
Indian PM Modi hoists tricolor at Red Fort to mark 79th Independence Day
Flying Officer Rashika Sharma assisted the Prime Minister in hoisting the flag, after which flower petals were showered from two Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force - one carrying the national flag and the other 'Operation Sindoor' flag. Wing Commander Vinay Poonia and Wing Commander Aditya Jaiswal piloted the aircraft.
PM Modi was received at the Red Fort by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, MoS Sanjay Seth, and the Chiefs of the three services.
The Prime Minister also received the ceremonial guard of honour by the National Flag Guard, the Indian Air Force, Army, Navy, and Delhi Police, totaling upto 128 people. Wing Commander Arun Nagar led the interservices guard of honour.
Ahead of reaching the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Rajghat in the national capital and paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi as the country marked its 79th Independence Day.
This year's celebrations carry the theme 'Naya Bharat,' reflecting the government's vision of achieving 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047.Upon his arrival at the Red Fort, the Prime Minister will be received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, MoS Defence Sanjay Seth and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh.
A total of 2,500 cadets from the Army, Navy and Air Force, along with 'My Bharat' volunteers, are seated on Gyanpath, opposite the Rampart, forming the 'Naya Bharat' logo.
With the aim to increase 'Jan Bhagidari' in this festival of national fervour, around 5,000 special guests, from different walks of life, have been invited to witness the celebrations at the Red Fort this year, including the Indian contingent of Special Olympics 2025, the winners of international sports events, the Gold Medalists of Khelo India Para Games, and the best-performing farmers trained & financially assisted under the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission.Best performing farmers traders/cooperatives who availed credit under Credit Guarantee Scheme for e-Negotiable Warehouse Receipts, Best performing Sarpanches of Open Defecation Free Plus Villages, Best performing Sarpanches of Catch the Rain Abhiyan, Best performing young authors under PM YUVA (Youth Author Mentorship Scheme), Best performing Youth, skilled and trained under PM-VIKAS scheme, Best performing entrepreneurs under PM Van Dhan Yojana by TRIFED, Best performing entrepreneurs of SC/ST community under National SC/ST Hub Scheme, Best performing students under PM-DAKSH, SHREYAS and SHRESTA scheme, Best performing Self Help Groups under VISVAS scheme, Best performing entrepreneurs by NSTFDC, Best performing Interns of PM Internship Scheme, Best performing My Bharat Volunteers, Beneficiaries of PM Awaas Yojana Gramin among others have been invited.
For the first time, a number of band performances will be conducted pan-India on the evening of Independence Day celebrations to promote patriotic fervour among citizens and to celebrate the victory of Operation Sindoor.
The performances will be conducted by the bands of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Indian Coast Guard, NCC, CRPF, ITBP, CISF, SSB, BSF, IDS, RPF and Assam Rifles at over 140 prominent locations throughout the country.
On the call of PM Modi, the Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan has proved to fill the citizens with a national patriotic spirit. Tiranga Yatra was carried out across the country.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Times of Oman
4 hours ago
- Times of Oman
CII welcomes next-generation upcoming GST reforms announced by PM Modi during I-Day speech
New Delhi: Industry body Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has welcomed the upcoming reforms in Goods and Services Tax (GST) as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the Red Fort during his Independence Day address to the nation. "On behalf of Indian industry, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) warmly welcomes the Hon'ble Prime Minister's visionary announcement today of next-generation Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms. This landmark step reflects the Government's deep commitment to building a simpler, more transparent, and growth-oriented tax regime that will empower businesses and benefit consumers alike," said Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII. The announcement of a high-powered committee to review and recommend comprehensive improvements in the GST framework is both timely and forward-looking. It acknowledges the need for a tax system that keeps pace with India's fast-evolving economy, while ensuring predictability and stability for investors, businesses, and entrepreneurs, said CII. "We particularly commend the Government for incorporating many of the suggestions consistently advocated by CII and industry, such as: moving towards a two-rate structure (in the overall context of converged rates, besides the one for Demerit Goods) to simplify the tax system and eliminate ambiguities. Correcting inverted duty structures, which have hampered competitiveness in key manufacturing sectors. Reducing compliance burden for MSMEs, thereby enabling greater participation of small enterprises in the formal economy. Ensuring predictability and stability in tax rates will provide confidence to both domestic and global investors," CII DG said. "These measures are expected to have a far-reaching positive impact on ease of doing business, reduce costs across value chains, and accelerate the process of formalisation and digitisation of the economy. Importantly, the emphasis on lowering tax rates for essential goods while rationalising higher rates for luxury and sin products reflects a balanced approach of equity and efficiency, benefiting both consumers and the exchequer," the CII DG said. Since its introduction, GST has been a transformative reform, unifying the national market, reducing cascading of taxes, and creating a technology-driven compliance system. With today's announcements, India is poised to enter a GST 2.0 era--streamlined, globally benchmarked, and capable of supporting India's ambition to become a USD 5 trillion economy in the near future. CII further added that it commends the Government for its inclusive and consultative approach, wherein the voices of industry and other stakeholders have been given due weightage in shaping this reform roadmap. We stand ready to work closely with the Ministry of Finance, the GST Council, and other stakeholders to ensure the smooth implementation of these landmark reforms, said the CII statement. "CII firmly believes that these measures will further strengthen India's economic foundations, enhance investor confidence, and position the country as one of the world's most competitive and resilient economies", the CII Director General concluded. PM Modi, in his address to the nation, announced that the government will revisit the provisions of GST and reform the structure to ease the common man. After PM's speech, government sources said that the Centre has proposed to scrap the current slab of 12 per cent and 28 per cent of GST rates and keep only 5 per cent and 18 per cent GST rates. They further added that as part of the initiative, 99 per cent of the 12 per cent slab is proposed to move to the 5 per cent slab and 90 per cent of the items in the 28 per cent slab are proposed to move to the 18 per cent slab.


