Independence Day 2025: History, Events, Significance And All You Need To Know
Independence Day History
The British Empire ruled India for 150 years through the East India Company, the trading company that was set up in Surat, Gujarat in 1619. Post their victory at the Battle of Plassey, the East India Company, in 1757, took control of the nation.
Freedom fighters like Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose, Chandra Shekhar Azad, and many others fought for India's independence. In 1947, the Quit India Movement resulted in the British leaving the country.
Independence Day Significance
The Indian Independence Bill was introduced in the British Parliament in 1947. After being passed, it formally ended the British rule in India, which led to the creation of Pakistan, separate from India.
Independence Day Celebrations
On August 15, 1947, Prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru hoisted the tricolour from the ramparts of the Red Fort in Delhi, followed by his famous 'Tryst with destiny' speech. Ever since then, the flag is unfurled from the monument by the sitting PM, followed by an address to the people of the nation.
Celebrations take place across the country with cultural programmes, social service activities and illumination of the national monuments. People organise cultural programs and seminars to pay tribute to the freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for India's freedom.
Is India Celebrating The 78th Or 79th Independence Day In 2024?
The discussion centres on two assumptions -- whether the day can be counted from August 15, 1947, the day India gained independence, or from the day it celebrated its first anniversary one year later.
India will be commemorating its 79th anniversary of gaining independence if we count from the day of independence. However, if we calculate from August 15, 1948, it is the 78th Independence Day.
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Hindustan Times
17 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana: 38 checkpoints set up ahead of I-Day
A day after Punjab director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav directed all district police chiefs to step up security ahead of Independence Day, the Ludhiana police intensified checking across the city and set up 38 special checkpoints on Tuesday. Cops during a vehicle checking drive in Ludhiana on Tuesday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT) Commissioner of police Swapan Sharma, accompanied by deputy commissioner of police (law and order) Parminder Singh Bhandal, visited several checkpoints to review the arrangements. Sharma said that both day and night checking operations have been scaled up, with the checkpoints placed at strategic locations across the city under the supervision of gazetted officers. 'The deployment of police personnel on the roads has been increased from 200 to 600. We have also received additional force to ensure foolproof security,' he added. Apart from road checkpoints, police teams will carry out security inspections at high-footfall areas, including Inter state bus terminal Ludhiana, the railway station, parking lots, and major markets. On Monday, DGP Yadav had reviewed security preparations in border districts and key cities, including Ludhiana, Amritsar and Jalandhar, giving clear instructions on inter-district coordination, high-visibility nakas, and 24x7 surveillance. He had directed all commissioners of police and senior superintendents of police to ensure visible police presence at vital spots, intensify domination operations, and adopt preventive and detective measures to maintain peace and harmony during the Independence Day celebrations.
Hindustan Times
17 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Delhi CM pitches for mini secretariats in all districts
Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday pitched for a 'mini secretariat' in every district of Delhi, saying it would spare residents the hassle of shuttling between scattered government offices. At a meeting with the Capital's 11 district magistrates, she also reemphasised her plan for a gaushala in each district, both proposals first announced in her budget speech in March. Delhi CM Rekha Gupta and minister Ashish Sood take part in the 'Tricolour Cyclathon' on Tuesday. (X-Rekha Gupta) 'Resolving the problems of Delhi's people is a priority,' Gupta said, adding that the mini secretariats would make public services accessible under one roof. Earlier in the day, she directed officials to ensure smooth distribution of Tricolours for the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign ahead of Independence Day, and to avoid 'any negligence in public work.' The meeting reviewed the single-window complaint system, weekly public hearings, and the Chief Minister's complaint box. Gupta said these must improve continuously so that 'the general public feels assured that the Delhi government is sincerely and effectively resolving their issues.' Officials said she lauded the DMs' role during the Kanwar Yatra and instructed them to clear pending payments to Kanwar committees within three months. Some DMs flagged staff shortages and other bottlenecks, to which she assured swift redress. She also said Delhi Development Authority and Jal Board officials would now join public hearing meetings. Gupta also told DMs to identify land for gaushalas and to conduct regular field visits with subordinates -- not only to grasp ground realities, she said, but also to strengthen public trust in the administration. Earlier in the day, the CM led a flurry of patriotic events. She flagged off a 'Tiranga Cyclothon for Girls' from the Delhi Legislative Assembly, telling participants, 'When our daughters are given the wings to realise their dreams, the Tricolour will soar even higher.' Undeterred by light rain, the girls completed the ride to Rajghat. The second Tiranga Yatra, organised by the NDMC in Connaught Place, saw Gupta call for both patriotism and cleanliness, urging citizens to keep the city worthy of the flag they fly.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
‘Supercentenarians' puzzle EC;124-year-old turns out to be 35
1 2 3 Patna: Bihar's ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has produced a mix of bafflement, amusement and embarrassment — from confirmed cases of voters aged well over a century to a clerical blunder that turned a 35-year-old into a supposed 124-year-old icon of political protest. According to the Election Commission , officials engaged in the SIR drive recently identified two women electors who are 120 and 119 years old, living in Bhagalpur and Gopalganj districts respectively. In Bhagalpur's Pirpainti assembly constituency, 120-year-old Asha Devi was found "alive, with wrinkles all over her face" after initial doubts about her age. Deputy election officials ordered a verification, during which BLO Farzana Khatoon checked her Aadhaar card and spoke to villagers. "During the inquiry, Asha Devi was found alive, and her age is 120," Khatoon wrote in her report. Similarly, in Gopalganj's Barauli constituency, 119-year-old Manturia Devi's age was confirmed through physical verification in the presence of the BLO and an observer. The assistant electoral registration officer stated in his letter that her reported age "was found correct". Interestingly, Ethel Caterham, a 115-year-old British woman, currently holds the title of the world's oldest living person. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Secret Lives of the Romanovs — the Last Rulers of Imperial Russia! Learn More Undo But if these centenarians are challenging Japan's life expectancy records, another case in Siwan has turned into a comedy of errors. Minta Devi of Daraundha constituency, celebrated by opposition MPs as a "124-year-old voter" during their "vote-chori" protest in Parliament, is in fact just 35. Her apparent longevity was the result of a voter ID slip that recorded her birth year as 1900 instead of 1990. "This is purely the fault of the Election Commission," she told a television news channel. "My year of birth is 1990 and I submitted the documents online, but now everyone is asking about my age." She admitted she had not checked her card when it arrived. "When the controversy broke out, I took out the card and found '15-07-1900' printed as my date of birth," she said. Her husband's name had even been placed in the 'house number' field. Siwan DM Aditya Prakash called it a "typographical error" caused when "she cited 1990 as her year of birth and this changed to 1900 due to a typo error by the computer operator". The correction, he said, "will be done within a week". Deputy election officer Sohail Ahmad confirmed she had applied through Form 6 and assured the error "will be disposed of within the stipulated time." Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
