Kerala will not feature in the Republic Day Parade 2025 at Kartavya Path in New Delhi. It may be noted that the state’s proposal did not make it to the final list in the years 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2024.

Which states and ministries are participating?
Fifteen states and Union Territories have been selected: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. Additionally, 11 Union government ministries and departments will showcase their tableaux.

All states and Union Territories, including those not selected for Kartavya Path, are invited to participate in Bharat Parv at Red Fort from 26 to 31 January 2025. This provides an alternative platform for showcasing their cultural and artistic heritage.

What is the theme for 2025, and what is the process?
The theme for the Republic Day Parade 2025 tableaux is 'Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur Vikas' (Golden India: Heritage and Development). It reflects a vision of blending heritage with progress.

The Ministry of Defence follows a detailed and consultative process. An Expert Committee, comprising professionals from art, culture, painting, and architecture, evaluates proposals based on originality, creativity, thematic relevance, and aesthetic appeal. Proposals are shortlisted due to the limited time allocated for tableaux in the parade.

It may be noted that several Opposition-ruled states, which have been consistently excluded, have criticised what they perceive as bias by the BJP-led Centre over the selection process following the rejection of their tableaux.

The Ministry of Defence, however, maintains that the selection process is robust, transparent, and merit-based.

Kerala tableau 2023
Kerala presented the tableau of "Naree Shakti and Folk Traditions of Women Empowerment" at the Republic Day Parade 2023. It included Kalaripayattu, a martial art with a history spanning over 2,000 years, as well as percussion and tribal traditions, highlighting Kerala’s rich cultural heritage. Kerala’s tableau also showcased the state’s achievements in women’s empowerment, including the highest women's literacy rate in the country and the world’s largest women’s self-help network, Kudumbashree. The tableau connected women’s empowerment with the state’s literacy mission. A tractor depicted Karthyayani Amma, who won the Nari Shakti Puraskar in 2020 after topping the literacy examination at the age of 96. Nanchiyamma, the first tribal woman to win the national film award for best playback singing in 2022, was shown saluting the nation.