Republic Day Celebrations 2026: Veer Gatha 5.0 witnesses record participation of 1.92 crore students

1. At a Glance

• Project Veer Gatha is a joint Ministry of Defence (MoD) + Ministry of Education (MoE) school-engagement initiative timed with Republic Day, disseminating life stories of Gallantry Award winners and India's martial heritage [S1][S2].
• Edition 5.0 (2025–26) set a record: ~1.92 crore students from ~1.90 lakh schools across all 36 States/UTs participated; 100 Super-Winners witness the Kartavya Path parade as Special Guests [S1][S3].
• Relevant for UPSC under Government Schemes, Defence Awards, Education, Soft Power & Cultural Diplomacy (international CBSE rollout) [S1].

2. Why in the News

• PIB release dated 08 January 2026 announced Veer Gatha 5.0 results: 1.92 crore student participation (highest since 2021 inception) [S1].
• First-ever international rollout: ~28,005 students from 91 CBSE-affiliated schools across 18 countries (incl. UAE, Qatar, Malaysia) took part [S1][S3].
• 100 Super-Winners announced as Special Guests for the Republic Day Parade 2026 at Kartavya Path [S1].

3. Background & Evolution

• Launched 2021 under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (75 years of Independence) to spread stories of Gallantry Award recipients and instil patriotism [S2].
• Pilot edition (Oct–Nov 2021): ~8.04 lakh students from 4,788 schools [S2].
• Veer Gatha 3.0 (2023–24): ~1.37 crore students participated [S2].
• Veer Gatha 4.0 (2024–25): ~1.76 crore students from 36 States/UTs [S2].
• Veer Gatha 5.0 (2025–26): ~1.92 crore students; first international participation [S1].

4. Core Static Facts

• Type: Joint initiative — Ministry of Defence & Ministry of Education (Dept. of School Education & Literacy); CBSE coordinates [S1][S2].
• Year of inception: 2021 (part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav) [S2].
• Eligibility: School students Grades 3–12 [S1][S3].
• Activity formats: essays, poems, drawings, multimedia, plus 5.0's new short-video formats — videography, anchoring, reporting, storytelling [S3].
• Theme of 5.0: Samarik Parampara — India's military traditions; warriors incl. King Kharavela of Kalinga, Prithviraj Chauhan, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, 1857 warriors, Tribal Uprising leaders [S3].
• Super-100 split: 25 Preparatory (Gr 3–5) + 25 Middle (Gr 6–8) + 50 Secondary (25 from Gr 9–10 + 25 from Gr 11–12) [S1].
• Cash prize: ₹10,000 per Super-Winner + Republic Day Parade attendance at Kartavya Path [S3].
• 5.0 reach: ~1.92 crore students, ~1.90 lakh schools, 36 States/UTs, 18 foreign countries, 91 CBSE schools abroad, ~28,005 international students [S1].

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

• Social / Educational: Mass civic-education exercise — institutionalises patriotism, gallantry narratives & military history in NEP-aligned school activities; scale jumped ~24x between 2021 and 2026 (8 lakh → 1.92 crore) [S1][S2].
• Geopolitical / Soft Power: Extension to CBSE schools abroad in 18 countries projects Indian cultural diplomacy to diaspora youth; aligns with MEA's diaspora outreach posture [S1].
• Historical / Cultural: Theme Samarik Parampara broadens narrative beyond modern gallantry awardees to ancient (Kharavela), medieval (Prithviraj, Shivaji) and tribal-uprising leaders — counters Delhi-centric history pedagogy [S3].
• Administrative / Federal: Implemented via CBSE + State Education Departments under joint MoD–MoE convergence; cross-ministry model replicable [S1].
• Ethical / Governance: Reinforces Fundamental Duty 51A(c) & (d) — uphold sovereignty, defend the country, render national service (implicit constitutional link).

6. Recent Developments (last 12–18 months)

• Jan 2025: Veer Gatha 4.0 results — 1.76 crore students; Super-100 felicitated by Raksha Mantri & Education Minister [S2].
• Aug–Oct 2025: Veer Gatha 5.0 activity window across schools; 1.92 crore students participated [S1].
• 08 Jan 2026: MoD PIB release announces 100 Super-Winners of 5.0 with first international cohort [S1].
• Post-08 Jan 2026: Raksha Rajya Mantri and MoS Education felicitated Super-100 winners of Veer Gatha 5.0 [S2].

