Gram Panchayats Shine in New e-Governance Awards Category at NAeG 2025

In a major push towards digital transformation at the grassroots level, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, in partnership with the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), has introduced a landmark category in the National Awards for e-Governance (NAeG) 2025. This newly launched segment, titled “Grassroots Level Initiatives for Deepening Service Delivery at Gram Panchayats or Equivalent Traditional Local Bodies”, aims to honour Gram Panchayats (GPs) that have demonstrated excellence in deploying digital tools to enhance service delivery, citizen engagement, and administrative transparency.

This is the first time that the NAeG has created a dedicated category for Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), marking a significant recognition of their growing role in India’s digital governance journey.

Nationwide Participation and Rigorous Evaluation

The response to this new category was overwhelming, with over 1.45 lakh entries received from 26 States and Union Territories. These submissions were subjected to a stringent multi-stage evaluation process, which included assessments at the Block, District, State, and finally the National level. The goal was to ensure fair and comprehensive appraisal of initiatives that not only used technology innovatively but also tangibly improved the quality of life in rural communities.

After this exhaustive selection process, four Gram Panchayats emerged as winners under this prestigious category:

• Gold Award: Rohini Gram Panchayat, Dhule District, Maharashtra

• Silver Award: West Majlishpur Gram Panchayat, West Tripura District, Tripura

• Jury Award: Palsana Gram Panchayat, Surat District, Gujarat

• Jury Award: Suakati Gram Panchayat, Kendujhar District, Odisha

Notably, two out of the three Jury Awards conferred in NAeG 2025 have gone to Gram Panchayats—an emphatic validation of their role as trailblazers in rural digital governance.

Recognizing Excellence and Driving Impact

The National Awards for e-Governance (NAeG) include a trophy, a certificate, and financial incentives to help winners scale their impact. The incentive amounts are:

• ₹10 lakh for Gold Awardees

• ₹5 lakh for Silver Awardees

These funds are allocated directly to the winning Gram Panchayat, District, or Organization, with the flexibility to either expand the winning initiative or bridge resource gaps in other public welfare domains such as health, education, sanitation, and livelihood promotion.

Spotlight on Innovation at the Bottom Tier

Each of the awarded Gram Panchayats demonstrated innovation, inclusivity, and measurable impact through their e-Governance interventions. For instance:

• Rohini Gram Panchayat in Maharashtra showcased a dynamic platform integrating health services, welfare schemes, and civic administration on a single digital dashboard, enabling faster grievance redressal and real-time tracking of developmental schemes.

• West Majlishpur Gram Panchayat in Tripura introduced localized mobile applications for service requests, boosting citizen engagement in rural planning.

• Palsana GP in Gujarat piloted an AI-assisted governance model to streamline benefit distribution under central schemes.

• Suakati GP in Odisha demonstrated high-impact geo-tagging and MIS integration to enhance transparency in land and property records.

Recognition on a National Stage

These awards will be formally presented at the 28th National Conference on e-Governance, a high-profile event jointly organized by DARPG and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The ceremony is expected to bring together policy makers, technocrats, grassroots leaders, and innovators from across the country to exchange insights on building digitally inclusive governance frameworks.

A Paradigm Shift in Local Governance

This landmark initiative underscores the government’s commitment to digitally empower rural India, making governance more participatory, efficient, and responsive to the needs of citizens.

By giving Gram Panchayats national visibility and financial support, the NAeG 2025 Awards aim to foster a culture of innovation and inspire other PRIs to adopt digital practices that promote transparency, social equity, and sustainable development.