Rural Guardians Take Center Stage at Republic Day Parade

Over 575 elected Panchayati Raj representatives and spouses witnessed the Republic Day parade as special guests. The event spotlighted 40% female participation, highlighting progress in gender-inclusive governance. Panchayat leaders, especially award-winning women pradhans, were recognized for impactful work implementing flagship government schemes in rural areas.

Over 575 elected representatives from Panchayati Raj institutions across India were honored with a special invitation to the Republic Day parade, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj confirmed on Sunday. Among the attendees were village sarpanches, disaster relief workers, ASHA workers, and paralympic athletes, forming part of the 10,000 special guests.

The ministry highlighted the symbolic participation of these representatives as they witnessed the grandiosity of the 76th Republic Day parade, representing the core of rural India. Notably, 40% of the honored guests were women, manifesting the advancements towards a gender-inclusive governance model.

Celebrated for their extraordinary contributions in their gram panchayats, these guests epitomize successful implementation of key government schemes like Har Ghar Jal Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh underscored their pivotal role in driving rural transformation and elevating participatory governance, while applauding the six-fold increase in financial allocations for panchayats over the past decade.

(With inputs from agencies.)