Page 10 - NIS English 01-15 Aug 2025

Longest speech on
Independence Day
by PM Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hoist the
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi addressed the nation flag for a record 12th time from the ramparts of
for 98 minutes at the the Red Fort on the 79th Independence Day.
78th Independence Day
celebrations in 2024. This
is the longest speech of any
Prime Minister of the country
from the ramparts of the Red
Fort. The country’s first Prime
Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal
Nehru, gave his longest speech
of 72 minutes in 1947.

New beginning…
n For the first time in the
year 2023, special guests
were invited to represent
various schemes and areas.
1,800 distinguished guests
were invited to the main
event of Independence
Day celebrations. In the
year 2024, 6,000 special
guests were invited.
n On completion of 75
years of independence,
for the first time in the
76th Independence Day
celebrations, a 21-gun
salute was given from the
indigenously built howitzer
gun, Advanced Towed
Artillery Gun System
(ATAGS).
was prone to diseases caused by traditional sources and dirty water. To
n Under the Azadi Ka solve this problem, on 15 August 2019, from the ramparts of the Red
Amrit Mahotsav, a 7,500 Fort, Prime Minister Modi announced the resolution to provide tap water
square feet national flag to every household in 5 years. On Independence Day 2015, from the
was displayed in all parts ramparts of the Red Fort, he announced the abolition of interviews for
of the country. The flag lower-grade jobs. From January 1, 2016, the Government of India abol-
was also displayed in ished interviews for recruitment to Group ‘D’ and ‘C’ along with Group ‘B’
Antarctica, which created (non-gazetted) and equivalent posts in all ministries, departments, and
a world record for the public sector undertakings. To make India an energy-rich nation by 2047,
largest national flag of any Prime Minister Modi also announced the National Hydrogen Mission on
country in Antarctica. 15 August 2021 from the ramparts of the Red Fort. n

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