Every year, January 15 is commemorated as Army Day to mark the occasion when General (later Field Marshal) K M Cariappa took over the command of the Indian Army from General Sir F R R Bucher, the last British Commander-in-Chief, in 1949 and became the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of Independent India. The theme for the 77th Army Day 2025 is ‘Samarth Bharat, Saksham Sena’ (Capable India, Empowered Army), reflecting the Indian Army’s commitment to national strength and defence capabilities.