Republic Day: How to Book Tickets Online and Offline, When to Watch, Know Parade Timings

India will be observing its 75th Republic Day on January 26. French President Emmanuel Macron will be the chief guest of the main parade in New Delhi, which is attended or viewed on television by Indians across the country. Attractive tableaux representing different states and union territories, dance troupes of schoolchildren, marching contingents and bands are the most awaited every year.

And to watch it all in front of you and not on a screen is an exhilarating experience. Tickets for the parade can be bought online and offline, while the programme begins at 10 am sharp from Vijay Chowk.

Here’s how you can also be a part of the Republic Day programme:

1. Like every year, the Republic Day parade will begin from Vijay Chowk at 10 am while all visitors are to be seated by 9.30 am. The parade covers a distance of 5 km and ends at the National Stadium in Delhi.
2. There are many ways now to watch this programme — online on your mobile, laptop, or tablet screens. But, the most exciting prospect would be to watch it offline. For this, you will have to register and buy tickets that can be done online as well as offline mode.
3. Visit the official website of the defence ministry — www.amantran.mod.gov.in. A new user will have to register themselves. After logging in, enter your name, contact details and email ID as well as other personal information.An OTP will be sent on your mobile phone, which then has to be entered on the ministry site for validation. There are many options to choose from. Once you do, complete your payment.
4. There are both reserved and unreserved seats for Republic Day parade in New Delhi. The price of a reserved seat is Rs 500 and that of an unreserved seat is only Rs 20. Reserved seat means a VIP seat. Ticket booking began from January 10 and will end on January 25.
5. If you want to buy tickets offline, you will need to visit an authorised counter or outlet like the India Tourism Development Corporation (IDTC) travel counter, Delhi Tourism Development Corporation (DTDC) counter and departmental sales counter.
6. You must provide details such as identity card, name, date of birth, mobile phone number and so on. You will then need to fill up a form and select your preferred event from the options available. Make the payment after submitting the form and you will be issued a ticket.

Delhi Police beefs up security for R-Day; 6 arrested this week

Ahead of Republic Day celebrations, the Delhi Police has heightened vigil and arrested six people along with 12 pistols and 75 live cartridges in separate operations this week. In a special drive, the special cell arrested three firearms suppliers, including a former state-level athlete, and seized 12 semi-automatic pistols from them.

“We received secret information that a member of a Madhya Pradesh-based firearms dealer, Pushpendra Singh, would come to Kalindi Kunj Road on January 7 to deliver firearms to his associates,” special commissioner of police (special cell) HGS Dhaliwal said.

The police laid a trap and arrested Singh and two others — Naeem and Manish Bhati — who had come to receive the consignments. “We recovered a total of 12 pistols from them. It was revealed that Singh was a state-level athlete and participated in an event at the junior level in 2015,” the police officer said.

In another operation, the Delhi Police arrested 22-year-old Ehti Sham-ul, a resident of Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh, during a vehicle check near the ITO bridge on January 10. He was carrying 45 live cartridges that have been seized, the police said.

In a separate operation conducted by the north district police, two criminals were nabbed when they were receiving 12 pistols and 30 live cartridges from an arms smuggler from Meerut region. The smuggler, however, who was delivering the consignment managed to flee.

Here is all you need to know about the security arrangements:

1. The Delhi Police has deployed a large number of personnel and is carrying out round-the-clock patrolling and vehicle checking. The special cell has been carrying out drives against arms trafficking.
2. The police said more than 8,000 personnel, including senior officers, are keeping strict vigil every day. To ensure prompt and effective response, in case of any sabotage or exigency, the police are conducting mock drills on a regular basis.
3. On Friday, three different mock drills, such as bomb calls, were conducted in areas under three different police stations — Dariyaganj, Nabi Karim and Kamla Market.
4. According to the police, mock drills are being conducted at different locations in the central district and focused on improving coordination between different units and agencies. Every single call, be it hoax, the security forces will have to check physically.
5. In the morning, the Delhi Police conducted drone surveillance as part of Republic Day security arrangements in the Yamuna Khadar area of Geeta Colony.
6. Anti-sabotage check was conducted at Laxmi Nagar Metro Station, markets, high-footfall areas and other places by the bomb disposal team along with dog squad to enhance the security preparedness by the east district.
7. A police officer of northeast district said they have already intensified day-and-night checking and patrolling. The police are also requesting people to report suspicious activity.
8. Night patrolling staffers have been directed to check hotels, guest houses and dharamshalas. Security measures in place are being checked at these facilities, particularly near railway stations and interstate bus terminals.
9. The police said they are taking action against anyone found to be violating rules under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code.
10. The police are keeping strict vigil from the CCTV control room of strategic locations and Delhi’s border areas.

(With PTI inputs)