80th Independence Day: In a 1st, Vande Mataram to be sung from ramparts of Red Fort

National song Vande Mataram will be sung from the ramparts of the Red Fort for the first time as Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives for the 80th Independence Day celebrations on August 15, while young students and members of Gen Z will get greater representation at the ceremony, with student achievers to be seated on the ramparts.

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on Monday (August 10, 2026) said that the move assumes significance as 2026 marks 150 years of the national song, which played a prominent role in mobilising people during the freedom struggle. The song will be rendered upon the Prime Minister’s arrival, after which he will unfurl the national flag and deliver his customary address to the nation.

The celebrations will have a pronounced focus on ‘Yuva Shakti’, with the contribution of young Indians to the government’s vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat by 2047’ being highlighted. As part of the 150-year commemoration of Vande Mataram, 2,500 NCC cadets and MY Bharat volunteers will form the words ‘Vande Mataram’ on Gyanpath opposite the Red Fort ramparts.