AI Meets Governance: MoPR and Bhashini Join Hands to Boost Multilingual Access in Panchayati Raj

In a landmark move to deepen digital inclusivity in rural governance, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bhashini, India’s National Language Translation Mission under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The agreement, to be formalized at a high-profile ceremony at the Constitution Club of India Annexe, New Delhi, underscores the government’s commitment to empowering grassroots democratic institutions through AI-enabled multilingual digital infrastructure.

The event will be graced by Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. Also present will be Shri Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, MoPR, and Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, along with senior officials from both ministries and technology leaders.

A Milestone for Inclusive Digital Governance

The partnership aims to revolutionize communication and participation in rural governance by integrating cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered translation technologies into MoPR’s digital services. Through this initiative, MoPR seeks to make its platforms seamlessly multilingual, enhancing the accessibility of planning, decision-making, training, and real-time citizen engagement tools in the diverse linguistic landscape of India.

The collaboration is expected to bring significant benefits to elected representatives, local government functionaries, and citizens across India’s 2.6 lakh gram panchayats, many of whom are most comfortable engaging in their native languages.

Key Highlights of the Partnership

• Integration with eGramSwaraj: A special digital video launch at the event will unveil the integration of Bhashini's language capabilities into MoPR’s eGramSwaraj portal, a unified platform for Panchayati Raj planning and monitoring.

• Multilingual Access for All: The MoU will facilitate real-time translation of government resources, policies, training modules, and communications into multiple Indian languages. This initiative removes a long-standing barrier to inclusive governance – language.

• AI-Powered Public Infrastructure: Bhashini’s technology stack, designed for the Digital India mission, utilizes machine learning and natural language processing to deliver contextually accurate translations, enabling both text and speech translations across domains.

• Strengthening Participatory Democracy: By localizing key governance materials and portals, the initiative strengthens community participation, enhances transparency, and promotes data-driven decision-making at the grassroots.

Statements from Leadership

Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel hailed the collaboration as a historic leap towards realizing the true spirit of decentralization and democratization. “This initiative empowers our panchayats to operate more effectively in their linguistic contexts, ensuring no citizen is left out of the governance process due to language barriers,” he remarked.

Shri Vivek Bharadwaj emphasized the role of technology in inclusive development, stating, “The MoPR-Bhashini partnership exemplifies how public digital infrastructure can be leveraged for linguistic equity and administrative efficiency at the panchayat level.”

MeitY Secretary Shri S. Krishnan added, “Bhashini is at the forefront of democratizing AI technologies. With this partnership, we reaffirm our commitment to building a digitally inclusive India where every citizen can access governance tools in their language.”

Broader Vision and Impact

This collaboration aligns with Digital India’s goal of creating citizen-centric and language-inclusive e-governance ecosystems. It also supports the Localisation of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs) by making panchayat-level planning more inclusive, accessible, and data-informed.

By removing linguistic barriers, the partnership will support smoother implementation of key rural schemes such as the People’s Plan Campaign, Audit Online, Gram Manchitra, and real-time feedback loops for community participation.

With the rising penetration of mobile devices in rural India, AI-driven multilingual access is set to transform the rural digital landscape, fostering more empowered, informed, and engaged communities.