New Delhi, May 9: The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has announced the winners of the National Panchayat Awards 2025, selecting a total of 42 panchayats from across the country. Karnataka leads with six awards, while Andhra Pradesh and Odisha each secure five awards. The award ceremony is scheduled for June 3 in New Delhi.
These awards are given in two distinct categories. The Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Panchayat Sustainable Development Award recognizes outstanding gram panchayats that have excelled in localizing the nine themes of sustainable development goals. These themes include poverty alleviation and enhanced livelihoods, healthy panchayats, child-friendly panchayats, water-sufficient panchayats, clean and green panchayats, self-reliant infrastructure, socially just and secure panchayats, governance-oriented panchayats, and women-friendly panchayats. Awards are presented for ranks 1, 2, and 3 in each theme.
This year, 34 gram panchayats from 17 states and union territories have been selected, including joint winners. These theme-based awards are linked to the Panchayat Progress Index 2.0 scores. The Nanaji Deshmukh Best Panchayat Sustainable Development Award is given to panchayats that perform best overall at the district, block, and gram panchayat levels.
Under the National Panchayat Awards, eight panchayats have been chosen as winners, including three in the ‘Best District Panchayat’ category, two in the ‘Best Block Panchayat’ category, and three in the ‘Best Gram Panchayat’ category.
Winning panchayats receive financial incentives ranging from 5 million to 50 million rupees, depending on their tier and category. These awards are part of the ‘Incentives for Panchayats’ scheme, a key component of the centrally sponsored ‘National Gram Swaraj Abhiyan.’ In April 2025, on the occasion of ‘National Panchayati Raj Day-2025,’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi honored panchayats and institutions under a special category with the ‘National Panchayat Awards-2025.’
The special categories include the Climate Action Special Panchayat Award, the Self-Reliant Panchayat Special Award, and the Best Institution Award for Panchayat Capacity Building.
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj awards the ‘National Panchayat Awards’ annually to recognize and encourage the best-performing panchayats. These awards promote inclusive, participatory, and sustainable development in rural India. Established under the revised ‘National Gram Swaraj Abhiyan’ as part of the ‘Incentives for Panchayats’ component, these awards motivate panchayats to progress towards sustainable development goals through local governance, service delivery, and community-based initiatives.
In 2023, the award framework was revamped and linked to the nine themes of ‘localizing sustainable development goals.’ This has made the evaluation process more comprehensive, transparent, and data-driven, strengthening the role of panchayats in translating national priorities into effective grassroots actions towards ‘Developed India-2047.’
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