As special guests, 10K grassroots achievers invited
New Delhi: On the occasion of Republic Day, about 10,000 special guests from diverse backgrounds, along with their spouses, have been invited to witness the 77th Republic Day Parade at Kartavya Path here, with a strong focus on recognising grassroots contributions and increasing public participation in national celebrations.
The invitees represent a wide spectrum of achievers who have made exemplary contributions to nation-building across agriculture, innovation, science, sports, social welfare, entrepreneurship, and community development.
The initiative reflects the government’s emphasis on people’s participation, ensuring that individuals who have directly benefited from or contributed to flagship govt programmes are at the centre of national events.
Among the special guests are winners of international and national sporting tournaments, including medal winners at the World Athletics Para Championships, Olympiad winners in astronomy and astrophysics, and children who excelled in the National School Band Competition. Scientists and technical experts associated with key national missions such as ISRO’s Gaganyaan and Chandrayaan programmes, the Deep Ocean Mission, and critical DRDO projects have also been invited, along with researchers working in advanced fields such as isotope production for medical, industrial and agricultural applications.
The guest list also features farmers practising natural farming, beneficiaries of the Pulses Self-Reliance Mission, Farmer-Producer Organisations supported under agri-market infrastructure initiatives, and those insured under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. Rural households that received pucca homes under the PM Awaas Yojana (Grameen) and tap water connections under the Jal Jeevan Mission are also being honoured.
Significant representation has been given to women-led initiatives, including women entrepreneurs supported under the PM Mudra Yojana, women artisans trained through schemes such as Khadi Vikas Yojana, Mahila Coir Yojana, and PM Vishwakarma, women producer groups under the PM Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana, and Self Help Group members recognised as Lakhpati Didis under NRLM. Beneficiaries from marginalised communities, including Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Divyaang persons, rehabilitated transgenders and beggars under PM SMILE, and beneficiaries of tribal-focused initiatives such as the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan and PM Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan, have also been included.
The invitees further include artisans, street vendors supported under PM SVANidhi, shopkeepers and MSMEs who passed on GST 2.0 benefits to consumers, MSMEs backed by the Self-Reliant India Fund, biotech and semiconductor start-ups, innovators, intellectual property holders, and interns under the PM Internship Scheme.
Trained MAITRI workers providing animal husbandry services, beneficiaries of the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund, and water warriors associated with the National Mission for Clean Ganga are also among those invited.
Community leaders such as sarpanches of Panchayats that achieved saturation of Central government schemes, best-performing Primary Agricultural Credit Societies, My Bharat volunteers, NDMA volunteers, and construction workers from the Border Roads Organisation and Kartavya Bhawan have been recognised for their service.
International participation will be marked by foreign delegates, Indian contingents of the Youth Exchange Programme 2026, international and Indian monk delegations attending the 2nd Global Buddhist Summit 2026, and winners of global sports and academic competitions.
