80th Independence Day: Vande Mataram Rings Out From Red Fort Ramparts for the First Time
India marked its 80th Independence Day with a first in the Red Fort's ceremonial history: the national song Vande Mataram was sung from the ramparts during the main ceremony, performed by around 2,500 young cadets and 'My Bharat' volunteers, commemorating 150 years since the song was composed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the Tricolour and delivered his 13th consecutive Independence Day address, which placed strategic self-reliance — in semiconductors, critical minerals and energy — at the centre of the road map to a developed India by 2047.
This year's celebrations put the spotlight on Yuva Shakti, or youth power. Among roughly 5,000 special guests at the Red Fort were 19 medal-winning students from this year's International Chemistry, Physics, Biology and Mathematics Olympiads, alongside innovators, entrepreneurs, scientists and grassroots workers. In the lead-up to the day, military and security-force bands performed at 343 locations across the country between August 8 and 15.
Celebrations were held nationwide with flag hoistings at state capitals, schools and public institutions, and greetings poured in from world leaders marking eight decades of Indian independence. The twin themes — a musical tribute 150 years in the making and a youth-centred vision for 2047 — dominated social media conversation through the weekend.
