Page 4 - Latest Updates on Independence Day 2024

Independence Day 2025: Top 10 speech ideas to celebrate the special day

India is preparing to celebrate its 79th Independence Day on Aug 15. Students nationwide deliver speeches during assemblies as part of the celebration, honouring the sacrifices of our national heroes

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta flags off Tiranga cyclothon ahead of Independence Day

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat highlighted the importance of Tiranga as a unifying force which reminds about the those who laid down their lives for the sake of the country

'Operation Alert' launched alongside Rajasthan ahead of Independence Day

BSF DIG sector south, MK Negi, said, 'The operation Alert commenced on 11 August and will continue until 12 am on 17 August'

Independence Day 2025: Is it 78th or 79th year of freedom? Know the answer

Independence Day 2025: Since gaining independence on August 15, 1947, India has commemorated the day annually to mark the end of colonial rule and the beginning of a sovereign democracy

Take national flag to greater heights: J-K CM Omar at Tiranga rally

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said citizens should try to take the national flag to greater heights and do their bit for upholding its dignity. "It is not necessary that we need a large number of people to do something.All of us can do our bit to uphold the respect and dignity of the national flag," Abdullah said addressing a Tiranga rally here. The chief minister said hoisting of the national flag should not be limited to official functions only. "We should try to take the national flag to greater heights and follow the footsteps of those who have made supreme sacrifices for upholding the respect of this flag," he said. Abdullah said people should not feel disheartened for being alone when they want to do the right thing. "Few years back, the national flag could be hoisted only on government buildings and at designated official functions. However, it was one man who knocked the doors of the courts to get the right to hoist the national flag on his own

Delhi govt to intensify security ahead of Independence Day, details here

Independence Day Security: The CISF and DMRC are increasing their vigilance to provide safe and easy commute for all passengers on August 15, 2025, during India's 79th Independence Day celebrations

Statsguru: The two sides of growth as India marks 79th Independence Day

Demographically, India overtook China as the most populous nation, with 1.46 billion people in 2025, even as the average annual population growth rate fell

Air India Express launches 'freedom sale' with fares starting from ₹1,279

Passengers can avail of 25% off Xpress Biz fares and 20% off extra baggage with Air India Express, as part of their special Freedom Sale to celebrate India's 79th Independence Day

Raksha Bandhan 2025: Railways to run special trains from August 8-17

Rakshabandhan 2025 will be celebrated on August 09, 2025. The Indian Railways has declared Rakhi and Independence Day special trains on several routes nationwide to ease the rush

Hotels nearly sold out, airfares soar sharply for August 15 long weekend

Hotels report near-full bookings and airfares rise sharply ahead of the Independence Day long weekend, with strong demand across leisure and drive-in destinations

Delhi Police bans use of aerial platforms ahead of I-Day celebrations

Delhi Police Commissioner SBK Singh on Saturday ordered a ban on sub-conventional aerial platforms across the national capital from August 2 to August 16 in view of security preparations related to the upcoming Independence Day. According to the order, flying aerial devices such as paragliders, para-motors, hang-gliders, UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), UASs (Unmanned Aircraft Systems), microlight aircraft, hot air balloons, small-sized powered aircraft, quadcopters, and remotely piloted aircraft has been banned under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. The order said that such aerial platforms may pose a threat to public safety, VIPs, and critical installations in Delhi during the sensitive period around August 15. This is Singh's first order as the new Delhi Police Commissioner. The ban is aimed at preventing their possible misuse by anti-social and terrorist elements, including for para-jumping or launching airborne attacks. The prohibition will remain i

PM Modi invites public suggestions for his 12th Independence Day speech

Two weeks before delivering his 12th consecutive Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asked people to share their thoughts on the themes and ideas they want to be reflected in his speech. He said on X, "As we approach this year's Independence Day, I look forward to hearing from my fellow Indians! What themes or ideas would you like to see reflected in this year's Independence Day speech?" He urged them to share their thoughts on open forums on MyGov and the NaMo App. In his August 15 addresses, Modi covers a broad sweep of issues facing the country and often makes new announcements.

