The Ministry of Panchayati Raj will organise a felicitation function on 25th January 2026 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, Prof. S. P. Singh Baghel in the presence of Shri Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj and other senior  officials of the ministry.

The event will also mark the release and launch of key Ministry initiatives and publications, including PANCHAM – Panchayat Assistance and Messaging Chatbot developed in collaboration with UNICEF, 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. Prizes and certificates will also be awarded to winners of the Know Your Constitution Quiz and Essay Competition, organised as part of Constitution Day–2025 commemorations.

The honourees include Sarpanches, Mukhiyas, Gram Pradhans and Block and District Panchayat Presidents from Panchayats that have achieved saturation in flagship Central Government schemes. 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 25th January 2026 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.”

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Aditi Agrawal