India celebrates 78th Independence Day today, PM Narendra Modi to address from Red Fort | Full schedule

India will celebrate its 78th Independence Day on Thursday, August 15.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will kick off the celebrations by hoisting the national flag at Delhi’s iconic Red Fort followed by addressing the nation.

This will be the 11th consecutive time that Narendra Modi will deliver an Independence Day speech as Prime Minister. There will also be a grand parade showcasing India’s military might, cultural diversity and technological advancements.

Here is the complete Independence Day schedule:

1. The Independence Day ceremony will begin with a welcome for Prime Minister Narendra Modi by senior government and military officials followed by a guard of honour inspection. The year will be coordinated by the Indian Navy.
2. The iconic moment will be when the Prime Minister unfurls the national flag and fires a 21-gun salute using indigenously built 105mm light field guns from No. 1721 Field Artillery Battery.
3. After undergoing a guard of honour review, the Prime Minister will proceed to the ramparts of the Red Fort where he will be welcomed by Defence Minister, Chief of Army Staff Anil Chauhan, Chief of Army Staff Upendra Dwivedi, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi and Air Chief Marshal. Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhary will be inaugurated. There, he will unfurl the national flag.
4. During the unfolding, the flag guard will perform the ‘Rashtriya Salute’, which will include one commissioned officer and 32 personnel from the Army, Navy and Air Force, and 128 personnel from the Delhi Police.
5. The military band of the Punjab Regiment, comprising NCOs and 25 soldiers, will play the national anthem during the unfurling and salute.
6. PM Modi will then address the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort at 7.30 am. The event will be broadcast live on Doordarshan and all other media channels and streamed on the Press Information Bureau (PIB) YouTube channel and on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) via @PIB_India and PMO’s Twitter handle.
7. This year’s ceremony was attended by around 6,000 guests of honor representing various sections of Indian society including youth, tribal communities, farmers, women and beneficiaries of various government schemes.
8. According to an official release, 161 field personnel from across the country implementing various programmes of the Ministry of Women and Child Development along with their spouses and companions were invited as guests of honor to the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort. In addition, selected women workers from Anganwadis, Sakhi One Stop Centres, Sankalp: Women Empowerment Hubs, Child Welfare Committees and District Child Protection Offices were also invited as guests of honor.
9. Security in the national capital has been stepped up. Over 10,000 police personnel and 3,000 traffic wardens have been deployed. In addition to extensive police presence, elite units of snipers, SWAT teams and sharpshooters have been deployed at strategic locations.
10. The Delhi Traffic Police has issued advisories for route closures and diversions in the national capital until 10 am.