42 Panchayats Honoured at National Panchayat Awards 2025; Women-Led Rural Governance Takes Centre Stage.
Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh Says “Gramoday Se Bharat Uday” Is the Path to a Developed India.
New Delhi:
In a major recognition of grassroots governance and rural transformation, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj conferred the prestigious National Panchayat Awards 2025 on 42 outstanding Panchayats from across the country at a grand ceremony held in New Delhi on Tuesday.
The awards were presented by Union Minister for Panchayati Raj and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh), in the presence of Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj Prof. S. P. Singh Baghel, Assam Minister Rameswar Teli, Secretary of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj Vivek Bharadwaj, senior government officials, and elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions from various States and Union Territories.
The awards recognize exemplary contributions made by Panchayats in promoting inclusive, participatory, and sustainable rural development, aligning with the national vision of “Viksit Bharat 2047.”
22 Women-Led Panchayats Among Award Winners
A significant highlight of this year’s awards was the remarkable performance of women-led Panchayats. Out of the 42 award-winning Panchayats, 22 are headed by women, underlining the growing role of women in grassroots leadership and local governance.
Addressing the gathering, Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh congratulated all award recipients and praised their commitment to innovation, transparency, and people-centric governance. He described the achievement as a reflection of the strengthening of grassroots democracy in India.
“The journey towards a developed India must begin from our villages. Gramoday Se Bharat Uday is not merely a slogan but a roadmap for realizing the vision of Viksit Bharat,” the Minister said.
He emphasized that women’s leadership has emerged as a transformative force in rural India and noted that the success of women-led Panchayats demonstrates the effectiveness of inclusive governance models.
Technology Transforming Panchayat Governance
The Union Minister highlighted several initiatives undertaken by the Ministry to modernize local governance, including the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2.0, the e-GramSwaraj platform, and the Artificial Intelligence-enabled SabhaSaar platform.
These initiatives, he said, are empowering Panchayats with digital tools, data-driven planning mechanisms, and greater transparency in governance. The government remains committed to providing Panchayats with the resources, technology, and capacity-building support needed to deliver citizen-centric services effectively.
He also urged award-winning Panchayats to share their successful models and best practices with others, thereby accelerating innovation and development across rural India.
Major Financial Push for Grassroots Governance
Reaffirming the Centre’s commitment to strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutions, Rajiv Ranjan Singh highlighted the recommendation Rs. 4.35 lakh crore under the 16th Finance Commission, representing an 84 percent increase over allocations made under the 15th Finance Commission.
The enhanced financial support is expected to significantly strengthen local self-governance institutions and help accelerate development projects at the village level.
Rigorous Selection Process
Union Minister of State Prof. S. P. Singh Baghel said that the selection of 42 Panchayats from more than 2.5 lakh Panchayats across the country reflected a highly transparent and rigorous evaluation process.
He explained that the awards are based on performance under the Localized Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs) and measured through the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI), ensuring an objective and evidence-based assessment system.
Baghel also encouraged Panchayats to focus on achieving saturation of welfare schemes relating to healthcare, pensions, social security, and other essential services to ensure holistic rural development.
Panchayats Emerging as Engines of Rural Transformation
Speaking on the occasion, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Vivek Bharadwaj, described the transformation of Panchayati Raj Institutions into data-driven, transparent, and accountable governance bodies as one of the most inspiring developments in India’s democratic journey.
He said that the award-winning Panchayats represent models of excellence that can inspire thousands of other Panchayats across the country to strengthen participatory governance and citizen engagement.
Best Practices Compendium Released
During the ceremony, the Ministry also released an e-book documenting the works and best practices of the award-winning Panchayats, along with a comprehensive Compendium of Best Practices from States and Union Territories on strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutions.
The publications are intended to promote peer learning, facilitate knowledge sharing, and encourage replication of successful governance models across rural India.
About National Panchayat Awards 2025
The National Panchayat Awards are conferred annually by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj to recognize outstanding Panchayats for their contribution to sustainable rural development.
The awards are presented under two major categories:
Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar (DDUPSVP)
This category honoured 34 Gram Panchayats from 17 States and Union Territories for exceptional performance across nine themes linked to the Localization of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs), including poverty alleviation, health, child welfare, water security, environmental sustainability, infrastructure development, social justice, good governance, and women empowerment.
Nanaji Deshmukh Sarvottam Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar (NDSPSVP)
This category recognized eight Panchayats as the best-performing District, Block, and Gram Panchayats in the country based on overall performance indicators.
Award-winning Panchayats received financial incentives ranging from Rs. 50 lakh to Rs. 5 crore under the Incentivization of Panchayats (IoP) Scheme, a key component of the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA). The funds will be utilized for further development works and strengthening local governance mechanisms.
The National Panchayat Awards continue to serve as a benchmark for excellence in grassroots governance, encouraging Panchayats to become active partners in India’s journey towards sustainable and inclusive development.
