The celebration of the 75th Republic Day began with the unfurling of the tricolor national flag by Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Brigadier (Dr) BD Mishra (Retd) on January 26 at Pologround.

The marching contingents comprised Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Reserved Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Ladakh Police (men/women), SPOs, Ex-Serviceman, National Cadet Corps (NCC) Boys/ Girls, NCC Kargil (Boys), Mutahhary Public School, Kargil; Mahabodhi Residential School, Sindh Public School, Moravian Mission School Leh, Ladakh Public School, Ladakh Scout Regimental Center (LSRC) band and IRP 25 Battalion female band. Ladakh Police's Dog Squad (K9) also demonstrated a drill as a part of the marching contingent.

Addressing the gathering, the Lieutenant Governor encouraged the people of Ladakh to unite and pledge to make the region the most developed and prosperous Union Territory in the next five years. He expressed gratitude to the armed forces, paramilitary forces, and police personnel for their dedication to duty and contributions beyond their assigned responsibilities.
Highlighting Ladakh's achievements, the Lieutenant Governor mentioned the successful celebration of the fifth Ladakh Foundation Day under the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme. He praised the progress in art, culture, literature, spirituality, and sports and acknowledged the initiatives taken by the Administration, Hill Councils, and Panchayati Raj Institutions for Ladakh's development.

The Lieutenant Governor shared the various endeavors undertaken, including efforts to tackle increasing airfares, the formation of Ladakh’s own Recruitment Board/Staff Selection Commission, and initiatives in education, health, agriculture, and tourism development.

He also acknowledged the successful commemoration of the fifth Ladakh Foundation Day within the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat program. This initiative involved sending 175 students from remote areas of Ladakh, accompanied by 35 teachers, to every Raj Niwas and Raj Bhawan across the country to showcase the rich culture and art of Ladakh. Additionally, he extended his best wishes to the people of Ladakh who have excelled in the fields of art, culture, literature, spirituality, and sports.

Highlighting the collaborative efforts of the Administration, Hill Councils, and Panchayati Raj Institutions to foster Ladakh's development, he outlined various initiatives, including the pursuit of a carbon-neutral Ladakh, infrastructure development, telecommunications projects, youth employment, business and skill development, tourism promotion, safeguarding Ladakhi culture, security programs, education advancement, healthcare development, agricultural initiatives, sports development, frontier area progress, and the Swachh Ladakh Programme.

The Lieutenant Governor also discussed his proactive measures to address challenges, such as addressing the issue of escalating airfares. Notably, he emphasized the decision to establish Ladakh’s own Recruitment Board/Staff Selection Commission and his engagement with the chairman of UPSC to define Recruitment Rules for gazetted posts specific to Ladakh.

He further detailed his persistent efforts in the past six months to facilitate the acquisition of an MRI machine for the District Hospital in Kargil, including discussions with officials in the Ministry of Home Affairs to expedite the purchase process. The Lieutenant Governor outlined steps being taken to reduce the mortality rate of pashmina goat kids during the winter months and initiatives like the detachment of attached teachers and school staff for effective administration and educational outcomes.

Cultural performances by students from various schools in Leh and Kargil graced the event, with an additional captivating presentation by the cultural troupe from the Culture Academy Jammu.
In the March past competition, Mahabodhi Residential School clinched the first position, showcasing exceptional discipline and precision. Mutahhary Public School Kargil secured the second position, while Moravian Mission School Leh earned the third spot.

The winner of the cultural performance category was Government Middle School, Gangles. Following closely, Govt Girls Higher Secondary School, Leh, secured the second position, and Mutahhary Public School claimed the third position.

The Republic Day witnessed the announcement of the 4th State and District Awards for 2024, recognising outstanding contributions across various fields. In the state awards category, accolades in Literature, Art, and Craft were bestowed upon Tonyot Tashi (Wanla, Leh), Tsewang Rigzin (Shey, Leh), and Late Sonam Dadul (Choglamsar, Leh). The Bravery Award was posthumously conferred upon Late Mohd Raza from Karkitko, Kargil, and Inspector Dorjay Gyalson (Tia, Leh); Late His Eminence Togdan Rinpoche received recognition for Social Reforms, Empowerment, and Environment Protection. In the realm of sports, Padma Chorol (Spituk Leh) and Shanaz Parveen (Sankoo Kargil) were acknowledged for their noteworthy achievements.

At the district level, notable awardees included Kunzes Wangmo from the Horticulture Department in Leh; Sonam Chorol, Assistant Accounts Officer, Chief Controller Finance Official Officer LAHDC, Leh; Rigzin Norboo, a dedicated teacher in Govt. P/S Education, and Leakzes Angmo, recognized for her excellence in the field of Cycling.

Earlier, L-G unfurled the Tricolour at Raj Niwas, marking the commencement of Republic Day festivities. Following this, he respectfully laid a wreath at the war memorial and paid homage to the brave martyrs at the Hall of Fame.

Later in the evening, the LG played host to the 'At Home' function on Republic Day. The event was attended by elected representatives, leaders of religious, political, and social organizations, members of the Armed Forces, distinguished award winners, government officials, and other prominent figures from Ladakh.