External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday wrote that the G20 Summit under India's presidency has been "transformed from an elite diplomatic event into a people’s event" — a concept he calls "Jan Bhagidari" public participation. He said that this year's G20 Summit is not an event limited to the top government officials. This edition of the G20 has secured the participation of different states and Union Territories and has become a "people's G20".
Jaishankar in an article in TOI, wrote that India's presidency of the G20 is being celebrated as an all-India celebration and is reaping the unique economic benefits. According to the External Affairs Minister, India, through its presidency of the G20 is voicing the concerns of the developing nations and the Global South. India is also pushing for developments in key areas like "climate action and finance, energy transitions, SDG implementation and technological transformation", he wrote.
Jaishankar said that around 220 meetings were held by 30,000 delegates in 60 cities in the run up to the Summit. More than 1,00,000 people, including citizens of all sections, participated in the side events. He said that while various line ministries diligently spurred active participation, the Education Ministry ensured the participation of students, teachers, and parents in various G20 events. As many as 23.3 crore participants attended such events, which spread awareness about the G20, National Education Policy, and Foundational Learning and Numeracy.
He further said the concept of Jan Bhagidari was not limited to mere numbers. "An array of engaging activities — ranging from the enlightening G20 University Connect lecture series to Internetive Model G20 meetings, special G20 sessions in educational institutions, G20 pavilions at prominent festivals, quis contests, selfie competitions, and the captivating #G20India stories — played pivotal roles in nurturing widespread and enthusiastic engagement," Jaishankar's piece in TOI stated.
He said the G20 working group employed innovative means to ensure maximum public involvement. These included a G20 cyclothon and motorbike rally on National Youth Day. "The Youth 20 was particularly impactful and a strong validation of the Jan Bhagidari approach. More than 1,25,000 delegates in 1,563 meetings were able to infuse remarkable energy into the presidency. Civil 20 touched 45 lakh people worldwide. Social media emerged as a pivotal tool in the G20 process, galvanising citizens and public engagement, resulting in over 14 trillion social media impressions," he wrote.
He highlighted the fact that two world records were made during India's presidency in terms of public participation — the participation of 1.25 lakh students from 800 schools in the G20 quiz in Varanasi. "At the same time, 450 Lambani artisans showcased their skills and craftsmanship by creating an amazing collection of around 1,800 unique patches," he wrote.