The National Panchayat Awards are a yearly initiative by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR). Government of India , to recognize and give praises and incentivize the outstanding capabilities and approach of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). These awards aim to improve and encourage transparency, accountability, innovation and effective governance at the grassroots level which in turn will strengthen democracy.
The Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) was launched on October 11, 2014, as a flagship rural development initiative to translate Mahatma Gandhi's vision of an ideal Indian village into contemporary reality. Each Member of Parliament adopts a Gram Panchayat under this program to direct its overall development, emphasizing social and infrastructure growth equally.
The Government of India introduced the "Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA)" in 2017. This initiative focuses on boosting digital literacy in rural regions. Around 7. 35 crore people signed up for the program, with 6. 39 crore receiving training, leading to 4. 78 crore earning certification. Comprehensive statistics categorized by States/UTs are presented at the end.
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj was established in 2004 under the Allocation of Business Rules, 1961, to monitor all matters related to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and District Planning Committees. The Panchayati Raj plays a crucial role in strengthening India's democratic framework by encouraging political participation at the grassroots level. Currently, there are approximately 2.6 lakh Panchayats across the country, which have 31.5 lakh elected representatives, with almost 46% being women. The system also encourages the inclusion of marginalised communities such as Scheduled Tribes (STs), Scheduled Castes (SCs), and Other Backwards Classes (OBCs) through provisions for reservation mentioned in the constitutional provision. The 73rd Constitutional Amendment mentioned that Panchayats were recognised as the third tier of governance, reinforcing the country’s commitment to decentralised and participatory democracy.
On 15th November 1985, the Ministry of Textiles was established as an independent ministry to oversee all aspects of the textile sector in India. It is responsible for formulating policies, planning, development, export promotion, and trade regulation for the textile industry in India.
A Gram Panchayat Development Plan is a comprehensive document outlining a village’s development goals and their strategies, focusing on economic, social and physical development. It is a bottom-up approach and is a participatory process where villagers, along with their elected representatives, identify their needs and priorities aiming for a more efficient use of their available resources.
In order to combat these issues and reinforce women as an equally capable labour force, the “Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana” (MKSP) was introduced. It is a sub-component of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission, which is under implementation since 2011 through State Rural Livelihoods Mission as Project Implementation Agencies (PIA).