Republic Day celebrations to begin early from January 23 onwards

The birth anniversary of freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose will now be included in Republic Day celebrations that will now begin every year from January 23 instead of January 24.Multiple reports, quoting government sources, said on Saturday the move is in line with the Narendra Modi-led NDA government's focus on commemorating important aspects of India's history and culture.

The government has already started celebrating Bose's birth anniversary as "Parakram Divas". The day is marked as a state holiday in West Bengal. Some other such days that are being observed annually in the recent past are August 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, October 31 as National Unity Day (birth anniversary of Sardar Patel), November 15 as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas (Birsa Munda's birth anniversary), November 26 as Constitution Day and December 26 as Veer Baal Divas (a tribute to the four sons of Guru Gobind Singh), the sources added.