National Panchayati Raj Day Context: National Panchayati Raj Day is observed annually on April 24th. This day commemorates the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act (1992), which came into effect in 1993. The amendment granted constitutional status to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), marking a significant milestone toward decentralization and participatory democracy in India. The Panchayati Raj system is based on traditional Indian village self-governance structures like Sabhas and Samitis. In modern India, it was first recommended by the Balwant Rai Mehta Committee in 1957. Rajasthan became the first state to implement this system in 1959. The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act later provided constitutional status to PRIs and added Part IX to the Constitution. It established a three-tier structure: Gram Panchayat at the village level, Panchayat Samiti (or Block Panchayat) at the intermediate level, and Zilla Parishad at the district level. The first National Panchayati Raj Day was celebrated in 2010, under the leadership of then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Digital Transformation of Panchayati Raj Institutions eGramSwaraj: Used for planning, budgeting, accounting, and integration with the Public Financial Management System (PFMS). More than 2.55 lakh Panchayats are connected to this portal, with transactions exceeding ₹53,000 crore. SabhaSaar: An Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered tool that automatically records the proceedings of Gram Sabha meetings. It supports 23 Indian languages and is currently used in over one lakh Panchayats. Meri Panchayat App: Enhances citizen participation and transparency in local governance. Gram Urja Swaraj: Helps track renewable energy assets at the Panchayat level and aids in data-driven rural energy planning. SVAMITVA Scheme Launched in 2021 to provide legal ownership of rural properties by mapping inhabited areas using drone and GIS technology. It aims to reduce land disputes and enable rural citizens to use their property as a financial asset. Over 3.10 crore property cards have been issued under this…
