150 years of Vande Mataram to be the theme of Republic Day Parade 2026 at Kartavya Path

• Theme of the 77th Republic Day Parade (26 Jan 2026) at Kartavya Path is "150 years of Vande Mataram".
• Marks sesquicentennial of India's National Song, first published 7 Nov 1875 in the journal Bangadarshan by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.
• UPSC relevance spans Modern History (freedom struggle symbols), Polity (national symbols), Art & Culture, and IR (Chief Guests = EU leadership).