HAL Dhruv and Pinaka Army day.jpg |
Army Day is celebrated on 15 January every year in India, in recognition of Lieutenant General Kodandera M. Cariappa's (later who became Field Marshal ) taking over as the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army from General Francis Roy Bucher, the last British Commander-in-Chief of India, on 15 January 1949. [1] [2] The day is celebrated in the form of parades and other military shows in the national capital New Delhi as well as in all headquarters. [3] On 15 January 2023, India celebrated its 75th Indian Army Day in Bengaluru. [4] [5] Army Day marks a day to salute the valiant soldiers who sacrificed their lives to protect the country and its citizens. [6]
While celebrations take place across the country, the main Army Day parade is conducted in Cariappa Parade ground in Delhi cantonment. [7] Gallantry awards and Sena medals are also awarded on this day. In 2020, 15 soldiers were presented with bravery awards. Param Vir Chakra and Ashok Chakra awardees participate in the Army Day parade every year. [8] [9] Military hardware, numerous contingents and a combat display are part of the parade. [8] In 2020, Captain Tania Shergill became the first female officer to command an Army Day parade. [10] [11]
A military parade is a formation of soldiers whose movement is restricted by close-order manoeuvering known as drilling or marching. Large military parades are today held on major holidays and military events around the world. Massed parades may also hold a role for propaganda purposes, being used to exhibit the apparent military strength of a country.
The Param Vir Chakra (PVC) is India's highest military decoration, awarded for displaying distinguished acts of valour during wartime. Param Vir Chakra translates as the "Wheel of the Ultimate Brave", and the award is granted for "most conspicuous bravery in the presence of the enemy". As of January 2018, the medal has been awarded 21 times, of which 14 were posthumous and 16 arose from actions in Indo-Pakistani conflicts. Of the 21 awardees, 20 have been from the Indian Army and one has been from the Indian Air Force. Major Somnath Sharma was the first recipient. A number of state governments of India as well as ministries of the central government provide allowances and rewards to recipients of the PVC.
The Kargil War, also known as the Kargil conflict,[note (I)] was fought between India and Pakistan from May to July 1999 in the Kargil district of Ladakh and elsewhere along the Line of Control (LoC). In India, the conflict is also referred to as Operation Vijay, which was the codename of the Indian military operation in the region. The Indian Air Force acted jointly with the Indian Army to flush out the Pakistan Army and paramilitary troops from vacated Indian positions along the LoC, in what was designated as Operation Safed Sagar.
Victory Day is a national holiday in Bangladesh celebrated on 16 December to commemorate the defeat of the Pakistan Armed Forces in the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 and the Independence of Bangladesh. It commemorates the Pakistani Instrument of Surrender, wherein the commander of the Pakistani Forces, General A. A. K. Niazi, surrendered to the Mukti Bahini and their Indian allies, ending the nine-month Bangladesh Liberation War and 1971 Bangladesh genocide and marking the official secession of East Pakistan to become the new state of Bangladesh.
The Ashoka Chakra is India's highest peacetime military decoration awarded for valor, courageous action, or self-sacrifice away from the battlefield. It is the peacetime equivalent of the Param Vir Chakra (PVC) and is awarded for the "most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent valour or self-sacrifice" other than in the face of the enemy. The decoration may be awarded either to military or civilian personnel.
The Brigade of The Guards is a mechanised infantry regiment of the Indian Army. It was raised as the first "all India", "all class" infantry unit of the Army where troops from all parts of India serve together, as opposed to other regiments that recruit from specific regions, ethnic groups or religions.
The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) is a statutory office held by the professional head of the Indian Army (IA), the land forces branch of the Indian Armed Forces. Customarily held by a four-star general officer, the COAS is the senior-most operational officer of the IA, tasked with the roles of overseeing the overall functioning of the force during peace and wartime, committing to the preparation and maintenance of the force's operational effectiveness and defending the nation's territorial integrity and sovereignty.
The Indian Military Academy (IMA) is one of the oldest military academies in India, and trains officers for the Indian Army. Located in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, it was established in 1932 following a recommendation by a military committee set up under the chairmanship of General Sir Philip Chetwode. From a class of 40 male cadets in 1932, IMA now has a sanctioned capacity of 1,650. Cadets undergo a training course varying between 3 and 16 months depending on entry criteria. On completion of the course at IMA cadets are permanently commissioned into the army as Lieutenants.
Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa, was an Indian military officer and diplomat who was the Indian Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) of the Indian Army. He led Indian forces on the Western Front during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. He was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army in 1949. He is one of only two Indian Army officers to hold the five-star rank of Field Marshal; the other being Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw.
45 Cavalry is an armoured regiment in the Armoured Corps of the Indian Army. The regiment distinguished itself in operations during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War winning one Maha Vir Chakra.
Subedar Major and Honorary Captain Yogendra Singh Yadav PVC is a retired Indian military junior commissioned officer, who was awarded India's highest military award, the Param Vir Chakra, for his actions during the Kargil War. He is the youngest recipient of the Param Vir Chakra to date, having received it at the age of 19.
General Maharaj Shri Rajendrasinhji Jadeja, DSO, also known as K.S. Rajendrasinhji, was the first Chief of Army Staff of the Indian army, and the second Indian, after Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa, to become Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army.
Colonel D. Sreeram Kumar AC is a serving Indian Army officer who was decorated in 2010 with the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry decoration.
Indian Army Corps of Signals is a corps and a combat support arm of the Indian Army, which handles its military communications. It was formed on 15 February 1911 as a separate entity under Lieutenant Colonel S H Powell, and went on to make important contributions to World War I and World War II. The corps celebrated its 100-year anniversary of its raising on 15 February 2010.
Lieutenant Navdeep Singh, AC was a Ghatak Platoon Commander of 15 Maratha Light Infantry regiment in the Indian Army.
The Delhi Republic Day parade is the largest and most important of the parades marking the Republic Day celebrations in India. The parade takes place every year on 26 January at Kartavya Path, New Delhi. It is the main attraction of India's Republic Day celebrations, which last for three days. The first parade was held in 1950, and it has been held every year since. The cultural pageant is a symbol of a diverse but united India.
The National War Memorial is a war memorial in New Delhi, Delhi, India, located at India Gate Circle. It has been built to honour and remember soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces who fought in armed conflicts of independent India. The names of armed forces personnel killed during the armed conflicts with Pakistan and China as well as the 1961 War in Goa, Operation Pawan, and other operations such as Operation Rakshak are inscribed on the memorial walls in golden letters.
In the Indian Armed Forces women are allowed to join mainly in combat service support branches and in non combatant roles. The Indian Air Force had 13.09% female officers in 2018 and 8.50% female officers in 2014; the Indian Navy had 6% female officers in 2018 and 3% female officers in 2014 and the Indian Army had 3.80% female officers in 2018 and 3% female officers in 2014. In 2020, three officers had the rank of lieutenant-general or equivalent, all in the Medical Services. In May 2021, 83 women were inducted as sepoys for the first time in the Indian Army's Corps of Military Police. On 30 March 2023, 273 women were inducted in the Indian Navy as sailos for the first time in the history of the Indian Navy, total 2,585 agniveers passed out after successful completion of training from INS Chilka. The Indian Air Force got airwomen for the first time in its history on 7 March 2024 as 153 female agniveers passed out from the Airmen Training School, Belagavi with 2,127 male agniveers.
The Indian military bands consists of musicians from the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. Indian military bands regularly participate in international festivals and take part in celebrations dedicated to various national events. These bands are permanent participants in the Delhi Republic Day parade on the Kartavya Path. Today, the Indian Armed Forces have more than 50 military brass bands and 400 pipe bands and corps of drums. A Tri-Services Band refers to a joint Indian Armed Forces military band that performs together as a unit. At the Spasskaya Tower Military Music Festival and Tattoo in Moscow, the band consisted of 7 officers and 55 musicians. The Military Music Wing of the Army Education Corps is the principal educational institution of the armed forces that provides instruction to musicians of all ranks. Instruction is also provided by the Military Music Training Center and the Indian Navy School of Music.
Captain Tania Shergill is the first Indian woman Parade Adjutant to lead an all-man contingent at an Army Day function in Indian Army, Republic Day (India) in 2020.
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has generic name (help)Verma, Bharat; Hiranandani, GM; Pandey, BK (2013). Indian Armed Forces. Atlanta: Lancer Publishers LLC. p. 31. ISBN 9781935501732 . Retrieved 15 January 2018.