Eminent writer Gita Mehta on Saturday declined to accept the Padma Shri, saying it could be "misconstrued" in an year of major elections. Mehta, who is Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's sister, was awarded the Padma Shri in the field of literature and education.

 South African President Cyril Ramaphosa Saturday joined a select group of world leaders to have graced India's Republic Day celebrations in the past few decades.

Two militants were killed in an encounter with security forces on Saturday in Khunmoh area on the outskirts of Srinagar city in Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

Search giant Google Saturday dedicated a special doodle to mark India's 70th Republic Day, which captured the country's architectural and cultural legacy as well as its rich bio-diversity.

Lance Naik Nazir Ahmad Wani, a militant-turned-soldier who laid down his life fighting a group of terrorists in Shopian in Kashmir in November, was awarded the Ashoka Chakra by President Ram Nath Kovind Saturday.

Celebrations for the 70th Republic Day began Saturday with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in attendance as the chief guest, amid heavy security deployment in the city.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted the people on the country's 70th Republic Day on Saturday.

"Happy Republic Day to all fellow Indians," he tweeted. Several leaders took to social media to extend their greetings on the occasion.

New Delhi: Janata Dal (Secular) leader Danish Ali on Friday said former president Pranab Mukherjee was being awarded the Bharat Ratna as he had visited the RSS headquarters in Nagpur and had described Sangh ideologue K B Hedgewar as the "son of the soil".