India on Friday marked its 73rd Army Day with Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and the chiefs of all three Armed forces paying tribute at the National War Memorial in Delhi. It was on this date in 1949 that Field Marshal Kodandera M Cariappa took over the reigns of the Indian Army from General Sir Francis Butcher and became the first Indian commander in chief.
Since Friday morning, many including Prime Minister Modi and President Kovind have paid homage to India's armed forces. Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane and the CDS have also released statements to commemorate the contributions of soldiers throughout a rather challenging year. The India Army also paid homage to 100 battle casualties in the year 2020.
Army chief Naravane also inspected the parade at the Cariappa Grounds and addressed the Army Day parade. A total of 15 Indian Army officers and soldiers were awarded the Sena Medal, five of them posthumously, for gallantry during counter terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir. The Sena Medal incidentally is awarded in recognition of such individual acts of exceptional devotion to duty or courage as have special significance to the Indian Army.
Take a look at some of the visuals:
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