New Delhi: Republic Day marks the adoption of the constitution of India and the transition of the country to a republic on January 26, 1950. Every year, the celebrations marking the day feature spectacular military and cultural pageantry. In New Delhi, armed forces personnel march along the Rajpath, in an elaborate display of military might. The epic show on Rajpath eclipses everything else happening across the country on this auspicious day.
India adopted the Constitution of India on January 26, 1950, giving the day a special place in the history of India. When India got freedom from British rule on August 15, 1947, through peaceful non-violence and civil disobedience movements, it needed an iron-clad document to run a country. January 26, 1950, was the golden day when India became a democratic governing nation. On November 26, 1949, the Constitution of India was adopted by the Indian Constituent Assembly, and it came into force on January 26, 1950. The reason why January 26 was chosen as the Republic Day was that on this day in the year 1930, Indian National Congress (INC) proclaimed the Declaration of Indian Independence (Purna Swaraj) rejecting the Dominion status offered by the British Regime.
On January 26, 1950, the Preamble to the Constitution of India — a statement presenting the key principles of the Constitution — came into effect. This completed the country’s transition to a sovereign republic. The Constitution establishes fundamental rights that should be enjoyed by all citizens of this country, regardless of their political beliefs. It also establishes some fundamental duties for all citizens of the country to abide by.
