Is India Celebrating Its 77th Or 78th Republic Day This Year?

India is preparing to celebrate Republic Day on January 26, 2026. As the tricolour rises, patriotism should extend beyond parades and formal events. Republic Day is a national festival that honours the adoption of the Constitution of India on January 26, 1950, the day the nation became a sovereign republic.

This year marks 77 years since the Constitution came into force. India’s 77th Republic Day will be observed on January 26, 2026, with a grand parade at Kartavya Path, New Delhi, reflecting the country’s sovereignty, democracy, and progress.

Why is Republic Day celebrated in India?

The roots of Republic Day lie in India’s freedom struggle. Although the country gained independence on August 15, 1947, it did not have its own Constitution at that time. The nation continued to function under a revised version of the Government of India Act, 1935.

On August 29, 1947, the Constituent Assembly passed a resolution to form a Drafting Committee to prepare a permanent Constitution for India. Dr B. R. Ambedkar led this committee as its Chairman. The committee presented the final draft of the Constitution to the Constituent Assembly on 4 November 1948.

After detailed discussions and necessary changes, the Constituent Assembly approved the Draft Constitution on November 26, 1949. Some provisions took effect on the same day, while most of the Constitution came into force on January 26, 1950. From that day, India formally became a sovereign republic.

On January 26, 1950, the nation marked the occasion with a 21-gun salute, and Dr Rajendra Prasad unfurled the Indian National Flag. The government later declared January 26 as the Republic Day of India.

India chose January 26 as the ‘date of commencement’ of the Constitution to honour history. On this day in 1930, the country observed Purna Swaraj Day after the INC passed the resolution at the Lahore Session in December 1929.