76th Independence Day: 6 new things you would see at Red Fort

From Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System as a ceremonial gun to the Veergatha award ceremony, the Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort will feature some new initiatives. Let's take a look.

India will usher in the 76th Independence Day with mega celebrations at the ramparts of the Red Fort in the national capital New Delhi. The celebrations will feature a number of new initiatives, some of which were revealed by Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar on Wednesday while speaking to media persons. Let's take a look:

1) ATAGS to debut at Red Fort

The indigenously developed Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System will fire alongside the one-pounder British guns during the 21-gun salute at Red Fort on August 15. The ATAGS has been customised to fire blank shells, and its sound attributes have been modified to suit a ceremonial gun. 

2) NCC cadets at Red Fort

Cadets of the National Cadet Corps from all districts of India will be attending the Independence Day celebrations in New Delhi. They will be seated in the geographical formation to represent the map of India. They will be dressed in their local attire, symbolising 'Ek Bharat Shresth Bharat'. 

3) Mortuary workers, street vendors at Red Fort

Continuing with the trend of inviting segments of the society to the independence day celebration, this year, mortuary workers, street vendors, Anganwadi workers and mudra loan scheme members have been invited to the Red Fort.

4) Online invitation

The government has started an online invitation portal with the help of Bharat electronics. The idea is to send online invitations in future for all events. 

5) Youth exchange programme

A special youth exchange program is being organised by the NCC, which will have representatives from 14 countries. These include Mauritius, Argentina, Seychelles, Mozambique, UAE, Fiji, the United States, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Nigeria, Brazil and Uzbekistan. A total of 127 youth from these countries, selected through a competition, will witness the Independence Day celebration.

6) Veergatha award ceremony

Winners of 'Veergatha', a nationwide competition organised among school children, will be felicitated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. School children had been asked to write about gallantry award winners. More than 8 lakh participated, out of which 25 winners were selected. They will receive a citation and cash awards.

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