New Delhi:

Italy Prime Minister Georgia Meloni wished India on its 78th Independence Day. The Italian Prime Minister shared a picture of her on social media platform X with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said, India and Italy’s “strategic partnership is an important pillar for the future.”

“On the occasion of the 78th Independence Day, I would like to express my heartfelt wishes to the people of India, and especially to the many Indians who follow this page,” Ms Meloni said.

In occasione del 78° Giorno dell’Indipendenza, desidero esprimere i miei più sinceri auguri al popolo indiano, e in particolare ai molti indiani che seguono questa pagina. Italia e India condividono un legame sempre più forte, e sono certa che insieme raggiungeremo grandi… pic.twitter.com/DG8Ujo03Co

— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) August 15, 2024

“Italy and India share an ever-stronger bond, and I am confident that together we will achieve great things. Our strategic partnership is an important pillar for the future,” she added.

During the G7 summit in May, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

PM Modi arrived in Italy at the invitation of Prime Minister Meloni to participate in the G7 Outreach summit. This was his first foreign trip after becoming prime minister for the third term earlier this month.

“Prime Minister Meloni’s two visits to India last year were instrumental in infusing momentum and depth in our bilateral agenda,” PM Modi said.

“We remain committed to consolidate the India-Italy strategic partnership, and bolster cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and the Mediterranean regions,” he said.

During the G7 summit, a selfie and a video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ms Meloni during the G7 summit went viral on social media. In the picture, the Italian PM and Prime Minister Modi can be seen smiling. In the video, they can be seen waving at the camera with Ms Meloni saying “Hello from the Melodi team”.

Hi friends, from #Melodipic.twitter.com/OslCnWlB86

— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) June 15, 2024

“Melodi” is a term that went viral on social media after PM Modi and Ms Meloni’s bilateral meeting last year.

New Delhi:

Around 400 women representatives from Panchayati Raj Institutions have been invited as special guests to the 78th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj said in a statement on Tuesday.

According to officials from the rural development ministry, around 45 “Lakhpati Didis” and around 30 “Drone Didis” have also been invited as special guests to attend the Independence Day celebrations. They will be felicitated by Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday.

The Namo Drone Didi and Lakhpati Didi schemes are among the important initiatives of the government for fostering economic empowerment and financial autonomy among women in rural areas. 

Under the Namo Drone Didi scheme, subsidies are provided to women self-help groups (SHGs) for the purchase of drones. A “Lakhpati Didi” is an SHG member whose annual income is Rs 1 lakh or more.

The women Panchayati Raj representatives will be facilitated by Minister of Panchayati Raj Rajiv Ranjan Singh “Lalan” on Wednesday.

A national workshop will also be organised for them on Wednesday. It will be addressed by Kiran Bedi, former lieutenant governor of Puducherry and founder, of Navjyoti India Foundation, and senior ministry officials. The workshop will explore the evolving role of women representatives as well as address the practice of “Sarpanch Pati” at the grassroots level.

As part of the felicitation ceremony, the multi-lingual eGramSwaraj platform will be launched in collaboration with Bhashini. This innovative initiative will make the portal accessible in all 22 scheduled languages of India, greatly enhancing its reach and usability across diverse linguistic communities. State-wise panchayat profiles, which include basic statistics on PRIs, will also be released.

The ministry said the visit of the panchayat representatives to the national capital has been designed as a comprehensive and enriching experience, and will also include a visit to the Pradhan Mantri Sangrahalaya.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)