KATHMANDU, AUGUST 15
The Embassy of India in Kathmandu celebrated India's 80th Independence Day on Saturday with the participation of members of the Indian community and friends of India in Nepal.
The celebrations began with the singing of 'Vande Mataram', followed by the hoisting of the Indian national flag by the Ambassador of India to Nepal and the national anthem. The gathering also watched Indian President Droupadi Murmu's address to the nation delivered on the eve of Independence Day.
On the occasion, the ambassador honoured the widows and next of kin of 11 deceased personnel of the Indian Armed Forces and handed over Army Group Insurance Fund (AGIF) cheques worth a total of Rs 82 million.
The embassy also felicitated winners of competitions organised to mark the anniversary, including a painting competition on "Viksit Bharat", the Viksit Bharat Run, an inter-school quiz competition and a special edition of the Bharat Ko Janiye Quiz.
As part of its educational outreach, the embassy announced book grants for 22 educational institutions and libraries across seven provinces of Nepal to improve access to educational resources.
The celebrations also featured cultural performances and patriotic songs by teachers and students of the Embassy's Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre. Embassy officials, their families and members of the Indian community participated in the event.