401 students and folk artists to feature in cultural programme at Republic Day parade

New Delhi, Jan 13: A total of 321 students from four schools in Delhi and 80 folk artists from Kolkata will take part in the cultural programme at the Republic Day parade at Rajpath, the Defence Ministry said on Wednesday.

The artists have been selected from Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre in Kolkata and the students have been selected from DTEA Senior Secondary School, Mount Abu Public School, Vidya Bharti School, Government Girls Senior Secondary School, the ministry said in a statement.

The number of participating children and folk artists has been cut down to 401 this year, compared to more than 600 last year, in view of the COVID-19 restrictions, it noted.

The statement said, "102 students of Government Girls Senior Secondary School will present a programme on the theme 'Hum Fit toh India Fit' inspired by the Fit India Movement launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in August 2019."

It noted that 127 children from DTEA Senior Secondary School will showcase folk dances of Tamil Nadu in their traditional attires. It said 92 students from Mount Abu Public School and Vidya Bharti School will participate in the programme named "Aatmanirbhar Bharat: Vision of Self Reliant India".

"Eighty folk artists of Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre will present the folk dance Bajasal from Kalahandi, Odisha," it said.