sherborne School for Girls in Dorset, England, but gave it all up to become Mahatma Gandhi’s secretary for 16 years. She was the founder of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and argued for its autonomy. She was a firm believer in women’s education, their participation in sports and their healthcare. She set up the Tuberculosis Association of India, the Central Leprosy and Research Institute, was vice chair of the board of governors of the League of Red Cross Societies and chair of the executive committee of St John’s Ambulance Society. When she died in 1964, The New York Times called her “a princess in her nation’s service.” |
| 11 | Renuka Ray | Renuka Ray was the daughter of Satish Chandra Mukherjee, an ICS officer, and Charulata Mukherjee, a social worker and member of the All India Women’s Conference (AIWC). As a young girl, Renuka lived for a while in London and completed her BA from the London School of Economics. In 1934, as legal secretary of the AIWC, she submitted a document titled ‘Legal Disabilities of Women in India; A Plea for a Commission of Enquiry’. This articulated the AIWC’s disappointment with the treatment of the Sharda Bill and their commitment to the legal review of the situation of women before the law in India. Renuka argued for a uniform personal law code, saying that the position of Indian women was one of the most iniquitous in the world. From 1943 to 1946 she was a member of the Central Legislative Assembly, then of the Constituent Assembly and the Provisional Parliament. In 1952–57, she served on the West Bengal Legislative Assembly as Minister for Relief and Rehabilitation. In 1957 and again in 1962, she was the member for Malda of the Lok Sabha. She was also President of the AIWC in 1952, served on the Planning Commission and on the governing body of Visva Bharati University in Shanti Niketan. She served as a Minister for Relief and Rehabilitation. She established the All Bengal Women’s Union and the Women’s Coordinating Council. |
| 12 | Sarojini Naidu | Sarojini Naidu was born on Feb 13, 1879, in Hyderabad, India. She was the first Indian woman to be president of the Indian National Congress and to be appointed as an Indian state governor. She is popularly called “the Nightingale of India”. She studied at King’s College, London, and later at Girton College, Cambridge. After some experience in the suffragist campaign in England, she was drawn to India’s Congress movement and to Mahatma Gandhi’s Non-cooperation Movement. In 1924 she travelled to Africa in the interest of Indians there and toured North America, lecturing on the Congress movement, in 1928–29. Back in India, her anti-British activity brought her a number of prison sentences (1930, 1932 and 1942–43). She accompanied Gandhi to London for the inconclusive second session of the Round Table Conference in 1931. Sarojini Naidu was also known for her literary prowess and in 1914 she was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. |
| 13 | Sucheta Kriplani | Sucheta Kriplani was born in 1908 in present-day Haryana’s Ambala town. She is especially remembered for her role in the Quit India Movement of 1942. Kripalani also established the women’s wing of the Congress party in 1940. Post-independence, Kripalani’s political stint included serving as an MP from New Delhi and then also as the Minister of Labour, Community Development and Industry in Uttar Pradesh’s state government. She took over as the chief minister of UP from Chandra Bhanu Gupta and occupied the top post till 1967. She was India’s first woman Chief Minister. |
| 14 | Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit | Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit was born in Allahabad on August 18, 1900, and she was the sister of India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. She was imprisoned by the British on three different occasions, in 1932-1933, 1940, and 1942-1943. Pandit’s long career in politics officially began with her election to the Allahabad Municipal Board. In 1936, she was elected to the Assembly of the United Provinces, and in 1937 became minister of local self-government and public health—the first Indian woman ever to become a cabinet minister. Like all Congress party officeholders, she resigned in 1939 to protest against the British government’s declaration that India was a participant in World War II. In September 1953, she was appointed as the first woman and the first Asian to be elected president of the U.N. General Assembly. |
| 15 | Annie Mascarenewas | Annie Mascarenewas born into a Latin Catholic family belonging to Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. She was one of the first women to join the Travancore State Congress and became the first woman to be part of the Travancore State Congress Working Committee. She was one of the leaders of the movements for independence and integration with the Indian nation in the Travancore State. For her political activism, she was imprisoned for various periods from 1939—47. Mascarene was elected to the First Lok Sabha in the Indian general election, 1951. She was the first woman MP from Kerala and one of only 10 elected to Parliament in those elections. Prior to her election to Parliament, she had served briefly as Minister in Charge of Health and Power during 1949-1950. |
