The naval contingent participating this time would consist of 144 young men and women, marching shoulder to shoulder on the historic Kartavyapath, epitomising Indian Navy as a progressive, strong and gender-neutral force…reports Asian Lite News
In keeping with the Indian Navy’s vision of being a ‘Combat Ready, Credible, Cohesive and Future-proof force, all participating elements in the Republic Day Parade 2024 will be showcasing an unwavering commitment to national security, AatmaNirbharta and Nari Shakti, said a statement from Indian Navy.
The naval contingent participating this time would consist of 144 young men and women, marching shoulder to shoulder on the historic Kartavyapath, epitomising Indian Navy as a progressive, strong and gender-neutral force.
The contingent will be proudly led by Lt Prajwal as Contingent Commander and Lt Mudita Goyal, Lt Sharvani Supreiya & Lt Devika H as Platoon Commanders.
The Indian Navy remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguard India’s maritime interests. The Indian Navy’s tableau for 2024 is a vivid representation of two important and contemporary themes; the first is of Nari Shakti with women in the Indian Navy in all Roles and across all Ranks.
The main section of the tableau reflects the second contemporary theme; “Sea Power Across the Oceans Through Indigenisation”. The tableau depicts the very first fully indigenous Carrier Battle Group, comprising the Aircraft Carrier Vikrant, her highly capable escort ships INS Delhi, Kolkata and Shivalik, the Light Combat Aircraft and Advanced Light Helicopter, the Kalvari class Submarine and the GSAT-7, Rukmani Satellite.
Every element on the tableau has been designed and built in India, highlighting India’s growing prowess in Shipbuilding, Aerospace, Missile and Rocket technologies, making our chests swell with deep nationalistic pride. The tableau commanders are Lt Cdr Bhope Juee Milind and Lt Cdr Nitheesh KS.
The Indian Navy band, led by M Antony Raj, MCPO Musician Second class and comprising of 80 musicians will be marching with pride and honour. At the Beating Retreat on 29 Jan 24, this band would be playing scintillating martial tunes and popular numbers accompanied by myriad formations highlighting Bharat’s recent achievements.
Technically advanced fabric for Navy uniform
Soon, Indian Navy will get a unique and advance fabric for its uniform. According to the Navy, it will be a technically advanced uniform fabric.
The Navy said, “Specifications of the new Anti-fungal, Anti-Microbial and Anti-bacterial fabric are specially developed for tropical conditions with improved moisture mgmt tech and higher whiteness index lasting multiple washing cycles.”
For supply of this technically advanced uniform fabric for the Navy, a MoU has been signed between the Indian Navy and M/s Arvind Limited for, the officials said.
Earlier some newly designed uniform items were introduced in the Indian Navy. The uniform items were displayed during the Naval Commanders Conference at New Delhi.
The newly designed uniform items are meant for enhanced comfort, hygiene and functionality. These include high absorption T-shirts, camouflage cap and jacket, high ankle shoes, and National Civil Dress for Messes/ functions were displayed, the Ministry of Defence said.
In December 2023 the Indian Navy had unveiled a new design for Admirals’ epaulettes, drawing inspiration from the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. With the feeling of taking pride in one’s heritage, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Indian Navy is now going to name its ranks in line with Indian traditions.
In his address at the Navy Day celebrations at Sindhudurg in Maharashtra on December 4, PM Modi expressed happiness that the epaulettes donned by the Naval officers will now highlight the heritage and legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
The royal seal of the Maratha ruler has been brought in the new epaulettes which has been replaced in place of the ‘Nelson Ring’ of the British Raj.
The new design is octagonal. It symbolises the eight directions, which reflects the all-round long-term vision of the Army. It has a sword which shows the Navy’s objective of winning wars through dominance and overcoming every challenge. There is also a telescope which symbolises vision, foresight and keeping an eye on the weather in the changing world, officials added.
The ‘Sailors Rank’ of British rule has been reviewed due to which more than 65,000 sailors will now get a new rank.
Earlier, there was a Red Cross symbol on the Naval flag. This was the St. George’s Cross, which was part of the British flag — the Union Jack. St. George’s Cross was a symbol of a Christian saint and warrior.
Women Officers to Take Lead of Coast Guard Contingent
Showcasing a significant stride towards gender inclusivity in the country’s armed forces, women officers will take the helm of the Indian Coast Guard contingent during this year’s Republic Day parade.
Assistant Commandant Chunauti Sharma, who has previously marched on the Kartavya Path as part of the National Cadet Corps (NCC), expressed her happiness and pride.
She said that unlike in the NCC, where women contingents are separate, this year marks a historic moment as women officers take charge of leading the Jawans.
“When I marched on the Rajpath in NCC, I was a part of the contingent, and the routine was different… Now when I would be leading the Coast Guard contingent, it is a moment of pride. In NCC, the women contingent is separate. But this time the difference is that the women officers are leading the Jawans. This parade is special for me because my better half is also participating in this parade and he is commanding the Sikh contingent… It is a special opportunity for both of us to serve the nation…” she said.
Expressing her pride in leading the Indian Coast Guard contingent, Assistant Commandant Priya said that the parade serves as a national platform to showcase the strength and capabilities of women in the armed forces.
“I am proud to lead the Indian Coast Guard… This is an important opportunity to exhibit women’s power in our forces and increase their contribution to India’s strength…” she said.
Assistant Commandant Hardik said that the inclusiveness of women in defence forces is really commendable and it not only enhances the effectiveness of the forces, but it also throws light on different skills, perspectives and strengths, and on what the defence forces can actually do.
“The positive shift towards women’s inclusiveness and women equality can be seen in the forces… We are actually utilizing women as a workforce and the results have really been commendable. Including women in defence forces is good and one step ahead towards the progress and development of the entire nation… It’s a very good step by the government of India and we really appreciate it…” she said. (ANI)
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