National Panchayati Raj Day (NPRD), (also known as National Local Self-Government Day) is annually observed across India on 24 April to recognise and honour the establishment of the Panchayati Raj System and its pivotal role in decentralised governance at the grassroots.
- 24 April 2024 marks the observance of the 15th National Panchayati Raj Day.
The observance of NPRD is led by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR).
Significance:
i.NPRD underscores the significance of decentralised governance in promoting inclusive and sustainable development.
ii.The day marks the establishment of the 1st Panchayati Raj system with constitutional status in India in 1993.
Background:
i.In consultation with the States, the Government of India (GoI) has decided to celebrate 24th April as National Panchayati Raj Day (NPRD).
ii.In 2010, then Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh declared the 24th April of every year as National Panchayati Raj Day.
iii.The first ever NPRD was observed on 24th April 2010.
Why April 24?
i.The day commemorates the institutionalisation of the Panchayati Raj in India through the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992, which came into force on 24 April 1993.
ii.The Constitution Amendment Act added a new Part IX to the Indian Constitution titled “The Panchayats.”
- It accorded Panchayat a constitutional status, as an institution of self-government constituted under Article 243B, for the rural areas.
Panchayati Raj System in India:
i.It is a system of local self-government for villages in rural India.
ii.The Panchayati Raj system is known as India’s three-tiered administrative structure.
iii.It is a decentralised governance, where local bodies or Gram Panchayats are empowered through self-governance and independence in decision-making.
iv.The MoPR created in May 2004 oversees all matters relating to the Panchayati Raj and Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).
v.MoPR is dedicated to empowering grassroots governance and accelerating progress on the Localization of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs) across rural India.
National Panchayat Awards:
i.The MoPR launched the National Panchayat Awards in 2011 to recognise and incentivise the exemplary performance of Panchayats across India.
- The awards are given on National Panchayati Raj Day celebrated on the 24th of April every year.
ii.These awards, revamped in 2022, aligned with 9 LSDG themes, aggregating 17 SDGs.
Categories of Awards:
Awards at the National Level will be given to Gram, Block, and District Panchayats under 2 categories:
i.Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar (DDUPSVP): For individual theme-wise performance.
ii.Nanaji Deshmukh Sarvottam Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar: For aggregate performance under all themes.
2024 Event:
MoPR organised a National Colloquium on “Governance at the Grassroots after Three Decades of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment” on 24th April 2024, at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, Delhi in observance of NPRD 2024.
Key People:
Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary of MoPR and Shailesh Kumar Singh, Secretary of the Department of Rural Development(MoRD) inaugurated the event in the presence of Chandra Shekhar Kumar, Additional Secretary of MoPR, among others.
Objective: To facilitate dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders, including officials, the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRD & PR), State Institute for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (SIRD & PR), etc.
Purpose and Focus:
i.The Colloquium offered a platform for assessing achievements, identifying challenges, and exploring opportunities for enhancing grassroots governance.
ii.Discussions focused on the evolution of principles of Good Governance in rural areas and strengthening PRIs for effective public service delivery.
About Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR):
Union Minister– Giriraj Singh (Constituency: Begusarai, Bihar)
Minister of State– Kapil Moreshwar Patil (Constituency: Bhiwandi, Maharashtra)
