In a landmark move to strengthen grassroots governance, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, in collaboration with the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, has introduced a dedicated category under the National Awards for e-Governance (NAeG) 2025 to recognize outstanding digital initiatives by Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). A first-of-its-kind recognition for PRIs, a new award category titled “Grassroots Level Initiatives for Deepening Service Delivery at Gram Panchayats or Equivalent Traditional Local Bodies” has been introduced to honour exemplary digital initiatives by Panchayats. This category aims to acknowledge the role of Gram Panchayats in enhancing ease of living and improving the quality of life through effective, transparent and citizen-centric service delivery.

After a rigorous multi-tier evaluation at the Block, District, State, and National levels, four Gram Panchayats have emerged as winners from over 1.45 lakh entries received from 26 States and Union Territories under the newly introduced award category.

Notably, 2 out of the 3 Jury Awards conferred under NAeG 2025 have been awarded to Gram Panchayats, highlighting the innovation and dedication of Gram Panchayats in advancing digital governance and delivering quality citizen services.

The National Awards for e-Governance (NAeG) 2025 comprise of (i) a Trophy, (ii) a Certificate, and (iii) a financial incentive of Rs.10 lakh for Gold Awardees and Rs.5 lakh for Silver Awardees. The incentive amount is awarded to the winning District/ Organization/ Gram Panchayat for use in implementing the awarded project or bridging resource gaps in any area of public welfare. The Awards Ceremony will be organized by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) during the 28th National Conference on e-Governance, in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India.

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Aditi Agrawal

Shine Press Release