List of Chief Guests on Indian Republic Day (1950 – 2025)
| Year | Guest Name | Country |
| 1950 | President Sukarno | Indonesia |
| 1951 | King Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah | Nepal |
| 1952 | No Chief guest invitation | |
| 1953 | No Chief guest invitation | |
| 1954 | King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck | Bhutan |
| 1955 | Governor General Malik Ghulam Muhammad | Pakistan |
| 1956 | No Chief guest invitation | |
| 1957 | No Chief guest invitation | |
| 1958 | Marshall Ye Jianying | China |
| 1959 | No Chief guest invitation | |
| 1960 | Chairman Kliment Voroshilov | Soviet Union |
| 1961 | Queen Elizabeth II | United Kingdom |
| 1962 | No Chief guest invitation | |
| 1963 | King Norodom Sihanouk | Cambodia |
| 1964 | No Chief guest invitation | |
| 1965 | Food and Agriculture Minister Rana Abdul Hamid | Pakistan |
| 1966 | No Chief guest invitation | |
| 1967 | No Chief guest invitation |
|
| 1968 | President Josip Broz Tito
Chairman Alexei Kosygin | Yugoslavia
Soviet Union |
| 1969 | Prime Minister Todor Zhivkov | Bulgaria |
| 1970 | No Chief guest invitation | |
| 1971 | President Julius Nyerere | Tanzania |
| 1972 | Prime Minister Seewoosagur Ramgoolam | Mauritius |
| 1973 | President Mobutu Sese Seko
| Zaire
|
| 1974 | President Josip Broz Tito |
Yugoslavia |
| 1975 | President Kenneth Kaunda | Zambia |
| 1976 | Prime Minister Jacques Chirac | France |
| 1977 | First Secretary Edward Gierek | Poland |
| 1978 | President Patrick Hillery | Ireland |
| 1979 | Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser | Australia |
| 1980 | President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing | France |
| 1981 | President Jose Lopez Portillo | Mexico |
| 1982 | King Juan Carlos I | Spain |
| 1983 | President Shehu Shagari | Nigeria |
| 1984 | King Jigme Singye Wangchuck | Bhutan |
| 1985 | President Raúl Alfonsín | Argentina |
| 1986 | Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou | Greece |
| 1987 | President Alan Garcia | Peru |
| 1988 | President J. R. Jayewardene | Sri Lanka |
| 1989 | General Secretary Nguyen Van Linh | Vietnam |
| 1990 | Prime Minister Anerood Jugnauth | Mauritius |
| 1991 | President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom | Maldives |
| 1992 | President Mário Soares | Portugal |
| 1993 | Prime Minister John Major | United Kingdom |
| 1994 | Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong | Singapore |
| 1995 | President Nelson Mandela | South Africa |
| 1996 | President Dr. Fernando Henrique Cardoso | Brazil |
| 1997 | Prime Minister Basdeo Panday | Trinidad and Tobago |
| 1998 | President Jacques Chirac | France |
| 1999 | King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev | Nepal |
| 2000 | President Olusegun Obasanjo | Nigeria |
| 2001 | President Abdelaziz Bouteflika | Algeria |
| 2002 | President Cassam Uteem | Mauritius |
| 2003 | President Mohammed Khatami | Iran |
| 2004 | President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva | Brazil |
| 2005 | King Jigme Singye Wangchuck | Bhutan |
| 2006 | King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud | Saudi Arabia |
| 2007 | President Vladimir Putin | Russia |
| 2008 | President Nicolas Sarkozy | France |
| 2009 | President Nursultan Nazarbayev | Kazakhstan |
| 2010 | President Lee Myung Bak | Repulic of Korea |
| 2011 | President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono | Indonesia |
| 2012 | Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra | Thailand |
| 2013 | King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck | Bhutan |
| 2014 | Prime Minister Shinzo Abe | Japan |
| 2015 | President Barack Obama | United States |
| 2016 | President François Hollande | France |
| 2017 | Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan | United Arab Emirates |
| 2018 | Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Prime Minister Hun Sen President Joko Widodo Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith Prime Minister Najib Razak President Htin Kyaw President Rodrigo Roa Duterte President Halimah Yacob Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc | Brunei Cambodia Indonesia Laos Malaysia Myanmar Philippines Singapore Thailand Vietnam |
| 2019 | Cyril Ramaphosa | South Africa |
| 2020 | President Jair Bolsonaro | Brazil (Upcoming) |
| 2021 | No chief guest due to Covid-19 pandemic | |
| 2022 | No chief guest due to Covid-19 pandemic | |
| 2023 | President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi | Egypt |
| 2024 | President Emmanuel Macron | French |
| 2025 | President Prabowo Subianto | Indonesian |
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