How AI tool will bring structure, uniformity to minutes of gram sabha meetings across country

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The AI tool, 'SabhaSaar' leverages the power of AI to generate structured minutes of meetings from gram sabha videos and audio recordings. (Source/https://sabhasaar.panchayat.gov.in/+The Centre is set to unveil an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tool to automatically generate minutes of meetings of gram sabhas, the primary body of the Panchayati Raj system, consisting of all registered voters of a gram panchayat. Named ‘SabhaSaar’, it will be rolled out in Tripura on Independence Day, August 15, and thereafter made available to other states, said a government official.Union Minister of Panchayati Raj Rajiv Ranjan Singh Lalan and his deputy Prof SP Singh Baghel will unveil ‘SabhaSaar’ in New Delhi Thursday, on the eve of Independence Day.According to sources, ‘SabhaSaar’ leverages the power of AI to generate structured minutes of meetings from gram sabha videos and audio recordings. It will bring uniformity in minutes of the gram sabha meetings across the country. Panchayat officials can use their e-GramSwaraj login credentials to upload video/audio recordings on ‘SabhaSaar’.A source said ‘SabhaSaar’ is built on Bhashini, an AI-powered language translation platform launched by the government to bridge literacy, language, and digital divides. The tool generates transcription from a video or audio, translates it into a chosen output language and prepares a summary. It enables transcription in all major Indian languages like Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi and Gujarati, in addition to English, the source said.‘SabhaSaar’ is ideal for panchayats, administrative bodies, and rural development projects as it streamlines documentation and empowers stakeholders with instant access to meeting insights, as per sources.As per the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, there are 2,55,397 village panchayats, 6,742 intermediate panchayats, 665 district panchayats, and 16,189 traditional local bodies across the country.A gram sabha is supposed to meet at least four days (January 26, May 1, August 15, and October 2) in a year. To ensure that gram sabhas meet regularly and function transparently, the Panchayati Raj ministry has launched a Panchayat NIRNAY portal, a real-time monitoring system that deals with their meetings.Story continues below this adIt has provisions for scheduling, notifying citizens with the meeting agenda well in advance, enhancing public participation, recording and enabling panchayat decisions for ready reference, bringing about transparency and accountability of panchayat functionaries in panchayat decision making and its implementation.According to data available with the ministry, over 10,000 gram Sabha meetings were held through the Panchayat NIRNAY platform during the financial year 2024-25. Most of these meetings were held in Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Bihar.Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express' National Bureau, specializes in reporting on governance, policy, and data. He covers the Prime Minister’s Office and pivotal central ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Jal Shakti. His work primarily revolves around reporting and policy analysis. In addition to this, he authors a weekly column titled "STATE-ISTICALLY SPEAKING," which is prominently featured on The Indian Express website. In this column, he immerses readers in narratives deeply rooted in socio-economic, political, and electoral data, providing insightful perspectives on these critical aspects of governance and society. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd