Internet Connections in Panchayats
Why in News?
On April 1, 2026, the Union Minister for Panchayati Raj provided a written reply in the Rajya Sabha confirming that over 2.18 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) and Traditional Local Bodies have now been made "service-ready" for high-speed internet.
Key Information
- Current Reach: Out of approximately 2.69 lakh total Gram Panchayats, over 2.18 lakh are currently service-ready.
- Funding: Approximately ₹22,001.30 crore has been disbursed for the BharatNet Project over the last five financial years (2020-21 to 2024-25).
- Technical Upgrades: The Amended BharatNet Program is shifting from a linear network to a ring topology to ensure 100% redundancy and minimize service disruptions.
Last-Mile Connectivity
- FTTH Connections: Over 14.27 lakh Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) connections have been commissioned as of February 2026.
- Wi-Fi Hotspots: More than 4.09 lakh hotspots have been installed to provide public internet access in rural areas.
Digital Governance Tools
These connections power critical rural platforms such as:
- eGramSwaraj: A simplified accounting and planning application for Panchayats.
- Meri Panchayat App: Allows 95 crore rural residents to track local budgets and development plans in real-time.
- Panchayat NIRNAY: A portal for digitizing and monitoring Gram Sabha meetings and decisions.
- Cost Reduction: Data costs in India have plummeted from ₹269 per GB in 2014 to approximately ₹8–10 per GB in 2025-26, supporting high rural adoption.
- 2030 Targets: Under the National Broadband Mission 2.0, the government aims for 90% broadband connectivity to anchor institutions (schools, anganwadis, and panchayat offices) by 2030.
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