What is new this year? 

The event will be pared down in terms of the number of spectators, the size of marching contingents and other side attractions. The spectator size has been reduced to 25,000 from around 1.25 lakh last year. The tickets for the general public have been limited to 4,500 this year. And keeping in mind social distancing, the size of marching contingents has been reduced from 144 to 96. The gravity-defying stunts by motorcycle-borne men also did not make the cut. 

 This year’s Republic Day parade will also be the first major public event in pandemic times. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal)The parade will also be shorter this year. Instead of marching up to the Red Fort, the parade will end at National Stadium. Tableaux will be allowed to perform at Red Fort. Among the 32 tableaux in the parade, the Union Territory of Ladakh will be participating for the first time. It will showcase the Indian Astronomical Observatory, located at Hanle near Leh, one of the world’s highest sites for optical, infrared and gamma-ray telescopes. 

After France in 2016, UAE in 2017, the contingent from Bangladesh will mark the third instance of a military contingent from a friendly foreign nation participating in the parade. 

Who is this year’s chief guest? 

For the first time in 55 years, there will also be no chief guest at this year’s parade, after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed “regret” that he would not be able to visit India due to the rising Covid-19 cases in the United Kingdom. Last year’s chief guest was the “Trump of the Tropics”, Brazil president Jair Messias Bolsonaro.