In a first, AI to select best marching contingent for Army Day parade

Lucknow: The best marching contingent in this year's Army Day Parade in Lucknow will be selected using artificial intelligence, a senior officer said on Friday.

Briefing reporters at his office, Army Day Parade Commander Major General Salil Seth said, "Artificial Intelligence is being used for the first time to identify the best marching contingent. As you know all the marching contingents do drills and do drills correctly."

"There is a correct pattern of doing the drills -- raising your hands to a certain level, raising your legs to a certain level, doing your movement with the weapon within a certain timeframe. We are capturing the individual movement with a camera and then the computer software using the AI will give marks for each and every movement. This will also be supervised by humans. We have done two to three practices," he added.

The Surya Command said in a post on X on Thursday, '#ArmyDay2024. Witness the synergy of tradition & innovation at the #ArmyDayParade2024, as cutting edge #AI joins the ranks, elevating precision & coordination of marching contingents to new levels. #IndianArmy... relentlessly marching towards a new Era!'

Major Seth, who is the General Officer Commanding of Madhya UP Sub Area, Lucknow, said the Indian Army is celebrating its 76th Army Day at Lucknow on January 15.

"The event is being conducted out of the national capital for the second time as part of the Government of India's initiative to take major events away from the national capital region to different parts of the country. This will lead to greater visibility for these events and larger involvement of the local citizens," he added.

The last Army Day Parade was held in Bengaluru on January 15.

Major Seth further said that every year January 15 is observed as the Army Day to commemorate the occasion when General (later Field Marshal) KM Cariappa took over command of the Indian Army from General Sir Francis Roy Bucher, the last British Commander-in-Chief in 1947, thus becoming the first Indian Commander-in-Chief post-Independence.

"Towards fulfilling the aim of the Army Day being conducted here in Lucknow, we have reached out to the general public to increase awareness about the army and the significance of the Army Day wherein starting November 2023 onwards various events were organised in the complete Central Command Area of Responsibility (AOR) so far," he added.

It included various school outreach programmes where the army gallantry award winners spoke to generation next and motivated them. In addition, blood donation camps were organised for the masses, tree plantation drives have been conducted at various stations within Headquarter Central Command and Army-based quiz competition has been conducted for the local populace through the radio.

One of the major events conducted was Know Your Army Festival at Surya Khel Parisar, Lucknow, from January 5 to 7. The event graced by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was open to the public and over 10,000 people attended it.

The Army Day Parade will commence with a wreath-laying ceremony at the SMRITIKA War Memorial by Army Chief General Manoj Pande to pay homage to all the personnel, who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.

He will then review the Army Day Parade at the parade ground of 11 Gorkha Rifles Regimental Centre at Lucknow and will present gallantry awards for individual acts of bravery and sacrifice.

In addition, Unit Citations will also be awarded to units for their exceptional performance under active operational circumstances.

The parade this year will witness six marching contingents, a military band comprising five regimental brass bands and three pipe bands.

The marching contingents are 50 (I) PARA Brigade, SIKH LIGHT Infantry Regiment Centre, JAT Regiment Centre, Garhwal Rifle Regiment Centre, Bengal Engineer Group Centre and Army Air Defence Centre.

The five regimental brass/military bands are Punjab Regiment Centre, Grenadier Regimental Centre, BIHAR Regiment Centre, SIKH LI Regiment Centre, KUMAON Regimental Centre and SIKH Regimental Centre.

The five regimental pipe bands are SIKH Regiment Centre, SIKH LI Regiment Centre, JAT Regiment Centre, KUMAON Regimental Centre and 1 Signal Training Centre.