- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 25, 2019 dedicated to the nation Rashtriya Samar Smarak, the National War Memorial near India Gate in New Delhi.
- He lighted the eternal flame at the central obelisk in the war memorial complex.
- The War Memorial honours about 26 thousand soldiers, who have laid down their lives in the service of the nation since Independence.
- The memorial commemorates the soldiers who participated and made the supreme sacrifice in Peace Keeping Missions and Counter Insurgency Operations.
- The complex includes a central obelisk, an eternal flame and six bronze murals depicting famous battles fought by Indian Army, Air Force and Navy. Busts of the 21 awardees of Param Veer Chakra have been installed at Param Yoddha Sthal.
- The Prime Minister, while dedicating the memorial to the nation, said that the Indian Army has participated in about 50 out of 70 major UN peacekeeping missions, and about 2 lakh soldiers have been a part of these operations. He said the navies of 50 countries were part of the International Fleet Review organized by the Indian Navy in 2016. He also said that our Armed Forces conduct an average of ten big joint exercises with Armed Forces of friendly countries, every year.
Rashtriya Samar Smaarak, the #NationalWarMemorial has been dedicated to the nation.
India is eternally grateful to all those who have served the nation with utmost bravery and vigour. It is due to them that our nation is safe, secure and can reach new heights of progress. pic.twitter.com/wJS8PeTvRQ
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 25, 2019
