The Arjuna awardee Paralympians Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar are among the 20 distinguished individuals from the Jammu region of the Union Territory who will attend the Republic Day Parade in New Delhi as “Special Guests” on 26 January this year. Akashvani Jammu Correspondent reports that selected for their exceptional contributions in various fields, these 20 invitees will join over 10 thousand special guests from across the country to witness the prestigious event at the Kartavya Path, New Delhi. They are recognized for their exceptional contributions in various fields, including Government schemes, social welfare and personal achievements. Among those selected under the “Paralympic Contingent and Winners of International Sports Events” category include Arjuna Awardee Rakesh Kumar from Katra and Sheetal Devi from Kishtwar, besides others who excelled in different events at the National and International levels, including Anup Verma from Katra, Shakti Devi from Lohidhar Mughal Maidan, and Rakesh Kumar Yadav from Katra while as Parveen Choudhary of Rang Pur Treva has been invited as a special guest under the category of “Best performing PM-Vishwakarma Yojana” beneficiaries. Hardeep Singh, Kasturi Lal, Sachin Kumar, and Ravinder Singh from Rajouri district are invited in the category of “Road Construction Workers”. Saber Hussain and Tazeem Akhter from Poonch, Bipan Lal from Kishtwar, Rakesh Kumar from Gurah Brahmana, Samba, Baljeet Singh from Nardi Bala, Jammu, Rounak Lal from Arnia, Jammu, Sanjay Kumar from Korgasal, Jammu, and Mukesh Sharma from Udhampur. Nisha Sharma from Tikri, Mand, Udhampur has been selected as a special guest under the category of “Best Performing Water Warriors” for their remarkable achievements, particularly in fields such as water conservation, handicrafts, women’s empowerment and education. The Republic Day Parade provides a unique platform to honour these exceptional individuals for their service to the community and the country.