Patna: Bihar will not be represented in this year’s Republic Day parade on Kartavya Path, New Delhi marking a pause after the state’s much-noted return to the national showcase in 2025.
The absence means visitors from India and abroad will not see a tableau highlighting Bihar’s culture, heritage and development at the January 26 celebrations. The decision has disappointed many in the state, particularly as last year’s tableau—centred on Nalanda’s ancient legacy and Bihar’s role as a global seat of learning—had raised expectations of continued participation.
Officials, however, say the decision is a consequence of a new rotation policy introduced by the ministry of defence after repeated complaints from states that their tableaux were being overlooked. Under the revised framework, each state and Union Territory is assured at least one opportunity to participate within a three-year cycle.
A senior official in Bihar’s information and public relations department said the state had been excluded this year to comply with the policy, stressing that the move was not directed against any particular state. “The intent is to ensure fairness and wider representation,” the official said, adding that Bihar is likely to return to the parade in the coming years.
Thirty tableaux will be displayed at this year’s parade, built around the theme of Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India), alongside a tribute to the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram. The displays will highlight national unity, inclusive development and institutional achievements.
States and Union Territories participating this year include Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Maharashtra, Manipur, Nagaland, Odisha, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab. Several central ministries and the armed forces will also present tableaux.
Bihar’s 2025 tableau, which featured Nalanda University, a towering Buddha statue and the eco-tourism initiative at Ghoda Katora lake, remains a point of pride in the state. While it will be missing from Kartavya Path this year, officials say the rotation policy offers reassurance that Bihar’s turn will come again.
