Covid takes toll on Prez's I-Day celebrations

August 11, 2020 18:34

The Covid-19 pandemic has severely impacted one of the key events of Indias Independence Day celebrations. The need to follow social distancing and no large gathering protocols have forced drastic cuts in the scale of the Presidents 'At Home' reception to mark the Independence Day on August 15 this year.

Sources inside Rashtrapati Bhawan said that in normal times the list of invitees used to be 1,200-1,300 guests. But this time, according to sources, the list is not going to exceed 100 and could well be down to 90 guests only.

The second scale down is the level of interaction at the reception hosted by the President of India. Usually, the President and the Prime Minister would go around greeting guests who would line up after the arrival of the President and the playing of the National Anthem.

This time all the guests will be seated as per the social distancing requirement. This includes the President, Prime Minister and the Vice President. The event would take place inside the Rashtrapati Bhawan Convention Centre or RBCC.

There would be strict entry and exit procedure protocols. Masks and sanitisers would be placed at strategic points for the guests and other staff members.

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