0.1 Why in News
0.1.1 Republic Day Parade 2026 will be held on 26 January 2026 at Kartavya Path, New Delhi.

0.2 Theme of RDP 2026
0.2.1 Theme: 150 years of ‘Vande Mataram’.
0.2.2 Tableaux themes: “स्वतंत्रता का मंत्र – वंदे मातरम” and “समृद्धि का मंत्र – आत्मनिर्भर भारत”.

0.3 Chief Guests
0.3.1 Antonio Costa, President of the European Council.
0.3.2 Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.

0.4 Vande Mataram – Special Features
0.4.1 Display of paintings (1923) illustrating verses of Vande Mataram from the ‘Bande Mataram Album’ (1923) by Tejendra Kumar Mitra.
0.4.2 Banner depicting ‘वंदेमातरम्’ to be unveiled at the conclusion of the parade.
0.4.3 Pan-India band performances from 19–26 January 2026 by Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and CAPFs.
0.4.4 Performances to include venue at Bankim Bhawan Gaveshana Kendra, Naihati, West Bengal (ancestral home of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay).
0.4.5 Floral decorations, invitation cards/tickets and on-screen videos at Kartavya Path to follow the Vande Mataram theme.
0.4.6 MyGov & My Bharat competitions on Vande Mataram and Aatmanirbhar Bharat; 1,61,224 participants; top 200 winners invited to RDC 2026.

0.5 Scale of the Event
0.5.1 30 tableaux to roll down Kartavya Path.
0.5.2 10,000 special guests from different walks of life to witness the parade.
0.5.3 2,500 artists to perform in cultural segments.

0.6 Phased Battle Array Display (First Time)
0.6.1 Indian Army to showcase Battle Array Format for the first time.
0.6.2 Army representation includes 61 Cavalry Mounted Column, Battle Array Formation, and seven marching contingents.
0.6.3 Mechanised columns to feature platforms/systems including T-90, Arjun MBT, BMP-II, NAMIS-II, ATAGS, Dhanush, BrahMos, Akash, MRSAM, UGVs, Drone Shakti, Glacier ATV, among others.