July Fourth sees shootings in US cities, fireworks death in Massachusetts

This year's Fourth of July holiday was marked by multiple shootings across the US, including one in Indianapolis that left at least two dead and a police chief voicing public frustration over the latest acts of violence in his city. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Chief Chris Bailey told reporters early Saturday morning that the mayhem was completely unacceptable and unnecessary and that parents and guardians needed to better control their children. Hundreds of unsupervised kids down here, he said, while speaking in the city's downtown area. I don't know how many times I had to say it: We are not your children's keepers. You are! And parents and guardians have got to step up. A kid is dead tonight. Mass shootings were reported in other cities, including Philadelphia and Chicago and Brockton, Mass., where six people were hospitalised following an early morning fight on Saturday. Violence and shootings often surge in the summer months, especially around the Fourth of July, historica

EAM Jaishankar wishes Montenegro FM Ibrahimovic on their Independence Day

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday extended his greetings to Montenegro on their Independence day.Jaishankar also shared an old picture of himself with Montenegro Foreign Minister Ervin Ibrahimovic.In a post on X, Jaishankar said, "Warm greetings to DPM & FM Ervin Ibrahimovic, the Government and the people of Montenegro on their Independence Day. Deeply value our friendship and cooperation."Earlier the two leaders met on the sidelines of 79th UNGA (United Nations General Assembly) in New York on September 27, 2024."Nice to meet DPM & FM Ervin Ibrahimovic of Montenegro today on sidelines of UNGA 79. Our conversation focussed on advancing cooperation in business, health and tourism," Jaishankar stated.On October 28, India and Montenegro held the third round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) on Monday in Podgorica, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.The Indian side was led by Arun Kumar Sahu, Additional Secretary (Central Europe ...

PM Modi highlights 'spirit of 1971 war' in letter to Bangladesh's Yunus

Prime Minister Narendra Modi pens letter to Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, speaks about shared history, bilateral ties, and Liberation War of 1971

Sri Lanka must unite to achieve economic freedom: Prez Dissanayake

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Tuesday said that Sri Lanka must work in unison to achieve economic freedom rather than yield to vulnerabilities within the global economic system. Addressing the 77th Independence Day celebrations of the island nation, Dissanayake said, "Collectively, we must persist in our struggle for freedom on behalf of this motherland." "To secure our economic freedom, rather than succumbing to weakness in the global economic system and being overwhelmed by its every fluctuation, we must unite in our efforts for this motherland," said the 56-year-old president. In keeping with his government's policy of minimizing state expenditures as the island nation struggles to emerge from the 2022 economic crisis, this year's celebrations saw a reduction in the usual pomp and pageantry. Only 1,800 military personnel were deployed in the parade, a reduction of over 1,500 personnel from last year. From last year's 19 aircraft, this morning's celebrations featured only

Country's 'true independence' on Ram temple consecration day: Bhagwat

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has said the date of Ram temple consecration in Ayodhya should be celebrated as "Pratishtha Dwadashi", as the "true independence" of Bharat, which faced "parachakra" (enemy attack) for several centuries, was established on this day. After India got political independence from the British on August 15, 1947, a written Constitution was made according to the path shown by that specific vision, which comes out of the "self" of the country, but the document was not run according to the spirit of the vision at that time, Bhagwat said on Monday. According to the Hindu calendar, the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya took place on Dwadashi of 'Shukla Paksha' of the Paush month last year. The date in the Gregorian calendar was January 22, 2024. This year, the Paush Shukla Paksha Dwadashi fell on January 11. Bhagwat asserted that the Ram temple movement was not started to oppose anyone. This movement was started to awaken the "self" (swa) of Bharat so that the

Efforts were made to diminish & distort Sardar Patel's legacy: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah pointed out that it was due to Sardar Patel's vision and political skill that regions such as the Lakshadweep Islands, Junagarh, and Hyderabad became part of India

Ukraine marks its 33rd Independence anniversary as war against Russia rages

A somber atmosphere pervades Ukraine's 33rd Independence Day Saturday, as the nation's war against Russia's aggression reaches a 30-month milestone. No fireworks, parades or concerts are planned and instead Ukrainians will mark the day with commemorations for civilians and soldiers killed in the war. Ukrainians have flooded social media with messages of gratitude and support, greeting each other and thanking the soldiers on the front lines. In the outpouring of unity, there's a shared acknowledgment that the two-and-a-half years have been tough, with fatigue increasingly setting in. Independence is the silence we experience when we lose our people, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said to the nation. Independence descends into the shelter during an air raid, only to endure and rise again and again to tell the enemy: You will achieve nothing. Zelenskyy pointed out that the war started by Russia has now spread to its own territory. Those who seek to sow evil on our land will reap its ...

Pawar slams PM's 'one nation, one election' pitch during I-Day speech

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Monday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day address in which the latter pitched for 'one nation, one election'. Addressing the nation on the 78th Independence Day, PM Modi had said frequent elections were creating hurdles in the progress of the nation and asserted "the country has to come forward for one nation, one election". Speaking to reporters in Pune, Pawar said, "PM Modi was insisting on holding all elections simultaneously but the very next day, there is announcement of three different poll dates for three different states. The PM talks about one thing while the system takes another decision." The Election Commission last week announced the poll schedule for Haryana and Jammu-Kashmir. Asked if Maharashtra polls may be held in December due to the state government's Ladki Bahin Yojana and if there was chance of President's Rule in the state, Pawar said it was a question that must be directed ...