No Tableaux Of Jharkhand, Delhi, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra, NE States This Republic Day
Guest enclosures for Republic Day Parade have been named after India's rivers, while those for Beating the Retreat have been named after Indian musical instruments.
Published : January 20, 2026 at 4:51 PM IST
By Gautam Debroy
New Delhi: As many as 30 tableaux from 17 states and Union Territories (UTs), and 13 Central government departments will be participating in this year’s Republic Day Parade at Kartavya Path on the themes: "The Mantra Of Freedom Is Vande Mataram", and "The Mantra Of Prosperity Is Aatmanirbhar Bharat".
However, states like Jharkhand, Goa, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and some states from the Northeast won't be present, as the government has a tableaux rotation policy to ensures all states and UTs get a chance to participate over time.
Selected States, UTs, Central Govt Depts
With the core theme marking 150 years of Vande Mataram, and a focus on Aatmanirbhar Bharat, the 30 selected tableaux will highlight unity, self-reliance, and inclusive national progress.
States and UTs that will be present include Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala, Maharashtra, Manipur, Nagaland, Odisha, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab.
Air Headquarters, Naval Headquarters, the Department of Military Affairs, Ministry of Culture, Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of AYUSH, Ministry of Home Affairs (NDMA & NDRF), Ministry of Home Affairs (BPRD), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (CPWD), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Power, and Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, will present their tableaux at this years Republic Day parade.
States, UTs Not Participating
Prominent states and UTs not participating with tableaux this time include Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Tripura, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Jharkhand, Goa, Delhi, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
In the past, the tableau selection has drawn controversy, with the Defence Ministry in 2024 proposing a roll-over plan for states and UTs to showcase their tableaus. A three-year agreement was signed for 2024, 2025 and 2026, under which every state and UT would get a chance to present at least once during the three years.
Reasons For Not Getting Selected
Besides the rotation policy, the Defence Ministry's screening committee follows an elaborate mechanism to select participants for the parade. The committee, composed of artists and Padma awardees representing various fields, decides on the theme, aesthetics and criteria, and screens proposals from various states, UTs and departments.
“Several states failed in the selection process this year as the committee looks into various aspects of theme, concept, designs and visual elements,” an official said.
How The States Got Selected
According to a government note in possession of ETV Bharat, the tableaux proposals received from various organisations and agencies are evaluated in a series of meetings of the expert committee. In the first phase, sketches/designs of the proposals are scrutinised, and suggestions, if necessary, are given to be carried out. Once these are approved, the participants are asked to come up with three-dimensional models of their proposals.
However, entry into the model stage too, doesn't confirm selection. For final selection, the committee examines the models too.
Not more than one tableau from an agency/organisation can participate in the parade. They are given adequate time to attend meetings with the expert committee. Non-attendance in any scheduled meeting automatically leads to withdrawal of the proposal for the agency, which bears the costs of attending the meetings.
Only a designated official representative of the agency is allowed to interact with the committee. However, they are not allowed to directly interact with any committee member, unless specifically authorised by the committee.
Tribal Guests To Witness Republic Day Celebrations
According to a memo issued by the Home Ministry, approximately 400 tribal guests from various parts of India have been invited to witness the Republic Day Celebrations in Delhi. Both these representatives and the tableau artists will call on the Prime Minister and the Minister of Tribal Affairs. Approximately 5,000 people (with spouses) who have done exceptional work in nation building, have also been invited as special guests to witness the Republic Day Parade.
Invitation to a minimum 50 Delhi-based couples from each state and UT, dressed in their traditional attires, are being invited to witness the parade. Competition winners have also been invited to witness the ceremony.
Rivers, Musical Instruments As Names Of Enclosures
This year, the enclosures for guests at the Republic Day Parade have been given unique names, based on the rivers Beas, Brahmaputra, Chambal, Chenab, Gandak, Ganga, Ghagra, Godavari, Sindhu, Jhelum, Kaveri, Kosi, Krishna, Mahanadi, Narmada, Pennar, Periyar, Ravi, Sone, Sutlej, Teesta, Vaigai and Yamuna.
Similarly, for the Beating the Retreat ceremony, enclosures have been named after Indian musical instruments Bansuri, Damaru, Ektara, Esraj, Mridangam, Nagada, Pakhawaj, Santoor, Sarangi, Sarinda, Sarod, Shehnai, Sitar, Surbahar, Tabla and Veena.
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