In News:

The President of India conferred the National Panchayat Awards 2024 on 45 outstanding Panchayats for their contributions to inclusive growth, environmental sustainability, and rural development. The event was held on 11th December 2024 (postponed from 24th April due to General Elections).

About the Awards

• Launched to commemorate: 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992, which gave constitutional status to Panchayats as institutions of local self-governance.
• Usual celebration date: 24th April — observed as National Panchayati Raj Day.
• Revamped in 2022 to align with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) via Localization of SDGs (LSDGs).

Objectives

• Recognize best practices in rural governance.
• Encourage healthy competition among Panchayats.
• Promote effective implementation of LSDGs and quality service delivery.

Evaluation Structure

• Multi-level assessment: Block → District → State/UT → National level.
• Evaluation based on 9 LSDG themes, including:
  1. Poverty-Free & Enhanced Livelihoods
  2. Healthy Panchayat
  3. Child-Friendly Panchayat
  4. Water-Sufficient Panchayat
  5. Clean & Green Panchayat
  6. Self-Sufficient Infrastructure
  7. Socially Just & Secured Panchayat
  8. Panchayat with Good Governance
  9. Women-Friendly Panchayat

Award Categories

Award Category                                                                                                                        Focus Area

Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar (DDUPSVP)          Top 3 GPs under each LSDG theme

Nanaji Deshmukh Sarvottam Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar             Top 3 GPs, Block Panchayats & District Panchayats with highest scores across all themes

Gram Urja Swaraj Vishesh Panchayat Puraskar                                           GPs promoting renewable energy adoption

Carbon Neutral Vishesh Panchayat Puraskar                                                GPs achieving net-zero carbon emissions

Panchayat Kshamta Nirmaan Sarvottam Sansthan Puraskar                      Institutions providing exemplary support to PRIs in implementing LSDGs

Key Highlights of 2024:

• Total Awards: 45 Panchayats
• Women Leadership: 42% of award-winning Panchayats led by women.
• Participation: 1.94 lakh Gram Panchayats competed.
• Prize Money: ?46 crore transferred digitally to awardees.
• Booklet Released: Best Practices of Awardee Panchayats.
• Film Showcased: Highlighting success stories and capacity-building.

State-wise Recognition

• Notable awardees from: Odisha, Tripura, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana, Assam, etc.
• Tripura & Odisha stood out in total recognitions.
• GPs from Maharashtra, Odisha, and Tripura received special awards for energy and carbon neutrality.

Other Key Initiatives for PRIs

Initiative                                            Purpose

SVAMITVA Scheme (2020)            Mapping rural property to provide Record of Rights.

e-Gram Swaraj (e-FMS)                Work-based accounting to promote transparency.

mActionSoft                                     Geo-tagging Panchayat assets via GPS-enabled photos.

Citizen Charter Portal                    “Meri Panchayat Mera Adhikaar” – Service delivery assurance to citizens.

In News:

The National Panchayat Awards 2024 celebrated the remarkable contributions of 45 Panchayats from across India for their role in driving sustainable and inclusive development in rural areas. The awards were presented on 11th December 2024 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, with President Smt. Droupadi Murmu and Union Minister of Panchayati Raj Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh) presiding over the event.

Key Highlights:

• Categories of Awards: The awards focus on rural governance, social inclusion, environmental sustainability, and the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through Localization of SDGs (LSDGs).
  • Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar (DDUPSVP): Recognizes top-performing Gram Panchayats across 9 thematic areas like health, water, sanitation, and governance.
  • Nanaji Deshmukh Sarvottam Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar: Awarded to the best Panchayats based on overall excellence across all LSDG themes.
  • Gram Urja Swaraj Vishesh Panchayat Puraskar: Honors Panchayats for contributions to renewable energy.
  • Carbon Neutral Vishesh Panchayat Puraskar: Awarded to Panchayats achieving net-zero carbon emissions.
  • Panchayat Kshamta Nirmaan Sarvottam Sansthan Puraskar: Recognizes institutions supporting Panchayats in implementing LSDGs.
• Notable Achievements:
  • Women’s Leadership: 42% of the award-winning Panchayats were led by women.
  • States with Top Performers: States like Tripura, Odisha, and Maharashtra were prominently recognized for their achievements, especially in sustainability efforts like carbon neutrality and renewable energy adoption.
  • Prize Distribution: A total of ?46 crore was awarded to the 45 winners, with funds directly transferred to their accounts.

Objectives:

The National Panchayat Awards aim to:

• Promote rural development through effective Panchayat governance.
• Encourage competition among Panchayats for improving public services and infrastructure.
• Recognize excellence in implementing sustainable development practices.

Key Themes of the Awards:

The awards are aligned with 9 LSDG themes that contribute to achieving 17 SDGs:

1. Poverty-Free and Enhanced Livelihoods
2. Healthy Panchayat
3. Child-Friendly Panchayat
4. Water-Sufficient Panchayat
5. Clean and Green Panchayat
6. Self-Sufficient Infrastructure
7. Socially Just and Secured Panchayat
8. Panchayat with Good Governance
9. Women-Friendly Panchayat

The National Panchayat Awards 2024 underscore the significant role of Panchayats in shaping rural India by focusing on inclusive and sustainable development. The awards also promote the importance of localized governance in achieving SDGs, encouraging other Panchayats to adopt best practices and contribute to India's overall development goals.