I-Day 2023: Centre invites 1,800 ‘special guests’ from 'different walks of life' at Red Fort; know who are they

Independence Day 2023: As India prepares for Independence Day celebrations, the government released a list of "special guests" to whom invitations have been given for the event at the Red Fort, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hoist the tricolour and address the country on Tuesday. Among the 1800 are people from "different walks of life" from across India who have played a key part in the country's growth. The decision to invite these persons to the celebrations is consistent with the government's "Jan Bhagidari Programme."

Who are these ‘special guests’?

This year's invitees represent a diverse group of people. It includes sarpanches from 'Vibrant Villages,' teachers, nurses, farmers, fishermen, labourers who helped build New Delhi's Central Vista Project, workers in the khadi (handspun cloth) sector, national award-winning school teachers, Border Roads Organisation employees, and those involved in the 'Amrit Sarovar' and 'Har Ghar Jal Yojana' projects implemented across the country.

Beneficiaries of PM-KISAN at Red Fort event

Around 50 members from the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme (PM-KISAN) and their families are among the roughly 1,800 people invited to PM Modi's Independence Day speech, according to an official release from the agriculture ministry.

Two scheme beneficiaries from Maharashtra have been chosen to attend the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort.

Ashok Sudam Ghule, a 54-year-old sugarcane farmer with a 1.5-acre piece of land from the Pune district, said: "I never imagined I'd get the chance to visit New Delhi's, Red Fort. Being there on Independence Day feels like a dream fulfilled."

Three Haryana nurses

Three nurses from the state of Haryana are among the special guests invited to the national capital's Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort. On Tuesday, 50 nurses will be present to witness the event.

Savita Rani, a Nursing Officer at Badshah Khan Civil Medical in Faridabad, said she feels honoured to have received the invitation, and that her family and medical personnel are overjoyed as well. According to DD News, Savita Rani did "outstanding work" during the difficult COVID-19 pandemic that struck many countries, including India and resulted in many deaths from the deadly virus. On Nursing Day (May 12), Rani was also honoured by President Droupadi Murmu.