AI-driven tool to fast track Gram Sabha meeting summaries

New Delhi, Aug 14 (IANS) The government was set to launch an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven tool on Thursday that will automatically generate structured minutes of meeting (MoM) from Gram Sabha or other Panchayat meetings’ audio and video recordings.

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) was set to launch ‘SabhaSaar’, an AI-powered meeting summarization tool, in the presence of Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh and Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj, Professor SP Singh Baghel in the national capital.

According to the ministry, ‘SabhaSaar’ uses advanced AI and Natural Language Processing (NLP) technologies to transcribe spoken discussions, identify key decisions and action points, and produce well-formatted meeting minutes.

Integrated with ‘Bhashini’, the government’s National Language Translation Mission, the tool currently supports 13 Indian languages, ensuring inclusivity and accessibility for Panchayat functionaries across linguistic backgrounds. The number of languages supported will also gradually be increased in future.

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has urged all States/UTs to utilise the ‘SabhaSaar’ tool for generating Minutes of Meetings for the Special Gram Sabhas scheduled on August 15, 2025.

As a first step, all the 1,194 GPs of Tripura (including traditional local bodies) will use the tool to generate the Minutes for these Special Gram Sabhas.

SabhaSaar is an initiative that harnesses digital innovations to further strengthen participatory democracy and enhance efficiency in local governance.

By significantly reducing the time and effort required for manual documentation, SabhaSaar enables Panchayat officials to focus on governance and service delivery while ensuring transparency and accountability, according to a ministry statement.

Recently, the makers of the superhit streaming show ‘Panchayat’ joined forces with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj to portray rural development through their sketches. The partnership aims to bring compelling narratives highlighting key rural development initiatives. The themes include Women Empowerment, Own Source Revenue, and Technology-Driven Growth.

—IANS

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