India will witness a historic moment on August 15 as Vande Mataram is set to be sung during the Independence Day celebrations at Delhi’s Red Fort for the first time.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the celebrations as India marks its 80th Independence Day. This year’s programme will highlight the contribution of India’s youth towards the goal of building a developed nation by 2047.

Defence Secretary R K Singh said the decision to focus on youth achievements was taken before the recent student protest at Jantar Mantar.

“The plan to celebrate the success and contribution of youth at the Independence Day celebrations predates any other event,” Singh said, adding that the planning preceded the Jantar Mantar agitation.

Vande Mataram to mark 150 years

The Defence Secretary said 2026 marks 150 years of Vande Mataram, which inspired millions during India’s freedom struggle.

The national song will be performed when the Prime Minister arrives at the Red Fort. Modi will then unfurl the national flag and deliver his customary Independence Day address.

A Mi-17 helicopter of the Indian Air Force will also carry a banner commemorating 150 years of Vande Mataram and shower flower petals over people gathered at the Red Fort.

Youth achievements to be highlighted

The Independence Day celebrations will focus on Yuva Shakti, recognising the achievements and contributions of young Indians in different fields.

Nineteen students who won medals at the International Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematical Olympiads 2026 have been invited to the function. They will be seated on the rampart as an example of youth achievement in science.

Around 5,000 special guests, including achievers from different walks of life, have also been invited to the celebrations.

Rahul Gandhi invited to celebrations

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has been invited to the Independence Day event, according to the Defence Secretary.

Singh said seating arrangements would follow the Table of Precedence. He said Gandhi’s seat would be after the Cabinet ministers as per the prescribed order.

Lakes to name seating enclosures

The invitation cards for this year’s celebrations feature Seva Teerth, while the Dharm Chakra on the card symbolises righteous duty and continuous selfless action.

The seating enclosures at the Independence Day celebrations have been named after major lakes of India.

The move follows the use of river names for seating enclosures during the Republic Day celebrations, which was aimed at highlighting water conservation and reducing the emphasis on VIP culture.

The Jharkhand BJP has called for a statewide bandh on Tuesday in protest against the police action during a march by JPSC and JSSC aspirants in Ranchi. BJP state president Aditya Sahu accused the Hemant Soren government of using force against protesting students and said party workers would take to the streets in their support.

The aspirants have been protesting over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations. Their key demands include cancellation of the JSSC-Combined Graduate Level (CGL) examination, a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities and reforms in the recruitment process.

BJP backs protesting students

Aditya Sahu criticised the state government over the police action during the ‘Vidhan Sabha gherao’ march. He alleged that hundreds of students were injured in the lathicharge and accused the authorities of using tear gas shells and other projectiles to control the protesters.

Sahu said the BJP’s bandh call was aimed at protesting what he described as “injustice and atrocities” against students. He said BJP workers would participate in the statewide protest and seek to bring the state to a standstill.

The BJP leader also targeted Chief Minister Hemant Soren, alleging that the government had failed to understand the concerns of students and had instead responded with force.

Police use force during Ranchi march

Jharkhand Police used lathis and water cannons on Monday to control the crowd during the march towards the state Assembly by JPSC and JSSC aspirants in Ranchi.

The protesters have been demanding the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination, a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities and changes to the recruitment process.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren said the government respects the students’ right to raise their concerns and assured that their demands would be addressed through dialogue. He also praised administrative and police officials for dealing with the situation with “restraint, sensitivity, and a deep sense of responsibility”.

Ranchi administration responds to bandh call

Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri said schools had been left to decide whether to remain open, while the administration advised school managements to prioritise the safety of children and assess the situation before taking a decision.

Bhajantri said reports indicated that several schools had decided to remain closed on Tuesday. He also referred to concerns over violence and misuse of constitutional rights while explaining the administration’s approach.

Babulal Marandi criticises government

Jharkhand Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi also criticised the state government over its handling of the students’ agitation.

Marandi said he and others were detained at Khelgaon while supporting the protesting students. He said the agitation had been continuing for around 15 days and argued that the government should have considered the students’ demand for a CBI inquiry.

He alleged that the government chose to use force instead of addressing the protesters’ concerns through dialogue. Marandi said that referring the alleged irregularities to the CBI could have resolved the confrontation with the protesting aspirants.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday condemned the use of force against students protesting irregularities in recruitment examinations in Jharkhand, saying students have a right to peaceful protest and that dialogue is the way to resolve the issue.

His remarks came as job aspirants marched towards the Jharkhand Assembly in Ranchi amid their ongoing agitation, which entered its 17th day. Police used water cannons, lobbed tear gas shells and lathi-charged job aspirants after they breached barricades and closed in on the Assembly premises.

Rahul Gandhi backs students’ right to protest

Rahul Gandhi said the use of force against protesting students in Jharkhand was wrong and urged the state government to continue listening to their concerns.

He said the students should be allowed to exercise their right to peaceful protest and called for dialogue to find a solution to the dispute.

Gandhi also urged the Jharkhand government to resolve the students’ issues immediately.

His statement came amid criticism from the BJP over his earlier silence on the students’ agitation in Jharkhand, where the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led government is backed by Congress, an ally in the INDIA bloc. 

Students march towards Jharkhand Assembly

The protest march began from outside the old Assembly building at around 10.30 am and coincided with Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s 51st birthday.

The agitators are demanding comprehensive reforms in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) amid allegations of irregularities in recruitment examinations.

Police deployed water cannons and tear gas and carried out a lathi-charge after protesters breached barricades while approaching the Assembly premises.

Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who has been on a nine-day fast over the issue, also joined the march in an ambulance. He was seen carrying a portrait of former chief minister Shibu Soren.

Mahto objected to the installation of barbed-wire barricades along the route and said anger was brewing among students over what they described as injustices. 

Government talks fail to break deadlock

The Jharkhand government has held several rounds of talks with the protesters, but the discussions have not resolved the standoff.

The protesters have said that the government agreed to cancel only three of the 13 examinations they want scrapped.

Mahto said the protesters would not hold talks with the government at this stage, alleging that the government was trying to suppress their voice. 

A protester, Sanjay Mahto, who said he was injured in the police lathi-charge, said his head and legs were hurting and that his head was bleeding.

Rahul Gandhi raises issue of student protests

Rahul Gandhi’s comments also come against the backdrop of the Opposition’s criticism of the Centre over police action during student protests in Delhi and Bihar.

In a newspaper column, Gandhi questioned the Union government’s response to the police crackdown during the July 20 march towards Parliament and sought accountability over the action against protesters.

The Jharkhand agitation continues amid the students’ demand for changes in the recruitment examination process and reforms in the state’s recruitment commissions.