Last year's Republic Day saw close to 25,000 people in attendance

New Delhi: Approximately 24,000 people will be permitted to attend the Republic Day parade on January 26 this year given the COVID-19 situation in the national capital, sources in the defence establishment said today.

In 2020, before the pandemic struck India, around 1.25 lakh people were permitted to attend the parade, they noted.

Last year's Republic Day parade took place amid the Covid pandemic and close to 25,000 people were allowed to attend it, sources mentioned.

Like last year, this time too the parade may not have any foreign dignitary as the chief guest due to the pandemic, they said, adding India was planning to invite the leaders of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan.