Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that a robust and enlightened Civil society is essential for a functioning democracy. Mr. Singh was addressing the inaugural ceremony of C- 20 summit in Jaipur this evening. He said that civil societies enable the citizens to engage in deliberative dialogues and cooperative efforts, outside the adversarial arena of electoral politics, towards achieving national objectives. He said there are various sectors, ranging from education to the health sector, from gender equality to environment, where both Governments and Civil Society institutions have worked hand-in-hand and have achieved significant quantifiable progress. 

The event was attended by spiritual guru Mata Amritanandamayi, the chair of C 20 and many dignitaries from India and abroad. About 700 delegates are participating in the day's summit. Detailed deliberations on various topics will take place during 5 sessions to be held in three days. The C 20 event will present the policy recommendations prepared by its 16 Working Groups after extensive discussions with civil society organisations and policymakers worldwide.