Delhi Confidential: At Home ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan cancelled due to Covid

🔴 While the At Home function was held with restrictions and a curtailed guest list on the occasion of Independence Day in 2020 and 2021, President Ram Nath Kovind hosted guests last Republic Day, which fell between the two waves of the pandemic.

By: Express News Service

New Delhi | Updated: January 25, 2022 07:46 AM IST

3 min read

President Ram Nath Kovind (File)

Break in tradition: With the number of Covid cases remaining high, the traditional At Home ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Republic Day has been cancelled this year. Sources said the decision was taken after a number of ministers and officials – and even Vice President Venkaiah Naidu – got infected with the virus. Rashtrapati Bhavan itself has several cases, including some senior officials, and at one point earlier this week the positivity rate there crossed 30. “The situation was so alarming that it was wise to cancel the event,” a source said. While the At Home function was held with restrictions and a curtailed guest list on the occasion of Independence Day in 2020 and 2021, President Ram Nath Kovind hosted guests last Republic Day, which fell between the two waves of the pandemic.

Bird’s eye view: The Indian Air Force and Doordarshan have tied up to bring in a new feature for the Republic Day celebrations broadcast. For the first time, there will be live feed from cameras, providing the pilot’s view and cockpit’s view, in some of the 75 aircraft from the three services that will participate in the largest flypast this year. Apart from this, Doordarshan will have 59 cameras and over 160 personnel, with 33 cameras at Rajpath, 16 at the National War Memorial, India Gate, National Stadium and 10 at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Two additional 360 degree cameras – one at Rajpath and one atop India Gate – will broadcast live feed available on DD’s YouTube channel. DD News will also broadcast commentary through sign language.

Trimmed version: With the government yet to finalise the appointment of the Chief Economic Adviser, the Economic Survey this year will likely be a trimmed down version, with only one volume as against the usual two. Principal Economic Adviser Sanjeev Sanyal is in charge of preparing the Survey this year, which is likely to focus on firm economic recovery in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. Earlier, in July 2014, the then Principal Economic Adviser Ila Patnaik had also prepared the Survey in absence of a CEA following Raghuram Rajan’s move to the RBI months earlier. Tabled in Parliament ahead of the Union Budget, the Survey presents the economic report card of the government and suggestions on possible reforms.

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