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Independence Day 2020 Updates: Atma Nirbhar, strong resolve main themes of PM Modi’s speech

By Anuj Cariappa

| Updated: Sunday, August 16, 2020, 1:12 [IST]

New Delhi, Aug 15: 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' was the centrepiece of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day address as he presented a broad outline for spurring India's growth in diverse sectors and asserted that the coronavirus pandemic cannot halt the country's march towards self-reliance.

Independence Day 2020 LIVE Updates: The world saw our valour at Ladakh says PM

Stay tuned for live updates:

Newest First Oldest First

9:54 PM, 15 Aug

Parliament House, North Block, South Block and India Gate illuminated on 74th Independence Day

Delhi: Parliament House, North Block, South Block and India Gate illuminated on 74th #IndependenceDay pic.twitter.com/nKMnppTPDd
— ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2020

6:50 PM, 15 Aug

EAM S. Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh & Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria present.

6:42 PM, 15 Aug

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla present.

6:42 PM, 15 Aug

President Ram Nath Kovind hosts 'At Home' reception in the President House on the occasion of Independence Day.

6:10 PM, 15 Aug

Beating retreat ceremony underway at the Attari-Wagah border on Independence Day.

6:09 PM, 15 Aug

Bhutan Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji tweeted, "I take this privilege to wish every Indians, a very #HappyIndependenceDay. I pray for your great country to grow from strength to strength." Replying to Dorji, Jaishankar said, "Your warm sentiments reflect our unique relationship.

5:24 PM, 15 Aug

The Foreign Affairs Ministry of Russia also greeted Jaishankar on India's Independence Day. He thanked Russia Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for his wishes and said India greatly values the exceptionally close and time-tested relationship.

5:24 PM, 15 Aug

Responding to his tweet, Jaishankar said their bilateral relationship is a shining example of 'Neighbourhood First'.

5:23 PM, 15 Aug

Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid, in a tweet, said since independence, India has strived to be, and now become, an enduring example of democracy and development, for the region and the world.

5:22 PM, 15 Aug

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday thanked the foreign ministers of Russia, Bhutan, the Maldives, Lithuania and Latvia for their wishes on India's 74th Independence Day.

5:01 PM, 15 Aug

Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani hoisted the national flag in Gandhinagar on the occasion of 74th Independence Day.

4:44 PM, 15 Aug

Oli called up Modi and greeted the government and people of India on the country's 74th Independence Day, an official statement said. It said Oli also conveyed to Modi his congratulations for India's recent election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

4:44 PM, 15 Aug

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart K P Sharma Oli held a telephonic conversation on Saturday, in the first high-level contact after ties between the two countries came under severe strain following issuance of a new political map by the Himalayan nation in May.

4:20 PM, 15 Aug

Today is the day when we remember freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for the nation. Also, since independence, so many of our soldiers have lost their lives for the security of our country. Let's salute them all today: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.

3:48 PM, 15 Aug

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal hoisted the National Flag at Judges' Field in Guwahati, earlier today.

3:41 PM, 15 Aug

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb hoisted the National Flag at Assam Rifles ground in Agartala, earlier today.

3:34 PM, 15 Aug

Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanks Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu and its people for Independence Day wishes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanks Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu and its people for #IndependenceDay wishes. pic.twitter.com/B3IhgHgPpA
— ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2020

3:33 PM, 15 Aug

Leh: Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Radha Krishna Mathur hoisted the national flag at Polo Ground on the occasion of 74th Independence Day.

3:31 PM, 15 Aug

Himachal Pradesh: Members of Central Tibetan Administration hoisted the National Flag today on Independence Day, in Dharamshala.

3:29 PM, 15 Aug

Andhra Pradesh CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy hoisted the National Flag & inspected the guard of honour at Indira Gandhi Stadium, Vijayawada on the occasion of Independence Day.

3:19 PM, 15 Aug

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao hoisted the national flag at Pragathi Bhavan on the occasion of 74th IndependenceDay.

3:19 PM, 15 Aug

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik hoisted the National Flag, in Bhubaneswar, earlier today. He said, "Every life is precious for us and no individual will be deprived of COVID-19 treatment, due to monetary constraints."

3:04 PM, 15 Aug

Very low flag & kite sales are being recorded this year in Delhi on Independence Day, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

2:58 PM, 15 Aug

Indian Army dogs Vida and Sophie awarded the Chief of Army Staff 'Commendation Cards' on Independence Day this year, for their role in different operations.

2:54 PM, 15 Aug

This ceremony is a testament to the unity that our great nation has showcased as a beacon to the entire world. I congratulate PM Modi on his message of unity, in his speech today: Maulana Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, All India Imam Organisation while celebrating Independence Day.

2:53 PM, 15 Aug

All India Imam Organisation celebrated Independence Day with a flag hoisting ceremony today.

2:30 PM, 15 Aug

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal hoisted the National Flag at Judges' Field in Guwahati, earlier today.

2:23 PM, 15 Aug

I attended Independece Day celebrations at Red Fort, today morning. It was very encouraging listening to PM Modi. We look forward to strengthening our ties. As India will be 'Atmanirbhar', we also want to be a part of it: Mohammad Imran, High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India

2:12 PM, 15 Aug

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar hoisted the National Flag at Gandhi Maidan in Patna earlier today.

2:12 PM, 15 Aug

Telangana:

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi hoisted the National Flag at Madina Circle in Hyderabad earlier today.

4:56 AM, 15 Aug

Multilayered security arrangements and mandatory adherence to social distancing norms are in place for the 74th Independence Day celebrations at the Mughal-era Red Fort this year.

4:56 AM, 15 Aug

A security ring, including NSG snipers, elite SWAT commandos and kite catchers, will be placed around the Red Fort from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation.

