IAF Officer Akshita Dhankar to Unfurl National Flag with President Murmu on Republic Day

• Flight Lieutenant Akshita Dhankar, an IAF officer, will unfurl the national flag alongside President Droupadi Murmu at the 77th Republic Day parade.
• Hailing from Kasni village, Haryana, Dhankar's dream of serving the nation was inspired by her father's participation in the Republic Day parade.
• She excelled in NCC at Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College, Delhi University, and joined the IAF as a Flying Officer in 2023, quickly rising to Flight Lieutenant.
• This year's Republic Day parade emphasizes women's participation, with women in the Air Force band and the "Sindoor" fighter formation for the first time.
• The parade will feature new military hardware like the Suryastra rocket launcher and Bhairav commando battalion, along with a flypast of 29 aircraft.

Why It Matters: Flight Lieutenant Akshita Dhankar will unfurl the national flag with President Murmu, symbolizing women's growing role in India's armed forces.