{"id":41927,"date":"2025-04-24T19:24:33","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T13:54:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=41927"},"modified":"2025-04-24T19:24:49","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T13:54:49","slug":"national-panchayati-raj-day-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/24-04-2025\/national-panchayati-raj-day-2025","title":{"rendered":"National Panchayati Raj Day"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Polity and Governance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Ministry of Panchayati Raj on the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Day 2025, presented the <strong>Special Category National Panchayat Awards- 2025.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These awards include the<strong> Climate Action Special Panchayat Award (CASPA), Atma Nirbhar Panchayat Special Award (ANPSA), and Panchayat Kshamta Nirman Sarvottam Sansthan Puraskar (PKNSSP).\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The awards aim to recognize Gram Panchayats and institutions that have <strong>demonstrated exemplary performance<\/strong> in areas such as <strong>climate resilience, fiscal self-reliance, and capacity building.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Awardees have been selected from States including Bihar, Maharashtra, Odisha, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, and Assam.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>National Panchayati Raj Day<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India celebrates National Panchayati Raj Day <strong>on April 24 every year<\/strong> to mark the <strong>foundation of the Panchayati Raj System, when the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992, came into force.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It celebrates the<strong> importance of grassroots democracy,<\/strong> strengthens local governance and helps empower rural communities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Panchayati Raj System<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The word Panchayat comes from two words \u2013 \u201c<strong>Panch&#8221; meaning five and \u201cAyat&#8221; meaning assembly.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It refers to a traditional system where a group of elders from a village would come together to solve problems or settle disputes.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Balwant Rai Mehta Committee, <\/strong>appointed in 1957, recommended the establishment of the Panchayati Raj system in India.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Panchayati Raj system has three levels \u2013 Village Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Village Panchayat: <\/strong>It has around five members that includes a Sarpanch.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Panchayat Samiti: <\/strong>It usually covers 20 to 60 villages. Its head is called the Pradhan and the deputy is the Up-Pradhan.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Zilla Parishad: <\/strong>It includes members from Panchayat Samitis and government officials. Its main job is to guide and check the work done in the district.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Ministry of Panchayati Raj was created in 2004 <\/strong>which handles all matters related to Panchayati Raj and is led by a cabinet minister.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Panchayat elections<\/strong> are held <strong>every five years<\/strong> to choose new members.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reservation: Article 243D<\/strong> of the Constitution provides for reservation of seats in Panchayats for Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes, Backward Class of citizens and women.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Need for the Panchayati Raj Institutions in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Decentralization of Power:<\/strong> PRIs bring governance closer to the grassroots level, empowering local communities to take decisions tailored to their specific needs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Democratic Participation: <\/strong>Ensures people\u2019s direct involvement in decision-making processes, thereby strengthening democracy at the village level.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Efficient Implementation of Schemes: <\/strong>Local self-governments can effectively implement and monitor development schemes based on local conditions and requirements.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Better Utilization of Resources:<\/strong> Local bodies can ensure optimal use of resources like land, water, and manpower due to better understanding of regional dynamics.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Inclusive Development:<\/strong> Encourages participation from marginalized communities, including women, Scheduled Castes (SCs), and Scheduled Tribes (STs), fostering inclusive growth.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Employment Generation:<\/strong> Through rural development programs like MGNREGA, PRIs play a critical role in providing employment and reducing rural poverty.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges of Panchayati Raj Institutions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Lack of Infrastructure and Digital Literacy:<\/strong> Insufficient computer skills hinder efficient working.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Digital divide limits effective implementation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>I<\/strong><strong>nadequate Financial Resources: <\/strong>Panchayats often lack adequate funds for development activities, it leads to delays, poor execution, and increased risk of corruption.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Poor Coordination Among Administrative Bodies: <\/strong>Poor inter-departmental coordination affects developmental work and fund utilization.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Issues include politicization, inadequate incentives, and bureaucratic inefficiencies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Male Dominance in Decision-Making: <\/strong>Women&#8217;s political participation is hindered by patriarchal norms.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Even if elected, women may not have real power due to dominance by male officials.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Low Literacy and Awareness: <\/strong>Many representatives, especially women, are unaware of their powers and responsibilities due to low education levels.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The general public, especially at the grassroots, lacks understanding of Panchayati Raj\u2019s role and benefits.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Irregular Elections and Tenure Issues: <\/strong>Delay in conducting elections affects continuity and planning.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Government Initiatives to Strengthen PRIs<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA): <\/strong>Focuses on strengthening governance capabilities of PRIs.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Supports training, e-governance, infrastructure, and capacity building.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project: <\/strong>Aims to digitalize Panchayati Raj functioning.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Provides web-based applications for budgeting, accounting, and planning (like PRIASoft, PlanPlus, etc.).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Financial Incentives and Performance Grants:<\/strong> States and the Finance Commission provide performance-based grants to reward efficient and transparent PRIs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>e-Gram Swaraj Portal: <\/strong>Launched in 2020, it provides a unified digital platform for Panchayat planning, accounting, monitoring, and reporting.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Since 2021, all payments under Central Finance Commission funds are done only online through the eGramSwaraj &#8211; PFMS Interface (eGSPI) system.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Gram Manchitra \u2013 Spatial Development Planning: <\/strong>Launched in 2019 as a geospatial platform for evidence-based planning.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>PRIs have played a crucial role in promoting democratic values, inclusive development, and grassroots-level decision-making.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For PRIs to reach their full potential, sustained efforts are needed to enhance their autonomy, build institutional capacity, ensure adequate funding, and promote active citizen participation.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Strengthening PRIs is not just about rural governance\u2014it&#8217;s a powerful step toward achieving participatory democracy, sustainable development, and an empowered rural India.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/when-is\/national-panchayati-raj-day-2025-date-origin-significance-9962810\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>IE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The Ministry of Panchayati Raj on the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Day 2025, presented the Special Category National Panchayat Awards- 2025.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<h3><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">These awards include the Climate Action Special Panchayat Award (CASPA), Atma Nirbhar Panchayat Special Award (ANPSA), and Panchayat Kshamta Nirman Sarvottam Sansthan Puraskar (PKNSSP).\u00a0<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The awards aim to recognize Gram Panchayats and institutions that have demonstrated exemplary performance in areas such as climate resilience, fiscal self-reliance, and capacity building.\u00a0<\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/24-04-2025\/national-panchayati-raj-day-2025\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41927","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41927","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41927"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41927\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41952,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41927\/revisions\/41952"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}