MoPR Signs MoU with Bhashini to Enable Multilingual Access to eGramSwaraj Platform

New Delhi: In a major step towards fostering citizen-centric and inclusive digital governance, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bhashini, the National Language Translation Mission under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The agreement aims to integrate Bhashini’s AI-powered language translation capabilities with the eGramSwaraj platform, enabling real-time multilingual access and breaking language barriers for rural citizens across India.

The MoU signing took place in New Delhi in the presence of Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj Prof. S. P. Singh Baghel, Secretary of MoPR Shri Vivek Bharadwaj, Additional Secretary of MeitY Abhishek Singh, CEO of Bhashini Amitabh Nag, and Joint Secretary of MoPR Alok Prem Nagar, who formally signed the agreement on behalf of the respective institutions.

Hailing the initiative as a transformative leap for digital governance, Prof. Baghel stated that the integration of Bhashini’s AI tools with eGramSwaraj will bring the government closer to citizens in their own languages, particularly in India’s rural heartland. “This is not merely a technological upgrade. It is a bold affirmation of our democratic ethos—of making every citizen feel heard, included, and empowered, regardless of the language they speak,” he said. The Minister emphasized that digital infrastructure such as eGramSwaraj has revolutionized rural service delivery by facilitating transparent, efficient fund disbursal and participatory planning at the grassroots.

He also highlighted the significant role of co-located Common Service Centres with Panchayat Bhawans and praised the emergence of Panchayat Bhawans as modern institutions symbolizing responsive local governance. Prof. Baghel underlined that the MoU will enhance the digital capacity of Panchayats and strengthen their connection with local communities, furthering the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047.

Speaking at the event, MoPR Secretary Vivek Bharadwaj described the MoU as a forward-looking step that will strengthen inclusive governance by using technology to bridge language divides. He emphasized that Bhashini’s voice and text translation capabilities will make government platforms like eGramSwaraj more accessible, even for citizens using basic mobile phones. This, he noted, would improve the delivery of services in sectors like health, education, and agriculture to over 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats.

Additional Secretary of MeitY Abhishek Singh highlighted that the partnership with MoPR is already functional and the MoU now formalizes it. “The goal of Bhashini is to make digital services available in every Indian language, ensuring no citizen is left behind,” he said. Singh added that Bhashini’s tools have already logged over 100 crore language inferences across government platforms, with nearly 15 crore coming from MoPR platforms alone.

Looking ahead, Singh outlined upcoming initiatives such as Bhashini Udyat (integration of APIs), Bhashini Mitra (development of new translation models), Bhashini Appmitra (tools like spellcheck and grammar support), Bhashini Sahyogi (access to Bhashadaan platform), and Bhashini Pravakta (vernacular outreach for digital governance), all aimed at deepening the reach of e-governance in local languages.

The event also featured the screening of a video demonstrating how Bhashini’s AI translation technology has been embedded into the eGramSwaraj platform—used by Panchayats for planning, budgeting, and reporting—and the launch of the Bhashini Anthem, celebrating India’s linguistic diversity.