7. Prelims Hooks

• Project Veer Gatha is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Education (not MoD alone) [S1].
• Inception year: 2021, under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav [S2].
• Coordinating board: CBSE [S2].
• Veer Gatha 5.0 participation: ~1.92 crore students from ~1.90 lakh schools [S1].
• States/UTs covered in 5.0: all 36 [S2].
• Foreign countries covered for first time in 5.0: 18; CBSE schools abroad: 91; international students: ~28,005 [S1].
• Number of Super-Winners: 100 (25+25+25+25 across four grade-bands) [S1].
• Cash prize per Super-Winner: ₹10,000 [S3].
• Venue for special-guest parade viewing: Kartavya Path (formerly Rajpath, renamed 2022) [S1].
• Veer Gatha 4.0 (2024–25) participation: ~1.76 crore students [S2].
• Veer Gatha 3.0 (2023–24) participation: ~1.37 crore students [S2].
• 5.0 theme keyword: Samarik Parampara (military tradition) [S3].
• 5.0 historic figures highlighted: Kharavela of Kalinga, Prithviraj Chauhan, Chhatrapati Shivaji, 1857 warriors, Tribal Uprising leaders [S3].
• Sample foreign participating countries: UAE, Qatar, Malaysia [S3].

8. Mains Relevance

• GS-II — Government Policies & Interventions: Cross-ministry convergence (MoD + MoE) for civic education.
• GS-I — Indian Culture / Modern History: Tribal uprisings, 1857, regional warrior traditions surfaced via Samarik Parampara.
• GS-II — Diaspora & Soft Power: CBSE-overseas rollout as cultural-diplomacy vector.
• Plausible Mains stems: 1. "Examine how citizen-engagement initiatives like Project Veer Gatha contribute to inculcating Fundamental Duties among Indian youth." (GS-II) 2. "The extension of school-based patriotism programmes to CBSE schools abroad reflects India's soft-power strategy. Discuss." (GS-II) 3. "Discuss the role of historical narratives — including tribal uprisings and regional warriors — in shaping a pluralistic national identity." (GS-I)

9. Related Topics to Study Next

• Gallantry Awards (Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra, Vir Chakra, Ashoka Chakra) — Veer Gatha's primary subject matter.
• Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav — parent umbrella under which VG was launched.
• National Education Policy 2020 — civic & values-based education linkage.
• Kartavya Path renaming (2022) — Republic Day venue context.
• CBSE international schools framework — overseas curriculum delivery.
• Fundamental Duties (Art. 51A) — constitutional anchor.
• Tribal uprisings (Santhal, Munda, Bhil) — 5.0 theme content.
• Republic Day Parade tableaux & special-guest schemes (e.g., Vande Bharatam, Bharat Parv).

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Aspirants often assume MoD alone runs it — it is MoD + MoE jointly [S1].
• Confusing inception year — 2021, not 2022 [S2].
• Assuming international rollout existed since inception — it began only in 5.0 (2025–26) [S1].
• Mixing Super-Winner count: 100 total, but split is 25/25/25/25 (the secondary stage has 50 = 25+25), not 25+25+50 as one block [S1].
• Confusing Kartavya Path (renamed Sept 2022) with Rajpath — Veer Gatha winners attend at Kartavya Path [S1].

11. Sources

• [S1] Republic Day Celebrations 2026: Veer Gatha 5.0 witnesses record participation of 1.92 crore students (PIB, MoD, 08 Jan 2026) — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2212438 — (tier: 1)
• [S2] PIB releases on Veer Gatha 1.0–4.0 winners and inception (PRIDs 1788128, 1964756, 1993582, 2075099, 2091753, 2096168, 2218212) — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2091753 — (tier: 1)
• [S3] Over 1.92 crore school students from all 36 States and UTs participate in Project Veer Gatha 5.0 (PIB) — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2193645&reg=3&lang=2 — (tier: 1)