7th Armed Forces Veterans Day

Tags: Important Days

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh presided over the Armed Forces Veterans Day celebrations on January 14, 2023 at Jaswant Maidan, Dehradun Cantonment.

An overview of the news

• He also launched a car sports initiative 'Soul of Steel Alpine Challenge' from Dehradun to Gamshali located in Niti Valley.

• He dedicated to the nation the Shaurya Sthal developed by the Uttarakhand War Memorial Trust.

• This year the event is being celebrated by the three service headquarters at nine locations across the country – Jhunjhunu, Jalandhar, Panagarh, New Delhi, Dehradun, Chennai, Chandigarh, Bhubaneswar and Mumbai.

• During the event, ex-servicemen were honored with medals/souvenirs/certificates of recognition etc.

Armed Forces Veterans Day

• Armed Forces Veterans Day is celebrated on 14 January. On this day in 1953, the first Indian Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) of the Indian Army, Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa formally retired from service.

• Cariappa led the Indian Army in the 1947 war.

• This day is celebrated as Armed Forces Ex-Servicemen Day and this day is dedicated to the respected ex-servicemen.

• The day was first observed on January 14, 2016 and it was decided to celebrate the day every year by hosting such interactive programs in honor of the Armed Forces Veterans and their next of kin.