NEW DELHI: The CISF Vande Mataram Coastal Cyclothon–2026, a flagship national public outreach and awareness programme, was flagged off virtually on Wednesday from Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi. The programme was inaugurated by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, who was present as the chief guest.
With the flag-off, the 25-day national outreach programme formally began as two CISF cycling teams simultaneously departed from Bakkhali in West Bengal and Lakhpat in Gujarat. The teams will ride close to 6,500 kilometres through the eastern and western coastlines of India, covering nine states and two Union Territories, before concluding at Kochi on February 22.
The flag-off ceremony was attended by several senior dignitaries, including Pallavi Jain Govil, Secretary, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports; Shatrujeet Kapur, Director General, ITBP; Praveer Ranjan, Director General, CISF; Rakesh Aggarwal, Director General, NIA; Gaurav Dwivedi, CEO, Prasar Bharati; and Sanjay Singhal, Director General, SSB.
The dignitaries also participated in a short cycle rally near India Gate.
In his address to the gathering, Nityanand Rai said that the Cyclothon marks the 150th year of “Vande Mataram”, the national song that symbolised the Indian freedom struggle and still leads the way for generations to serve the nation. He said that coastal security can only be made stronger by involving the public at large, especially the people living in coastal areas, and pointed out that CISF is a Recognised Security Organisation under the ISPS Code.