Souvenir for school children, sweets for women: How India celebrated its first Republic Day – Firstpost

As India celebrates its 77th Republic Day with a énorme spectacle on Kartavya Path, a look back at the archives reveals a very different picture of the nation’s first such observance in 1950. On January 26 of that year, New Delhi’s celebrations were modest and deeply community-centred: schoolchildren received simple souvenirs, while women and children in relief homes were offered sweets, fruit and toys.

Republic Day is now observed with a large military parade that displays the country’s military strength, cultural diversity and technological progress. The parade, a continuation of a British-era tradition, begins at Raisina Hills, moves along Kartavya Path, passes India Gate and concludes at the Red Fort.

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The event is designed to project military capability, foster patriotism, highlight diverse armed forces units and showcase gender diversity within the services.

Republic Day parades have been held every year since Independence and usually involve expenditure running into crores of rupees. While recent figures are not available, reports say the government spent Rs 320 crore in 2015.

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How costs rose over the years

In the early years, spending was far lower. When India celebrated its first Republic Day in 1950, the total expenditure was assessed at around Rs 11,250 and later itemised at Rs 11,093.

Costs increased steadily in subsequent decades. According to a report in The Hindu, Republic Day expenditure rose to Rs 5,75,000 in 1956, Rs 17,12,000 in 1971, Rs 23,38,000 in 1973 and Rs 69,69,159 in 1988.

The first Republic Day

Archival records accessed by PTI show that the Delhi administration marked the first Republic Day through modest celebrations in relief homes and rural schools. Children were given souvenir plates, while women inmates received sweets and toys.

The files indicate that observances were largely decentralised, with a focus on children, displaced families and women living in government-run institutions, reflecting a city still recovering from the upheaval of Partition.

In Delhi’s rural areas, Republic Day events were organised by the district board. “Schoolchildren were given souvenir plates, while flags, poles and candles were supplied to institutions to mark the occasion,” the records stated.

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Welfare focus in relief homes

Women inmates living in relief homes were also part of the celebrations. Files from the office of the then Chief Commissioner of Delhi noted that the Provincial Women’s Section organised events at Women’s Section Homes, where fruits, sweets and toys were distributed on January 26, 1950.

An amount of Rs 750 was sanctioned for this purpose, of which around Rs 525 was spent, leaving an unspent balance of Rs 225. Subsequent correspondence dated March 1950 shows permission was granted to use the remaining amount for Women’s Section Day celebrations later that year.

The balance was spent on transporting inmates from different homes, hiring furniture and arranging refreshments for children. The expenditure was charged to the ‘relief and rehabilitation miscellaneous’ head, reflecting a welfare-oriented approach.

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The Women’s Section Homes mentioned in the files were part of a wider network of hostels and relief institutions set up in Delhi after Partition to rehabilitate displaced women and children. Archival material places the Provincial Women’s Section office at P Block, New Delhi.

At the time, several women’s hostels operated in central Delhi, including in and around Connaught Place, providing shelter, food and basic support to women affected by displacement.

Taken together, the documents indicate that Delhi’s first Republic Day was observed not through spectacle, but through carefully organised welfare measures supported by formal approvals and budget oversight.

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