Independence Day 2026: How IITs, NITs and other campuses are celebrating August 15

Campuses across India are marking Independence Day with rallies, blood donation drives, workshops and cultural programmes alongside flag hoisting. The varied programmes are widening participation beyond the formal ceremony and into everyday campus life.Students across colleges particpating in Independence Day events (representative image/ AI-generated)As India prepares to celebrate its 80th Independence Day on August 15, educational institutions across the country are turning the occasion into more than a ceremonial gathering. While flag-hoisting, parades and cultural programmes remain central to campus celebrations, some institutes are adding activities that bring students, faculty and the wider campus community into the celebrations.Across schools, colleges and premier higher education institutions, this year’s celebrations reflect a mix of tradition and participation. Alongside flag-hoisting ceremonies and cultural programmes, campuses are organising activities ranging from cycle rallies and blood donation drives to patriotic competitions, gratitude campaigns, community initiatives and cultural showcases.The programmes also give students opportunities to engage with themes of patriotism, service, diversity, citizenship and nation-building in ways that extend beyond the formal August 15 ceremony. A national flag made by students of Manav Rachna International School through a tie-and-dye activity (Special arrangement/ Manav Rachna International School) I-DAY CELEBRATIONS AT IIT MADRAS TO MOVE BEYOND STADIUMAt IIT Madras, this year's Independence Day programme will combine the traditional ceremony with a Tiranga cycle rally, bringing together students, staff, faculty and campus residents. The celebration at the Manohar C Watsa Stadium will begin at 9 am with flag hoisting by the institute's Director, followed by his address. A parade involving the security team, students of the Kendriya Vidyalaya and Vana Vani schools on campus, as well as IIT Madras students, will follow.The programme will also feature patriotic songs in different Indian languages and dance performances by students. But the celebrations will move beyond the stadium as well. A Tiranga cycle rally will be organised after the main event, with cycles carrying the national flag.According to an IIT Madras institute spokesperson, “The rally is being organised by Vande Mataram, an Independent Study Body, and will be flagged off by the Director. Students, staff, faculty members and campus residents are expected to participate.”The emphasis on cycling gives the celebrations a more participatory character, turning what could otherwise be a formal campus ceremony into an activity involving different sections of the institute community. Image: X/ @iitmadras) BIT MESRA TO AWARD TEACHERSBIT Mesra will award teachers in the Independence Day ceremony. A painting competition is scheduled for the students of the institute. The competition is themed on Viksit Bharat. A dance competition will also be held as part of the 80th Independence Day at BIT Mesra.FREEDOM RUN AT IIT JAMMUAt IIT Jammu, the Independence Day celebrations will include a Freedom Run, organised by the Institute’s Sports Council, with enthusiastic participation from students and academic and non-academic staff, reflecting the spirit of togetherness across the campus community.The celebrations will also feature the flag hoisting ceremony, Vande Mataram and the National Anthem, along with an oath ceremony for the newly elected Student Council members, presentation of awards/medals, and cultural performances by students.The programme is aimed at bringing the IIT Jammu community together to commemorate the occasion with a strong sense of patriotism, participation and collective responsibility.CYCLING WORKSHOPS IIT BHUBANESWARAt IIT Bhubaneswar, meanwhile, Independence Day coincides with an initiative that connects a campus activity with a skill the institute expects students to acquire.Cycling has been stipulated as a mandatory skill to be demonstrated by students at the institute, with workshops available for those who need to learn it. This year, the Women Welfare Committee (WWC) at IIT Bhubaneswar has scheduled the first phase of its cycling workshop from August 15. IIT Bhubaneswar campus (Photo: Mridusmita Deka) The workshop is aimed at members of the IIT Bhubaneswar fraternity who require cycling training. Participants will subsequently be given two weeks of guided practice, followed by an evaluation. Those who successfully complete the process will receive certificates.For IIT Bhubaneswar, therefore, the date becomes the starting point for an activity that extends beyond the Independence Day programme itself, with students expected to continue practising the skill after the initial workshop.AWARDS FOR MARCH PAST AT IIT GUWAHATIAt IIT Guwahati, Independence Day celebrations will begin with the Director hoisting the National Flag, followed by the National Anthem and a march past by NCC and NSS cadets, security personnel and