The Ministry of Panchayati Raj organized a national event to observe National Panchayati Raj Day in New Delhi today, marking 33 years of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, that accorded constitutional status to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) across India. Elected representatives of Gram Panchayats as well as officials from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand participated in the national event.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, greeted public representatives across the country on the occasion of Panchayati Raj Day. "Your dedication to public service and service to the nation is truly inspiring for everyone” Shri Modi remarked. Prime Minister’s written message, was read out at the national event and widely disseminated to elected representatives and functionaries of PRIs and Rural Local Bodies across all States and Union Territories.

Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj Prof. S. P. Singh Baghel addressed the gathering and reaffirmed that PRIs form the backbone of India’s sustainable development in rural areas. He stressed that empowering Panchayats is central to realising the vision of Viksit Bharat, rooted in the development of villages, farmers and local communities. While highlighting the positive impact of capacity building programmes, he stated that it has led to visible transformation in leadership and decision-making among elected representatives, particularly women. He also commended the role of transparent governance mechanisms and direct benefit transfers in strengthening service delivery at the grassroots level. Prof. Baghel called upon all Panchayat representatives to uphold the values of service, integrity, and development-oriented leadership, and expressed confidence that a strong Panchayati Raj system is the surest foundation for a self-reliant India.

Shri Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj highlighted the significant financial empowerment of Rural Local Bodies through the recommendations of the Sixteenth Finance Commission. He noted that the recommended grant represents an increase of nearly 84 per cent over the allocations under the Fifteenth Finance Commission, reflecting a decisive strengthening of fiscal federalism in favour of the third tier of government. Shri Bharadwaj elaborated on the 80:20 ratio between Basic Grants and Performance Grants, that balances assured resource flows with incentives for improved own-source revenue mobilisation, financial discipline and quality of local governance. He drew attention to the Performance Grant provision recommended by the 16^th Finance Commission i.e. linked to mobilization of Own Sources of Revenue by the Panchayats and called upon PRIs to take concrete steps to mobilize and augment their own Sources of Revenue to get Performance Grants.

Additional Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj Shri Sushil Kumar Lohani reflected on three decades of Panchayati Raj since the 73rd Amendment, emphasising the role of structured capacity building, training programmes and exposure visits in strengthening local leadership. He highlighted the contribution of digital platforms such as e-GramSwaraj, SabhaSaar in advancing efficiency, transparency and accountability while encouraging greater participation in Gram Sabhas to deepen self-reliant governance.

On this occasion, the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2.0 Report for FY 2023-24 was released. PAI is  India’s first nationwide data-driven framework to assess Gram Panchayat performance across nine themes under Localisation of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs). A significantly refined version of its predecessor, PAI 2.0 has rationalised indicators from 516 to 150 and recorded an exceptional participation of 97.30 per cent of Gram Panchayats across 33 States and Union Territories, a marked improvement over the 80.79 per cent achieved under PAI Version 1.0. The Index serves as a key tool for evidence-based planning, performance monitoring, and incentivisation of Panchayats, directly advancing the vision of Viksit Panchayats steering towards Viksit Bharat. During the event, three illustrated publications under the Panchayat Dharohar Initiative were also released, comprising a Monograph on Rural Heritage of Tripura, a Monograph on Rural Heritage of Tirupati, and ‘Uttarkashi: Saumya Kashi: The Soul of Himalayan Heritage’. Panchayati Raj Diwas was observed nationwide at State, District, Block and Gram Panchayat levels with Gram Sabhas being held, reaffirming the spirit of participatory democracy.

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Aditi Agrawal