August 14 is celebrated as Pramuka Day to honour the organisation's first public parade in 1961, wherein independence hero Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX of Yogyakarta was appointed as the first Chief Scout of the GPI.

Scouting came to Dutch East Indies in 1912, as a branch of the Nederlandse Padvinders Organisatie (NPO, Netherlands Pathfinder Organisation).

After the oubreak of World War I had its own large quartier, it was called the Vereeniging Nederlandsch Indische Padvinders (Association of Dutch Indies Pathfinders).

Scouting organizations that sprung are the Padvinder Muhammadiyah which in 1920 changed its name to Hizbul Wathan (HW);[7][8] Nationale Padvinderij founded by Budi Utomo;[9] Syarikat Islam established Syarikat Islam Afdeling Padvinderij which was later changed to Syarikat Islam Afdeling Pandu and is better known as SIAP,[10] Nationale Islamietische Padvinderij (NATIPIJ) established by Jong Islamieten Bond (JIB) and Indonesisch Nationale Padvinders Organisatie (INPO) established by Pemuda Indonesia.

[9] In 1923, the Scouting movement in Indonesia gained ground by the full establishment of the (Dutch) Nationale Padvinderij Organisatie (NPO) in Bandung.

[11][6] These two forerunner organisations of scouting in Indonesia merged into one, named the Indonesische Nationale Padvinderij Organisatie (INPO) in Bandung in 1926.

As a result, the Kepanduan Bangsa Indonesia (KBI) was founded in 1930 by figures from Jong Java Padvinders / Pandu Kebangsaan (JJP / PK), INPO, and PPS.

PAPI later evolved into the Badan Pusat Persaudaran Kepanduan Indonesia (BPPKI, Central Body of the Indonesian Scouting Fraternity) in April 1938.

In an effort to foster unity, the Central Board of the Indonesian Scouting Fraternity (BPPKI) planned an "All-Indonesian Jamboree".

This plan underwent several changes both in the time of implementation and the name of the activity, which was later agreed to be replaced with Perkemahan Kepanduan Indonesia Oemoem (abbreviated as PERKINO) and held on 19-23 July 1941 in Yogyakarta.

And there was one national organization - the People's Scouts (Pandu Rakyat Indonesia), founded on 27–29 December 1945, just almost half a year since independence, in its 1st Congress in Surakarta.

Government approval of Ipindo was granted on 22 February 1952, and President Sukarno consented to become patron of the unifying and correlating National Scout Council.

[15][16] With the change into Kurikulum Merdeka (Independent Curriculum), starting from 2024, students are no longer required to participate in Pramuka, but it must still be offered by schools.

[3] By the time the GPI was founded in 1961, the following organizations helped in its formation: The Pramuka Movement incorporates both boys and girls.

Routine activities are focused on the development of character, patriotism, physical fitness, skill and intelligence of the Scouts themselves which are very important for their future life.

Activities of the special troops are organized in order to develop specific personal interest and talent and enable them to serve the community with the knowledge, ability and skill he/she have learned.

[citation needed] The Scouts also participate in the drive to improve health and nutrition in the community, especially children under five years of age.

The logo is the basis of the wider membership badge, which also incorporates the star, rice paddy and cotton from the national coat of arms Garuda Pancasila.

[17] In July 2017, the Indonesian government suspended support for Gerakan Pramuka Indonesia after Chairman of the Scout National Quarter (Kwarnas) Adhyaksa Dault expressed support for Hizb-ut Tahrir,[18] as Hizb-ut Tahrir is against Indonesia's legislative foundation of Pancasila, an ideology based on a multi-faith democracy.