National Panchayati Raj Day (NPRD), also known as National Local Self-Government Day, is annually observed in India on 24 April to recognise the establishment of the Panchayati Raj System and its significant role in decentralised governance at the grassroots.
- 24 April 2025 marks the observance of the 16th NPRD.
- NPRD 2025 marks 32 years since the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992, which granted constitutional status to Panchayats.
The NPRD is annually recognised by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR), the nodal ministry established in May 2004, which oversees all matters related to Panchayati Raj and PRIs.
Background:
i.The Government of India (GoI) decided in consultation with the States to celebrate 24 April as National Panchayati Raj Day (NPRD).
ii.In 2010, India’s then Prime Minister (PM), Dr. Manmohan Singh, officially declared 24 April of every year as National Panchayati Raj Day.
iii.The first-ever NPRD was observed on 24 April 2010.
Why 24 April?
i.24 April marks the institutionalisation of Panchayati Raj through the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992, which came into effect in 1993.
ii.The 73rd Amendment of 1992 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.
iii.The day commemorates the establishment of India’s first Panchayati Raj system with constitutional recognition in 1993.
Panchayati Raj System in India:
i.The Panchayati Raj System in India is a system of local self-government, particularly for villages in rural areas.
- It aims to bring governance closer to the people and empower local communities.
ii.It’s a three-tiered administrative structure consisting of Gram Panchayats (GPs) (village level), Panchayat Samitis (block level), and Zilla Parishads (district level).
iii.Panchayat Raj system promotes decentralised governance by empowering local institutions to make decisions and implement policies.
2025 Events:
i.On 24 April 2025, the main event of the NPRD was held at Lohna Uttar Gram Panchayat (GP), Jhanjharpur Block, Madhubani District, Bihar, in collaboration with the Government of Bihar.
ii.PM Narendra Modi graced the event as the Chief Guest and addressed PRIs and Gram Sabhas nationwide. He also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation multiple development projects worth over Rs 13,480 crore.
- Various dignitaries attended the event, including Bihar Chief Minister (CM) Nitish Kumar and Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, alias Lalan Singh, MoPR.
iii.The NPRD 2025 was observed as a major national program through a Whole of Government approach, with participation from 6 Union Ministries, namely the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoH&UA), Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoP&NG), Ministry of Power (MoP), Ministry of Railways (MoR), and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
Special Category National Panchayat Awards 2025:
During the event, PM Narendra Modi conferred the National Panchayat Awards (Special Categories) 2025, recognising and incentivising best-performing Panchayats.
- For the first time, the MoPR has institutionalized Special Category National Panchayat Awards to recognise exemplary efforts in Climate Action, Atmanirbharta (Self-Reliance), Capacity Building aligned with Localisation of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs).
Award Categories:
The awards have been introduced to acknowledge outstanding
contributions by Panchayats/ Institutions in key national priority areas:
i.Climate Action Special Panchayat Award (CASPA) – for climate-responsive governance
ii.Atma Nirbhar Panchayat Special Award (ANPSA) – for augmenting Own Source Revenue (OSR) by Panchayats
iii.Panchayat Kshamta Nirman Sarvottam Sansthan Puraskar (PKNSSP) – for excellence in capacity building of PRIs.
- The PKNSSP award was instituted by the MoPR in 2023, and the first awards were conferred in 2024.
Prize Money:
Each award includes a financial incentive of Rs. 1 crore (Rank 1), Rs. 75 lakh (Rank 2), and Rs. 50 lakh (Rank 3) respectively. The awardees will be presented with specially designed trophies and certificates.
Awardees – 2025:
| Category | Rank | Gram Panchayats (GPs) & Institutions | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Climate Action Special Panchayat Award (CASPA) | 1 | Dawwa S GP | Gondia, Maharashtra |
| 2 | Bidarahalli GP | Hassan, Karnataka | |
| 3 | Motipur GP | Samastipur, Bihar | |
| Atma Nirbhar Panchayat Special Award (ANPSA) | 1 | Mall GP | Rangareddy, Telangana |
| 2 | Hatbadra GP | Mayurbhanj, Odisha | |
| 3 | Gollapudi GP | Krishna, Andhra Pradesh | |
| Panchayat Kshamta Nirman Sarvottam Sansthan Puraskar (PKNSSP) | 1 | Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA) | Kerala |
| 2 | State Institute for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (SIRD & PR) | Odisha | |
| 3 | State Institute of Panchayat and Rural Development (SIPRD) | Assam |
Note: 3 of the award-winning 6 GPs are led by women Sarpanches—from Bihar, Maharashtra, and Odisha.
Key Welfare Initiatives:
The PM launched several infrastructure initiatives:
i.A Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) bottling plant with a rail facility at Hathua in Gopalganj District of Bihar (Rs 340 crore) to streamline the supply chain and improve the efficiency of bulk LPG transportation.
ii.To boost power infrastructure in the region, the PM laid the foundation stone for projects worth over Rs 1,170 crore and inaugurated multiple projects worth over Rs 5,030 crore in the power sector in Bihar under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).
iii.To boost rail connectivity across India, the PM flagged off Amrit Bharat (AB) Express between Saharsa (Bihar) and Mumbai (Maharashtra), Namo Bharat Rapid rail between Jaynagar and Patna of Bihar, and trains between Pipra and Saharsa and Saharsa and Samastipur of Bihar.
iv.He also inaugurated the Supaul Pipra rail line, Hasanpur Bithan Rail line, and two 2-lane Rail over bridges at Chapra and Bagaha. He dedicated the Khagaria-Alauli Rail line to improve connectivity.
Financial Disbursement:
i.The PM distributed benefits of around Rs 930 crore under the Community Investment Fund (CIF) to over 2 lakh Self Help Groups (SHGs) from Bihar under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY- NRLM).
ii.He handed over sanction letters to 15 lakh new beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana Gramin (PMAY-G) and released instalments to 10 lakh PMAY-G beneficiaries from across the country.
iii.He also handed over keys to some beneficiaries, marking the Grih Pravesh of 1 lakh PMAY-G and 54,000 Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U) houses in Bihar.
Event by QCI:
i.The Quality Council of India (QCI), in collaboration with the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS), celebrated Panchayati Raj Diwas with a thematic program titled ‘Leadership for Swachh & Sujal Grams’.
ii.The event was held under the Sarpanch Samvaad initiative, a QCI-led platform for empowering grassroots governance in rural transformation.
iii.The event was graced by Ashok K.K. Meena, Secretary of the Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation, MoJS; Jaxay Shah, Chairperson of QCI; Chakravarthy T. Kannan, Secretary General of QCI; and Himanshu Patel, Co-opted Member, Governing Body of QCI.
About the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR):
Union Minister– Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh) (Constituency – Munger, Bihar)
Minister of State (MoS)– S. P. Singh Baghel (Constituency – Agra, Uttar Pradesh, UP)
