In a first, all-girl NCC contingent, robotic mules to take part in Army Day Parade

New Delhi: The Army Day Parade this year will see participation of an all-girl marching contingent from the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and showcasing of four thematic tableaux, including one based on the force's Mission Olympics Wing.

An all-women Agniveer contingent from the Corps of Military Police (CMP), Centre and School at Bengaluru, and a set of marching 'robotic mules' will also register their presence at the prestigious annual parade for the first time, defence sources said.

The Army Day Parade will take place at Bombay Engineering Group (BEG) and Centre in Maharashtra's Pune on January 15 which comes under the Army's Southern Command.

In the evening, a programme called 'Gaurav Gatha' is planned to be held showcasing the evolution of welfare from ancient period to the contemporary era. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is likely to grace this event, the sources said.

The theme for the 77th Army Day celebrations is 'Samarth Bharat, Saksham Sena', and the focus this time is to demonstrate the capabilities of the Army contributing to a stronger nation.

Some of the platforms that will be showcased during the parade include K9 Vajra self-propelled howitzer, BMP-2 Sarath infantry combat vehicle, T-90 tanks, Swathi weapon locating radar, Sarvatra Bridging System, Multi-Barrel Rocket System, ATOR N1200 all-terrain vehicle, drone jammer systems and mobile communication nodes, sources in the defence establishment said.

"This year's parade will include an all-girl contingent of the NCC and an all-women Agniveer contingent from the Corps of Military Police centre in Bengaluru and both will be taking part in the Army Day Parade for the first time," a defence source said.

Besides, "12 robotic mules" standing in two equal rows followed by their handlers will also be taking part in the parade for the very first time.

These mules were inducted last year and represent the Army's steps towards modernisation of the force. These nimble-footed machines can carry loads, go to inaccessible areas and engage militants also, they said.

"While marching, when they reach in front of the dais, the robotic mules will salute the dignitaries before carrying forward in the parade," the source added.

"Also, in line with the the theme of the parade, four tableaux akin to the ones seen at the Republic Day Parade will also be showcased depicting the Indian Army's prowess, green initiatives, the value of the veterans and the force's role in fostering the Olympic spirit to produce winners," the source told PTI.

As per the plan, the tableau depicting the Army's Mission Olympics Wing will be the leading tableau and one themed on technology absorption in the last one decade will be the last in the series, an official said.

The Indian Army's Mission Olympics Wing was established in 2001 under which a large number of sportspersons are training at various different sports nodes in the country.

Besides, there are total of many Boys Sports companies and Girls Sports companies for nurturing the talent from young age (9-16 years).

Additionally, a Paralympic Node was earlier established to motivate and train soldiers with any disability for paralympic sports.

"The Mission Olympics tableau will show moving depiction of athletes doing fencing, wrestling aboard it and some paralympic athletes who have brought laurels for the country, while some members of the Army Sports Institute, Pune, will be walking on ground alongside the tableau," the source said.

The next in line will be the veterans' tableau depicting their contribution to nation-building even after they have hung their boots.

Paralympic athlete and Army veteran Murlikant Petkar, who had earned a gold medal in swimming (in 1972) and on whose life the film 'Chandu Champion' was based, will also be part of the parade through the tableau, he added.

Another tableau will portray the Army's efforts in adopting green measures to contribute towards achieving net-zero emission, including the achievement by Pune's College of Military Engineering in this field, officials said.

The fourth tableau's theme is on technology absorption, the cutting-edge technology inducted by the Army in the last decade such as drones, nano technology, UAVs and tethered drones will be showcased in it, they said.

The Army has declared 2024-25 as the 'year of technology absorption'.

In the run-up to the Army Day Parade, several events such as display by a dog squad, exhibition of weapons and equipments, and defence companies putting up stalls were held at various locations falling with the Southern Command area.

The Southern Command traces its origin to the erstwhile Bombay Command established on April 1, 1895, the day which marks the raising of the command in Pune (then called Poona).

The Southern Command encompasses 11 states and four Union Territories covering nearly 41 per cent of the country's landmass, according to its official website.

Traditionally, the annual Army Day Parade had been held in Delhi. This long-standing practice saw a shift in January 2023 when the parade was conducted in Bengaluru, which comes in the Southern Command area.

The Army Day Parade 2024 was hosted in Lucknow, which falls in the Central Command area.