students. The programme will also feature the Director’s address, awards for the march past and a cultural programme.WEEK-LONG CELEBRATIONS AT NOIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITYAt Noida International University (NIU), the celebrations have been spread across the week, with students participating in patriotic poetry and elocution competitions, a Letter of Gratitude campaign for armed forces and police personnel, and the Har Ghar Tiranga initiative.On August 15, the programme will include an NCC Guard of Honour, flag hoisting, cultural performances and a nukkad natak, before concluding with a tree plantation drive under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign. Artwork by NIU students BLOOD DONATION DRIVE AT IIIT HYDERABADAt IIIT Hyderabad, the Independence Day tradition will also extend beyond the usual flag-hoisting ceremony. For more than a decade, the institute has used the occasion to organise an NSS-IIIT-H blood donation drive.This year, the drive is being conducted with the support of authorities from Osmania General Hospital. The initiative will be organised as a walk-in event, with no prior registration required.The institute said around 100 people donate blood through the Independence Day initiative on average each year, making it a recurring part of the campus's August 15 celebrations.The approach reflects a different way of marking the national occasion: rather than limiting participation to a ceremonial gathering, the campus opens up an opportunity for members of its community to contribute through a public-service activity.CULTURAL PROGRAMMES AT NIT ROURKELAAt NIT Rourkela, the celebrations will follow a more familiar campus format, with a flag-hoisting ceremony and parade followed by a cultural programme featuring student-led performances. The institute will also hold a prize distribution ceremony for the parade and cultural events.LEARNING INDEPENDENCE THROUGH CREATIVITY AND ACTIONAt Manav Rachna International Schools, Independence Day activities are being woven into classroom learning and community initiatives. At the Sector 14, Faridabad campus, students explored tie-and-dye techniques while creating a Textile Map of India highlighting the country’s diverse fabrics, crafts and weaving traditions.At the Charmwood campus, students are engaging with the freedom struggle through a History Chain Challenge, while science and mathematics activities include a Tricolour Nutrition Bowl, kite-making to explore quadrilaterals and symmetry, and models of national monuments to understand geometry.At Sector 46, Gurugram, Early Years students will explore India’s cultural diversity through a ‘Unity in Diversity’ activity, bringing artefacts and props representing different states and learning about their traditions, art and crafts through a Gallery Walk.At Sector 21C, Faridabad, the celebrations will also extend to a Green India Plantation Drive, bringing students, parents and Karmayogi students together to plant saplings and link the spirit of Independence with environmental responsibility.BITS STUDENTS REFLECT WHAT INDIA MEANS TO THEMAt the BITS Pilani Mumbai Campus, students from BITSoM, BITS Law School and BITSDES have shared their perspectives on the question, “What does India mean to you?” Their responses have been brought together in a student-led video exploring themes such as diversity, culture, freedom, unity, belonging and the aspirations of young Indians. The celebrations will also include flag hoisting, the National Anthem, cultural performances and a Dean’s address.As part of its Independence Day celebrations, BITS Pilani WILP is organising a running competition that brings together its community in the spirit of fitness, unity and national pride. The initiative will feature two activities, a 2.5 km run covering one round and a 5 km run covering two rounds, followed by a flag-hoisting ceremony to commemorate India’s Independence Day. The circular road will the be running track From carrying the Tricolour through the IIT Madras campus on bicycles to donating blood at IIIT Hyderabad and learning or improving cycling skills at IIT Bhubaneswar, the programmes show how institutions are using August 15 to create opportunities for participation beyond the formal ceremony.Across these campuses, the common thread remains the traditional symbolism of Independence Day – flag hoisting, patriotic performances and parades – but the ways in which students participate are becoming more varied.For students, such activities also place the national celebration within the everyday life of the campus – whether through sport and fitness, volunteering, cultural expression or community participation.The scale and format may differ from one institution to another, but the message remains familiar. Independence Day on campus is not confined to the flag-hoisting platform. Increasingly, the celebrations are finding their way into the activities that students and other members of the institute community take part in themselves.- EndsPublished By: Mridusmita DekaPublished On: Aug 14, 2026 15:19 IST