National Panchayat Awards 2025 Announced: 42 Panchayats from 17 States and UTs to be Honoured for Excellence in Rural Governance.
New Delhi:
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) has announced the winners of the National Panchayat Awards 2025 (NPA-2025), recognising outstanding contributions by Panchayats across India in promoting sustainable development, inclusive governance, and grassroots transformation. A total of 42 Panchayats from 17 States and Union Territories have been selected for the prestigious honours, with the award distribution ceremony scheduled to be held in New Delhi on June 3, 2026.
The National Panchayat Awards are among the country’s most significant recognitions for local self-governance institutions and are aimed at encouraging Panchayats to improve service delivery, strengthen participatory democracy, and accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Two Major Categories of Awards
The awards are conferred under two major categories:
Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar (DDUPSVP)
This category recognises outstanding Gram Panchayats for achievements across nine themes linked to the Localization of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs), including poverty eradication, health, child welfare, water security, environmental sustainability, infrastructure development, social justice, good governance, and women empowerment.
A total of 34 Gram Panchayats from across the country have been selected under this category.
Nanaji Deshmukh Sarvottam Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar (NDSPSVP)
This award honours the best-performing Panchayats at the District, Block, and Gram Panchayat levels based on overall performance indicators. Eight Panchayats have been selected under this category.
Karnataka Emerges as Top Performer
Karnataka emerged as the biggest winner at the National Panchayat Awards 2025, securing six awards across various categories. Andhra Pradesh and Odisha followed closely with five awards each, showcasing their strong commitment to grassroots development and local governance.
Himachal Pradesh Shines with Two National Awards
Himachal Pradesh achieved notable success with two Gram Panchayats receiving national recognition.
Shansha Gram Panchayat in Lahaul and Spiti district secured the First Prize under the “Socially Just and Socially Secured Panchayat” category, earning a grant of Rs. 1 crore for its exemplary work in social inclusion and welfare initiatives.
Meanwhile, Lohardi Gram Panchayat in Mandi district won the Third Prize under the “Clean and Green Panchayat” category, receiving Rs.25 lakh for its achievements in environmental conservation and sanitation.
The recognition highlights Himachal Pradesh’s growing role in promoting sustainable and people-centric rural development.
Major Winners Across India
Among the top awardees, Mudradi Gram Panchayat in Karnataka won first place in the Poverty-Free and Enhanced Livelihoods category, while Kanchanbari Gram Panchayat in Tripura secured the top honour in the Healthy Panchayat category.
Maharashtra’s Itgaon (Pu) Gram Panchayat was recognised as the best Child-Friendly Panchayat, and Khariwali Gram Panchayat received the top award for Water-Sufficient Panchayat.
In the Panchayat with Good Governance category, Andhra Pradesh’s Srungavaram Gram Panchayat secured first place, while Bokkasam Palem Gram Panchayat in Andhra Pradesh was declared the best Women-Friendly Panchayat.
Best District, Block and Gram Panchayats
Under the Nanaji Deshmukh Sarvottam Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar, Sepahijala District Panchayat in Tripura emerged as the Best District Panchayat in the country and will receive Rs. 5 crore, the highest prize amount under the awards.
Ganjam District Panchayat in Odisha secured second place, while Coimbatore District Panchayat in Tamil Nadu finished third.
Harippad Block Panchayat in Kerala was declared the Best Block Panchayat, while Kuppam Block Panchayat in Andhra Pradesh secured third place.
Among Gram Panchayats, New Napam in Assam won the top national honour, followed by Telcup in Bihar and Biraharu in Uttar Pradesh.
Financial Incentives to Accelerate Rural Development
The winning Panchayats will receive financial incentives ranging from Rs. 25 lakh to Rs. 5 crore, depending on the category and rank. The funds are intended to support further development initiatives and encourage innovation in local governance.
The awards are presented under the Incentivization of Panchayats (IoP) component of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme, Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA).
Strengthening Grassroots Democracy
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj stated that the National Panchayat Awards play a crucial role in encouraging healthy competition among Panchayats and promoting evidence-based governance. The assessment process is linked to the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2.0, ensuring a transparent, objective, and data-driven evaluation framework.
Since the revamping of the awards framework in 2023, the focus has shifted towards measuring Panchayat performance through the lens of Sustainable Development Goals, thereby aligning local governance with the vision of “Viksit Bharat @2047.”
With increasing participation and improved governance outcomes, the National Panchayat Awards continue to serve as a benchmark for excellence in rural administration and community-led development across India.This version is suitable for newspaper publication, web portals, and government affairs reporting.
