Paralympic contingent, top sarpanches, artisans among 10,000 invitees for R-Day Parade: Govt

Members of Paralympic contingent, sarpanches from top-performing villages, handloom artisans, and forest and wildlife conservation workers are among the nearly 10,000 special guests invited to witness the 76th Republic Day Parade at the Kartavya Path in New Delhi, the government said on Thursday.

"These architects of 'Swarnim Bharat', with diverse backgrounds, include best performers in various fields and those who have made best use of the schemes of the government," the defence ministry said in a statement.

In line with the objective to increase 'Jan Bhagidari' (public participation) in events of national importance, approximately 10,000 special guests have been invited to witness the Republic Day Parade, it said.

The ministry also shared that these special guests have been drawn fro diverse areas and fields, falling into 31 categories.

'Sarpanches from top performing village', 'Disaster Relief Workers', 'Best performing Water Warriors', 'Guests from Vibrant Villages', 'Guests from North Eastern States', 'Best Patent Holders', 'Best Start-Ups', 'Road Construction Workers' are some of these categories.

The invitees also include handloom artisans, members of Paralympic contingent and forest and wildlife conservation workers, according to the statement.