New Delhi, Jan 24 (IANS) The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is set to launch initiatives, including PANCHAM – Panchayat Assistance and Messaging Chatbot — developed in collaboration with UNICEF, it was announced on Saturday.

The Ministry will organise a felicitation function on Sunday to honour elected Panchayat representatives invited as Special Guests to witness the Republic Day Parade 2026 at Kartavya Path in New Delhi.

The honourees will be felicitated by Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj, Professor SP Singh Baghel, according to a ministry statement.

The event will also mark the launch of the 17th issue of Gramoday Sankalp magazine, the Compendium of Basic Statistics on Panchayati Raj Institutions–2025, the Expert Committee Report on Service Delivery at the Panchayat Level and the PESA Performance and Implementation Rank Indicators.

“The honourees include Sarpanches, Mukhiyas, Gram Pradhans and Block and District Panchayat Presidents from Panchayats that have achieved saturation in flagship Central Government schemes,” said the statement.

Around 240 panchayat heads, nominated by states and union territories are being recognised for their grassroots contributions and their role in advancing the vision of Viksit Bharat.

For the Republic Day Parade, the Ministry is hosting Heads of PRIs/RLBs along with their spouses, totalling nearly 450 Special Guests.

The special invitees will visit the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya on January 25 to experience India’s leadership and governance journey since Independence and also witness the Ministry’s Tableau during the Parade, themed “SVAMITVA Scheme: Aatmanirbhar Panchayat se Samriddh evam Aatmanirbhar Bharat.”

Meanwhile, President Droupadi Murmu will address the nation on the eve of the 77th Republic Day on Sunday. The address will be broadcast from 7 PM on the entire national network of Akashvani and telecast over all channels of Doordarshan in Hindi, followed by the English version.

–IANS

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