India marked its Golden Jubilee of independence with a special midnight sitting of Parliament and nationwide reflection on fifty years of nationhood.
On the night of 14–15 August 1997, Parliament convened a special midnight sitting to mark fifty years of independence, echoing the original 1947 session. President K. R. Narayanan and Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral addressed the nation.
The Golden Jubilee prompted nationwide cultural programmes, exhibitions, and civic events reflecting on five decades of India's development since 1947, alongside renewed debate about the work still ahead.