Times of Oman
4 hours ago
- Times of Oman
South Korean Foreign Minister arrives in India on maiden visit
New Delhi: Foreign Minister of South Korea, Cho Hyun, arrived in New Delhi on Friday evening for his maiden visit to India. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal extended his greetings, noting that the India-South Korea Special Strategic Partnership remains strong and future-oriented. In a post on X, Jaiswal wrote, "Warm welcome to FM Cho Hyun of the Republic of Korea as he arrives in New Delhi on his maiden visit to India. India-South Korea Special Strategic Partnership remains strong & geared towards the future." Korea's Liberation Day coincides with India's Independence Day. Cho Hyun extended his greetings to India after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar wished him on the occasion. In a post on X, he said, "Dear External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, thank you sincerely for your warm congratulations on Korea's National Liberation Day. Today is also India's Independence Day, and I extend my heartfelt congratulations. I look forward to further deepening the close friendship and cooperation between our two countries. I hope to see you soon!" Jaishankar shared an old snippet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on the sidelines of the G7 Summit at Kananaskis in Canada in June. In a post on X, he said, "Heartfelt congratulations to FM Cho Hyun, the Government and the people of the Republic of Korea on their National Liberation Day. Look forward to welcoming you to India." Marking the twin celebrations, the Korean Embassy in India released a video in which Korean diplomats conveyed Independence Day wishes in Hindi. "Letter from the Korean Embassy on Independence Day, in Hindi. Watch as our Korean Diplomats at the Embassy wish you a Happy Independence Day," the Embassy said. Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Seoul celebrated the 79th Independence Day. In a post on X, the Embassy said, "The Indian diaspora in South Korea joyfully celebrated the 79th Independence Day at the Indian Embassy in Seoul. Ambassador Amit Kumar unfurled the Indian flag, read the Hon'ble President's Address to the Nation. The event featured vibrant cultural performances by the members of the Indian community. The captivating performances highlighted India's rich cultural heritage, with diaspora members delivering captivating performances that instilled pride and joy in the audience."


Observer
13 hours ago
- Observer
Modi pushes self-reliance amid US tariff tensions
NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the country on Friday to move towards more self-reliance, manufacture everything from fertilisers to jet engines and EV batteries; and vowed to protect farmers in the face of a trade conflict with Washington. With the punishing tariffs imposed on Indian exports by US President Donald Trump expected to hurt growth in the world's fastest growing major economy, Modi announced lower goods and services taxes (GST) from October — a move that could help boost consumption. He also announced India would set up a new defence system called 'Sudarshan Chakra' in the aftermath of India's four-day military conflict with Pakistan in May. He did not elaborate but a government statement said the system is aimed at neutralising enemy infiltrations and enhancing India's offensive capabilities. Indian defence and policy circles have informally referred to the Russian S-400 air defence system — which played a key role during the fighting with Pakistan — as Sudarshan Chakra, after a Hindu mythological weapon. Modi was addressing the nation on the occasion of its Independence Day at a time New Delhi has been struggling with Trump's tariffs and the collapse of trade talks, largely due to differences over imports of American farm and dairy products. "Farmers, fishermen, cattle rearers are our top priorities", Modi said in his customary annual address from the ramparts of the Red Fort in New Delhi. "Modi will stand like a wall against any policy that threatens their interests. India will never compromise when it comes to protecting the interests of our farmers", he said. Last week, Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, citing New Delhi's continued imports of Russian oil in a move that sharply escalated tensions between the two nations. The new import tax will raise duties on some Indian exports to as high as 50% — among the highest levied on any US trading partner. Modi has never spoken about the tariffs directly, only alluding to them in a speech last week, where he swore to protect the interests of farmers, even if it came at a personal price. Farmers are a key political constituency in India and they violently protested against Modi's last big push to reform the sector, forcing him to repeal three farm laws in 2021 in what was a rare defeat for him. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation. — Reuters Although local manufacturing and self-reliance have been Modi's key focus areas for years now, the push is seen to have gained urgency amidst ongoing global trade tensions and supply chain disruptions. "The need of the hour is to take a resolve for building a strong India ... I want our traders, shopkeepers to display boards for 'Swadeshi' products", Modi said, using the Hindi word for made in India goods. He said made in India semiconductor chips would hit the market by the end of this year and that India was pushing for self-reliance in producing critical minerals with exploration underway at more than 1,200 locations. Trump's tariffs threaten to disrupt India's access to its largest export market, where shipments totalled nearly $87 billion in 2024, hitting sectors like textiles, footwear, shrimp, gems and jewellery. In retaliation, some supporters of Modi have sought to stoke anti-Modi's promise to cut GST by October's Diwali festival, which encompasses one of India's biggest shopping seasons, follows previous commitments to overhaul it by reducing the number of rate brackets under the 2017 tax regime. A group of ministers have been preparing a report that will consider merging tax slabs and lowering rates on some products. In February, India cut personal income tax for some individuals to boost spending. Earlier this month, the central bank kept interest rates steady, following a 100 basis point cut this year so far. The government has proposed to the ministers' panel that it recommend reducing taxes on mass use items as well as on goods used by women, students and farmers to boost consumption and enhance affordability, the finance ministry said in an X post. The government will move towards making GST a simple tax with two rate slabs, one standard and another merit, it said. Special rates will be applicable only for a few select items. — Reuters