Independence Day 2024 LIVE updates: Colored flags are seen fluttering in front of Red Fort in New Delhi on August 14.

The ceremony at the Red Fort will begin with Prime Minister Modi being received by senior government and military officials, followed by an inspection of the Guard of Honour, which this year will be coordinated by the Indian Navy. A symbolic moment will occur when the prime minister unfurls the national flag, accompanied by a 21-gun salute by the 1721 Field Battery, using indigenous 105mm Light Field Guns.

This year, around 6,000 special guests representing diverse sections of Indian society, including youth, tribal communities, farmers, women, and beneficiaries of various government schemes, have been invited to witness the ceremony.

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According to the police, over 10,000 security personnel, including Delhi Police and paramilitary jawans, have been deployed at the Red Fort and at other crucial locations in the national capital. Snipers, elite SWAT commandos, kite catchers and sharpshooters are stationed at strategic locations for the security of the prime minister and other VVIP guests. Bomb disposal staff have been carrying out checks at the the nearby vicinity of Red Fort along with the dog squad.

Notably, 13 remote villages in Chhattisgarh’s Maoist-hit Bastar region will witness hoisting of the national flag for the first time due to the presence of security forces. The establishment of security camps in these villages has enabled the safe celebration of the national festival in areas previously dominated by left-wing extremism.

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