Forty-two Panchayats from across the country were honoured with the National Panchayat Awards 2025 at a ceremony held in New Delhi on Tuesday, recognising their outstanding contribution to inclusive, participatory and sustainable rural development.
The awards were presented by Union Minister for Panchayati Raj and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh, in the presence of Minister of State for Panchayati Raj Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, Assam Minister Rameswar Teli, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Vivek Bharadwaj, senior officials and elected representatives from Panchayati Raj Institutions across States and Union Territories.
The awards recognise exemplary efforts by Panchayats in advancing grassroots governance and contributing to the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. During the event, the Ministry also released an e-book showcasing the work and best practices of award-winning Panchayats, along with a compendium of best practices from States and Union Territories aimed at strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutions.
Addressing the gathering, Rajiv Ranjan Singh congratulated the award-winning Panchayats and said their achievements reflect the growing strength of grassroots democracy in the country. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, he said the path towards a developed India lies through empowered villages and local self-governance, guided by the principle of “Gramoday Se Bharat Uday.”
The Minister noted that 22 of the 42 award-winning Panchayats are headed by women, describing it as a reflection of the transformative role of women in rural governance. He also highlighted initiatives such as the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2.0, e-GramSwaraj and the AI-enabled SabhaSaar platform, which are helping strengthen transparency, accountability and citizen-centric governance at the grassroots level.
Singh urged the award-winning Panchayats to share their successful models with others and continue promoting innovation, effective service delivery and women’s leadership. He also reaffirmed the Centre’s commitment to strengthening local governance, noting that the 16th Finance Commission has recommended ₹4.35 lakh crore for local bodies, marking an 84 per cent increase over allocations under the 15th Finance Commission.
Minister of State Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel said the selection of the winners from more than 2.5 lakh Panchayats across the country reflected a rigorous and transparent evaluation process. He added that the awards are based on the Localised Sustainable Development Goals and the Panchayat Advancement Index, ensuring objective assessment of performance.
Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Vivek Bharadwaj said Panchayati Raj Institutions have evolved into data-driven and accountable institutions that are playing an increasingly vital role in local governance. He called upon Panchayats across the country to learn from the award-winning models and strengthen participatory governance.
The National Panchayat Awards are conferred annually by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj to encourage excellence in rural governance. This year’s awards were presented under two categories. The Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar was awarded to 34 Gram Panchayats from 17 States and Union Territories for their performance across key themes linked to sustainable development. The Nanaji Deshmukh Sarvottam Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar was conferred on eight Panchayats, including district, block and gram panchayats recognised for overall excellence.
The award-winning Panchayats received financial incentives ranging from ₹50 lakh to ₹5 crore under the Incentivization of Panchayats scheme of the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, which will be utilised for further developmental activities.