4:56 AM, 15 Aug

Over 300 cameras have been installed for security and their footage is being monitored round the clock, police said. There will be around 4,000 security personnel at the Red Fort and they will stand in adherence with social distancing norms.

4:56 AM, 15 Aug

The security in and around railways stations has also been intensified.

4:56 AM, 15 Aug

The security arrangements were stringent and there were traffic restrictions during the rehearsal. The Red Fort has already been closed for the public ahead of the Independence Day celebrations.

5:01 AM, 15 Aug

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address on 74th Independence Day is all set to focus on the government’s pet theme of Atmanirbhar Bharat, the National Digital Health Mission and India’s revival plan to pull Asia’s third-largest economy from the deep economic abyss following the pandemic.

5:09 AM, 15 Aug

This will be Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s seventh I-Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort. The ceremony on Saturday morning shall consist of a guard of honour by the armed forces and the Delhi Police to PM Modi, unfurling of the national flag, firing of the 21-gun salute, speech by the PM, singing of the national anthem immediately after his speech, and release of tri-coloured balloons at the end.

5:26 AM, 15 Aug

Delhi Police check vehicles of commuters on Delhi-Haryana border near Gurugram amid heightened security in view of independenceDay.

Delhi Police check vehicles of commuters on Delhi-Haryana border near Gurugram amid heightened security in view of #IndependenceDay. pic.twitter.com/DDM49WL2GN
— ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2020

6:54 AM, 15 Aug

Security check being conducted in Red Fort premises ahead of independenceDay celebrations.

Delhi: Security check being conducted in Red Fort premises ahead of #IndependenceDay celebrations. pic.twitter.com/7mv7g6dJND
— ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2020

6:56 AM, 15 Aug

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to first visit Rajghat to pay a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.

6:56 AM, 15 Aug

Over 4,000 people including diplomats, officials and media personnel have been invited for the Independence Day ceremony at the Red Fort and it is being organised maintaining a balance between dignity of the event and factoring in Covid-19 protocols, the defence ministry said on Friday.

6:56 AM, 15 Aug

PM Narendra Modi will shortly address the nation on the occasion of Independence Day.

6:59 AM, 15 Aug

According to a Defence ministry statement, the prime minister will also receive the Guard of Honour contingent, consisting of one officer and 24 men each from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Delhi Police.

6:59 AM, 15 Aug

Major Shweta Pandey will assist the prime minister in unfurling the National Flag.

7:00 AM, 15 Aug

On his arrival at 7.18 AM in front of the Lahore Gate of the Red Fort, the prime minister will be received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar.

7:00 AM, 15 Aug

The defence secretary will introduce the General Officer Commanding (GoC), Delhi Area, Lt Gen Vijay Kumar Mishra to the prime minister.

7:00 AM, 15 Aug

The GoC Delhi Area will then conduct the prime minister to the Saluting Base where a combined inter-services and police guards will present general salute to him, following which he will inspect the Guard of Honour, the statement said.

7:00 AM, 15 Aug

This year, Army being the coordinating Service, the Guard of Honour will be commanded by Lt Col Gaurav S Yewalkar.

7:00 AM, 15 Aug

Army contingent in the prime minister's Guard will be commanded by Major Palvinder Grewal, the Navy contingent by Lt Commander K V R Reddy, while Squadron Leader Vikas Kumar will lead the Air Force contingent and the Delhi Police contingent will be led by Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Jitender Kumar Meena.

7:00 AM, 15 Aug

After the tri-colour is unfurled by the prime minister, the National Guard will give 'Rashtriya Salute' to the National Flag, the statement said.

7:01 AM, 15 Aug

The unfurling of the tri-colour will synchronise with the 21 Gun Salute fired by the gunners of the elite 2233 Field Battery (Ceremonial). The ceremonial battery will be commanded by Lt Col Jitendra Singh Mehta and the Gun Position Officer will be Naib Subedar (AIG) Anil Chand.

7:01 AM, 15 Aug

The National Flag Guard comprising 32 men and one officer each from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Delhi Police will present 'Rashtriya Salute' at the time of unfurling of the National Flag by the prime minister.

7:01 AM, 15 Aug

Major Surya Prakash from the Army will be in command of this Inter-Services Guard and Police Guard. The Naval Contingent for the National Flag Guard will be commanded by Lt Commander Vivek Tingloo, Air Force contingent by Squadron Leader Mayank Abhishek and Delhi Police contingent by Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Sudhanshu Dhama.

7:01 AM, 15 Aug

After unfurling the National Flag, the prime minister will address the nation. After the speech of the prime minister is over, the National Cadet Corps cadets will sing the National Anthem.

7:01 AM, 15 Aug

A total of 500 NCC cadets (Army, Navy and Air Force) from different schools will be taking part.

7:01 AM, 15 Aug

The sanctity and dignity of the national event are being factored in while also ensuring precautions relating to the pandemic.

7:01 AM, 15 Aug

Display boards are being placed to attract the attention of the invitees about the precautions that would need to be maintained. Further, all invitees have been told to wear masks. There are also masks being kept handy for distribution at the various points at the venue.

7:01 AM, 15 Aug

The government has issued 4,000 invites for the event. Participation is only through invitation and those who do not have the formal invites have been asked to refrain from coming to the venue.

7:02 AM, 15 Aug

At the entrance, there would be thermal screening and in the run up to the event, regular sanitisation is being carried out. Several medical booths have also been put in place. These booths would cater to those who is detected to having any symptoms relating to COVID-19. The government has also put in place several ambulances.

7:02 AM, 15 Aug

The members of the Guard of Honour have been under quarantine to ensure safety. The seating enclosures and walkways have been laid with wooden flooring and carpeting to ensure seamless movement of the guests and also avoid crowding.