New Delhi: In a significant leap for grassroots governance, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) has unveiled ‘SabhaSaar,’ an AI-powered tool designed to automate the documentation of Gram Sabha meetings.
This initiative, which was launched to empower Panchayats across the nation, promises to usher in an era of enhanced transparency and efficiency in local administration.
Additional Secretary MoPR, Sushil Kumar Lohani highlighted how ‘SabhaSaar’ leverages cutting-edge technology to streamline a traditionally tedious process. “By embracing ‘SabhaSaar,’ Panchayats are taking a significant stride towards transparent, accountable, and technology-enabled local governance,” he said.
The tool, which is powered by advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing (NLP), automatically transcribes audio and video recordings of Gram Sabha meetings.
It then identifies key decisions and action points, generating well-formatted, structured minutes of the meeting. This process dramatically reduces the manual labor and time previously required for documentation, allowing Panchayat officials to focus on core governance and service delivery.
A key feature of ‘SabhaSaar’ is its integration with Bhashini, the Government of India’s National Language Translation Mission. This integration ensures the tool’s inclusivity across India’s diverse linguistic landscape.
It currently supports 13 Indian languages, with plans for future expansion, thereby ensuring that Panchayat functionaries in various regions can use the tool effectively and without language barriers.
This synergy between AI and language technology is a testament to the government’s commitment to using digital innovations to strengthen participatory democracy and empower local communities.
The launch of ‘SabhaSaar’ aligns with the spirit of Azadi ka Amrit Kaal, representing a fitting tribute to the empowerment of democracy at its most fundamental level.
The move not only digitizes a crucial administrative function but also strengthens the foundation of the Panchayati Raj system by ensuring accurate, accessible, and uniform records of all Gram Sabha proceedings.
The tool is expected to bring uniformity to the minutes of Gram Sabha meetings across the country, making them more reliable and easier to monitor.
This digital transformation at the village level is a key step towards building a “Naya Bharat,” or New India, where technology is a catalyst for good governance, said Shri Lohani.