Context: The President of India conferred the National Panchayat Awards upon 45 awardees, selected across various categories, recognizing their exemplary contributions to the themes of sustainable and inclusive development, in New Delhi
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- The National Panchayat Awards, usually celebrated on April 24th each year, mark the enactment of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act (1992), which granted Panchayats constitutional recognition.
- 45 Panchayats were honored for their outstanding contributions to rural development in the National Panchayat Awards 2024 ceremony.
- A booklet titled ‘Best Practices on Works of Awardee Panchayats’ was launched, showcasing the impactful initiatives of the winners.
- The main goal of the awards is to recognize the role of Panchayats in rural India’s socio-economic development and encourage others to adopt best practices for sustainable growth.
- In 2022, the awards were revamped to align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), using the Localization of SDGs (LSDGs) approach.
- Panchayats were evaluated on 9 key development themes, such as poverty reduction, health, water sufficiency, and gender equality.
- The awards highlighted Panchayats’ work in poverty alleviation, health, water conservation, sanitation, and climate sustainability.
- Selection Process: The Panchayats were assessed on their performance in 9 thematic areas aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This process was conducted at multiple levels, from Block to National.
- Women Leadership: A total of 1.94 lakh Gram Panchayats participated, and 42% of the award-winning Panchayats were led by women, demonstrating the importance of gender inclusion in rural governance.
- Top States: Tripura and Odisha received the highest recognition.
Awardees from Uttar Pradesh:
- Milak Amawati village of Moradabad district has been awarded the National Panchayat Award 2024.
- This village has received this award as a carbon-neutral special panchayat.
- It has secured third position in the country.
- Bharataul village of Bareilly district has been selected for the National Award in the category of Child-Friendly Panchayat.
- Bharataul has secured second position in the country.
Important Awardees:
Key Achievements of Awardees of 2024
| Award Name | Description | Awardees |
| Carbon Neutral Vishesh Panchayat Puraskar | Recognizes Gram Panchayats for achieving net-zero carbon emissions, emphasizing climate sustainability in rural governance. | Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh |
| Gram Urja Swaraj Vishesh Panchayat Puraskar | