National Panchayati Raj Day
Why in News?
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is celebrating National Panchayati Raj Day (NPRD) on 24 April 2026 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, with the Prime Minister likely attending.
About
- 33rd Anniversary: 2026 marks 33 years since the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act came into effect in 1993.
- Prime Minister’s Message: A special message from PM Narendra Modi was read out at the national function and disseminated to all local bodies across India.
- Major Releases:
- Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI)-2.0: A performance report for Panchayats nationwide was officially released.
- Panchayat Dharohar Initiative: Three illustrated books—monographs on the rural heritage of Tripura, Tirupati, and Uttarkashi—were launched.
- Theme for 2026: The theme for this year is "Sashakt Panchayat, Sarvangeen Vikas" (Empowered Panchayats, Holistic Development).
History & Background
- Constitutional Milestone: Commemorates the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992, which came into force on April 24, 1993.
- First Celebration: The day was first declared and observed in 2010 by then PM Manmohan Singh.
- Objective: To celebrate democratic decentralisation and empower rural local bodies as the "third tier" of government.
Structural Features of Panchayati Raj
- Three-Tier System:
- Gram Panchayat (Village level).
- Panchayat Samiti (Block level).
- Zila Parishad (District level).
- Functional Jurisdiction: The 11th Schedule of the Constitution lists 29 subjects (agriculture, health, education) under Panchayat control.
- Social Inclusion: Mandates a 33% reservation for women (increased to 50% in many states like Sikkim and Bihar) and proportional representation for SC/ST communities.
Digital & Modern Initiatives
- e-GramSwaraj: A unified portal for decentralized planning and transparent accounting.
- SVAMITVA Scheme: Uses drone mapping to provide property ownership cards (Record of Rights) to rural citizens.
- Panchayat NIRNAY: A digital application to record and maintain minutes of Gram Sabha meetings for better transparency.
- PANCHAM Chatbot: A recently launched AI tool (in collaboration with UNICEF) to assist Sarpanches with administrative queries in real-time.
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