India’s 76th Republic Day celebrated in Kathmandu amidst special ceremony

The 76th Republic Day of India was celebrated amidst a special ceremony at the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu on Sunday.

Ambassador of India to Nepal Naveen Srivastava inaugurated the program by unfurling India's national flag.

During the event, the Indian ambassador conveyed his greetings to the members of the Indian diaspora in Nepal. This was followed by a telecast of the address to the nation from President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu.

A large number of members of the Indian community attended the function.

On the occasion, Ambassador Srivastava honored the widows and next of kin of deceased soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces by disbursing their dues worth Rs 5 Crore, reads a statement issued by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.

In addition, an amount of Rs 23.29 crore was also disbursed to the widows and next of kin of 219 deceased members of Indian Armed Forces. This payment covers benefits under the Army Group Insurance (AGI) program, including death-in-service benefits, extended insurance benefits, and AGI maturity payments in the year 2024.

The ambassador also unveiled the Bhu Puu - 2025 magazine covering the welfare initiatives of the Government of India for ex-servicemen domiciled in Nepal.

The Embassy also donated books amounting to Rs 23.5 Lakh to 29 educational institutions spread across six provinces in Nepal, according to the statement. This initiative is designed to provide educational materials to students in remote areas, responding to their specific needs and requests.

During the program, the top 50 scorers from Nepal in the Bharat Ko Janiye (BKJ) Quiz, held from November 11 to December 11, were felicitated by awarding them Certificates of Achievement.

The BKJ Quiz aims to inspire foreign nationals and the Indian community living abroad to deepen their knowledge and understanding of India. As part of the prize, the top 30 winners of the quiz from around the world were invited to India for a two-week BKJ Yatra earlier this month.

Among the winners was Nikhil Kumar Das from Nepal, who had the honor of being part of this special Yatra to India.

A video detailing the progress made in India-Nepal relations in the past years was played at the event.

The celebrations also witnessed cultural performance by students of Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre of the Embassy and Kendriya Vidyalaya, Kathmandu.

The event was live-streamed on Mission's social media platforms.