Independence Day 2023: Two women army officers will assist Prime Minister Narendra Modi in hoisting the national flag at the 77th Independence Day celebrations to be held at Red Fort on August 15. Major Nikita Nair and Major Jasmine Kaur, who are serving in the Indian Army, will assist PM Modi in hositing the national flag.
Major Nikita Nair has been a beauty queen
Former beauty queen and Bharatanatyam dancer Major Nikita Nair, who has previously held the title of Miss OTA during her training, will be present alongside the Prime Minister. Prior to this, she had also won the 'May Queen Miss Pune' title in 2013. Nikita was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Army in 2016 and is now serving the nation in the position of a Major. Her training took place at the Officers Training Academy located in Chennai.
Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort
The falg hoisting will be synchronised with a 21-gun salute by the gunners of the elite 8711 Field Battery (Ceremonial) commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Vikas Kumar.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the National Flag Guard comprising five officers and 128 Other Ranks from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Delhi Police will present Rashtriya Salute at the time of unfurling of the National Flag by the Prime Minister. Major Abhinav Detha from the Army will be in command of this Inter-Services Guard and Police Guard.
After the PM hoist the national flag, petals will be showered on the venue by two indigenously built Dhruv advanced light helicopters Mark-III of the Indian Air Force and captained by Wing Commander Amber Agarwal and Squadron Leader Himanshu Sharma.
After the showering of flower petals, the Prime Minister will address the Nation.
This year’s Independence Day will culminate the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, launched by the PM from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on March 12, 2021, and will, once again, usher the country into Amrit Kaal (the run-up to India’s independence centenary) with renewed vigour to realise the dream of making India a developed country by 2047, the statement said.
Special Guests
Around 1,800 people from different vocations, with their spouse, have been invited from across the country to be a part of the celebrations at Red Fort as Special Guests. The initiative has been taken in line with the Government’s vision of ‘Jan Bhagidari’.
These Special Guests include over 400 Sarpanches of more than 660 vibrant villages; 250 from Farmer Producer Organisations scheme; 50 participants each of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme & Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana; 50 Shram Yogis (construction workers) of the Central Vista Project, including the New Parliament Building; 50 each Khadi workers, those involved in construction of border roads, making of Amrit Sarovar& Har Ghar Jal Yojana as well as 50 each primary school teachers, nurses and fishermen.Some of these Special Guests are scheduled to visit the National War Memorial and call on Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Ajay Bhatt as part of their stay in Delhi.
Seventy five (75) couples from each State/Union Territory, in their traditional attire, have also been invited to witness the ceremony at Red Fort.
