Next Republic Day to feature parade consisting entirely of women in New Delhi

Next year’s Republic Day Parade in New Delhi could feature all-women marching and band contingents. The defence ministry circulated an office memorandum in March to the three services and various ministries and departments about the 2024 parade, mentioning the proposal for all-women participation. After deliberations, the memorandum stated that the Republic Day Parade 2024 will have only women participants in the contingents, tableaux, and other performances during the parade at Kartavya Path. In recent years, a few all-women contingents and women officers have participated in the annual parade on Rajpath (now Kartavya Path). During this year’s Republic Day Parade, ‘Nari Shakti’ was a dominant theme, showcasing India’s military might and vibrant cultural heritage. The Indian Air Force marching contingent of 144 air warriors was led by a woman officer with three supernumerary male officers in the 2023 parade, which was the first Republic Day celebrations held at the ceremonial boulevard since the revamping of the Central Vista and renaming of Rajath last year.