Indian Navy releases schedule for virtual tours of INS Vikramaditya and INS Mysore to mark Navy Day

Every year 4 December is celebrated as the Navy Day to commemorate the Indian Navy victory over Pakistan in the 1971 War.  The occasion is used by the Indian Navy to reach out to citizens through various mass contact programmes to spread awareness about the Navy and enhancing its image for National morale as well as projecting it as a much-wanted career option.

Each year a central theme is promulgated by the Naval Headquarters for planning activities for the Navy Week. This year the promulgated theme is ‘Indian Navy – Combat Ready, Credible and Cohesive’.

Indian Navy releases schedule for virtual tours of INS Vikramaditya and INS Mysore to mark Navy Day

However, this year due to restrictions imposed by COVID-19, the outreach has turned largely virtual. Some of the activities that are being undertaken to reach out to the masses without compromising on social distancing are as follows:

The 360° Virtual Reality Tour of INS Vikramaditya – A short 360 Virtual Reality (VR) tour video of the upper decks of INS Vikramaditya, the Indian Navy aircraft carrier is prepared for public viewing. While watching the video, the viewer will be able to explore flight deck and other unclassified areas 360 degrees using his smart phone/other devices.

The virtual Ship Open to Visitors ‘INS Mysore – A Walkaround’. Every year Naval ships are kept open for public viewing on Navy Day. This year a virtual tour is organized for viewers onboard a naval destroyer INS Mysore. The viewer will be provided an experience of virtual walk around the ship’s prominent places with relevant briefings by the ship’s personnel.

The interviews of Gallantry Award Winners – The Mumbai citizens are being provided with an opportunity to listen to Radio interviews of Gallantry award winners and other specialists of the Indian Navy. The conversations are being broadcasted by FM channels as per details given below:

1. Radio Mirchi on 04 Dec 2020
2. Fever FM will broadcast one interview per day from 30 Nov to 05 Dec 2020
3. AIR FM will broadcast on 01 to 04 Dec 2020

A Navy Day Special Film including the Beating Retreat Ceremony – An exclusive film on Navy Day by Doordarshan, Mumbai will telecast the English version on 03 Dec and the regional ones will be telecasted on 04 Dec 2020. The documentary will have a message by the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, glimpses of the Naval operations and band performances etc. The documentary will be telecasted in regional languages too.

Naval Symphonic Band Performance – A Recorded Naval Symphonic Band Performance will be screened at Infinity Mall, Andheri (West), R City Mall, Ghatkopar and Phoenix Mall, Lower Parel on 04 and 05 Dec 2020 1100 hrs onwards.

Screening of the 1971 Naval Action Short Film ‘That Glorious Night’ in Select Movie Halls – A short film on the Navy Day will be screened on 04 and 05 Dec 2020 at 15 Movie theatres across Mumbai and its suburbs. In addition, Airport Authority of India will also screen the film in Terminal 1 and 2.

A special Webinar on ‘Navy as a Way of Life’. A Webinar – ‘Indian Navy – A Way of Life’ was scheduled on 28 Nov 2020 from 1100 to 1330 hrs. Officers from various branches of the Indian Navy shared their experiences and interacted with the audience. Approximately 3000 school and college children from 60 schools and 50 colleges in Mumbai and suburban areas including 06 Sainik Schools and 02 Rashtriya Military Schools attended the Webinar.