Panchayat Leaders Attend 79th Independence Day Celebrations at Red Fort ; Showcase Spirit of  Rural India

Panchayat Leaders Attend 79th Independence Day Celebrations at Red Fort ; Showcase Spirit of  Rural India

In a landmark celebration of grassroots democracy aligned with this year’s Independence Day theme “Naya Bharat”, nearly 210 elected Panchayat representatives from across India including Sarpanch, Mukhiya and Gram Pradhans, attended the 79th Independence Day festivities at the Red Fort as Special Guests. Dressed in diverse traditional attire, they showcased the culture and spirit of rural India, symbolising the strength of the third tier of governance. Their presence and significant contribution towards nation building was also acknowledged by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in his address today from the ramparts of the Red Fort.

🇮🇳 Special Guests at Red Fort

Showcasing the vibrant cultural heritage of India, #Panchayat representatives from across the country graced the historic Red Fort as #SpecialGuests, adding colour and pride to the #IndependenceDay celebrations. Clad in their traditional attire,… pic.twitter.com/qHzBlgLiem

While on the eve of Independence Day 2025, these Special Guests were felicitated in a special event “आत्मनिर्भर पंचायत, विकसित भारत की पहचान” in New Delhi. The ceremony was graced by Union Minister of Panchayati Raj and Fisheries Animal Husbandry and Dairying (FAHD), Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh along with Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj and FAHD  Prof. S. P. Singh Baghel. Secretary, MoPR Shri Vivek Bharadwaj along with other senior officials of the Ministry and  over 425 participants from across the country were also present on this occasion. These special guests  also saw the  unveiling of ‘SabhaSaar’, an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered tool that automatically generates structured Minutes of Meeting (MoM) from audio and video recordings of Gram Sabhas and other Panchayat meetings and release of  the 16th edition of Gramoday Sankalp Patrika, an e-publication highlighting key insights, success stories, and inspiring experiences in Panchayat empowerment, local governance, and innovation. The theme of the 16th  edition is “Women Empowerment through Panchayati Raj Institutions”.

Addressing these Special Guests, Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh lauded the  elected Panchayat representatives for their exemplary grassroots work and contribution towards saturating the  flagship schemes of the government like Har Ghar Jal, PM Awas Yojana (Gramin), Mission Indradhanush, PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana etc.  He noted that there has been a  historic rise in financial support to the  Panchayats (nearly fivefold in the last decade with per-capita annual allocations increasing from ₹176 to ₹674).  He also highlighted that under the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, nearly 1.76 crore participants, mostly Panchayat representatives, have been trained in the past five years. Highlighting the SVAMITVA Scheme’s impact, he said that drone surveys have been completed in over 3.26 lakh villages in the country,  resulting in distribution of  over  2.63 crore legally recognised Property Cards. The Union Minister reiterated that Svamitva has helped families secure loans, resolve disputes, and improve local governance. He  urged panchayat representatives to show continued dedication towards  realising the Prime Minister’s vision of Viksit Bharat.

Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj, Prof. S. P. Singh Baghel, in his address extended Independence Day greetings and honoured the sacrifices of freedom fighters. Highlighting that Panchayats have evolved into service delivery centres providing pensions, certificates, PM-Kisan benefits, and Ayushman Cards, he praised the 46% representation of women in PRIs and urged for their complete empowerment. Prof. Baghel encouraged the panchayat  representatives to draw inspiration from Delhi’s heritage and return with fresh ideas for their regions’ development.

Secretary, MoPR, Shri Vivek Bharadwaj, while addressing the guests,  highlighted upon the significance  of  the recently developed Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) as a tool for evaluating and improving Gram Panchayat performance. He also presented SabhaSaar, the Ministry’s new AI-powered solution to make Gram Sabha proceedings more efficient, transparent, and inclusive. While Shri Sushil Kumar Lohani, Additional Secretary, MoPR, spoke about  key digital and governance initiatives of the Ministry and encouraged Panchayats to use them effectively. As part of their visit to the National Capital, the Special Guests also toured the Pradhan Mantri Sangrahalaya, gaining an in-depth view of India’s proud history and landmark achievements and also participated in the Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan.

About SabhaSaar

Powered by advanced AI and Natural Language Processing (NLP), ‘SabhaSaar’ transcribes discussions, identifies key decisions and action points, and produces well-formatted minutes of the meeting. Integrated with ‘Bhashini’ (under the Government of India’s National Language Translation Mission) the tool currently supports 13 Indian languages, with scope for expansion, ensuring inclusivity for Panchayats across diverse linguistic regions. MoPR has requested all States/UTs to use ‘SabhaSaar’ for documenting the Special Gram Sabhas on 15 August 2025. Tripura will lead the way, with all 1,194 Gram Panchayats and traditional local bodies adopting the tool for this occasion. This will not only assist Panchayats but also help refine the system based on real-world use. By embracing ‘SabhaSaar’, Panchayats are taking a significant stride towards transparent, accountable, and technology-enabled local governance.