Indian Army Day 2024: Know Everything About This Day

January 15 is celebrated as Indian Army Day every year. The Day is also known as 'Bhartiya Sena Diwas'.

This year, it's the 76th Army Day and a grand parade is being held in Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. This is the second time the Army Day parade is taking place out of Delhi. Last year, the parade was held in Bengaluru.

The parade is at the 11 Gorkha Rifles Regimental Centre in Uttar Pradesh's capital under the command of Major General Salil Seth.

The officials will perform a parade in the presence of many dignitaries including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Governor Anandi Ben Patel.

Normally, the salute is taken by the Indian Army Chief but this year, it will be taken by the current Commander-in-chief of the Bhartiya Sena, General Manoj Pandey.

The Army Chief will present gallantry awards and oversees performances like a motorcycle display by the Army Service Corps (ASC) Tornadoes, a skydiving demonstration by the Paratroopers, daredevil jumps, and a helicopter flypast by the Army Aviation Corps.

Indian Army Day 2024: Theme

This year's theme is "In Service of the Nation". The theme indicates that the soldiers of our nation are the symbol of unwavering dedication, commitment, and professionalism.

Who Will Participate?

Six army contingents, including the 50th Parachute Brigade, Sikh Light Infantry, Jat Regiment, Garhwal Rifles, Bengal Engineer Group, and Army Air Defence, along with a military band consisting of five brass bands (Punjab, Grenadier, Bihar, Sikh Light, and Kumaon) and three pipe bands (SIKH, SIKH LI, JAT, KUMAON, and 1 Signal Training Centre), will participate in the parade.

What's Different This Year?

This year's Army Day parade is different because of the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to select the 'Best Marching Contingent'. Major General Seth mentioned that AI is being employed for the first time to determine the top marching contingent.

"All marching contingents do drills but there is a pattern of doing it -- raising your hands and legs to a certain level and doing your movement with the weapon within a certain timeframe. We will capture the individual movement with a camera and then the computer software using the AI will give marks for every movement. This will also be supervised by humans. We have done two to three practices, the officer explained.

Why Is It Celebrated?

January 15 marks the historic event in 1949. On this day, General KM Cariappa assumed command of the Indian Army from General Sir Francis Roy Bucher, the last British-serving chief of the Indian Army. This momentous occasion established Cariappa as the first Indian to lead the Army in its extensive history.

Therefore, the Army Day is organised at the Cariappa Parade Ground in the Delhi Cantonment and is reviewed by the Chief of Army Staff. But to make arrangements for a larger audience, it is taking place in Lucknow this year.

Significance Of The Day

It is important to celebrate the day to honour the valour and service of the Army officers. This day also spread awareness and enthusiasm among the youth of the nation to join the Indian Army and serve the country selflessly.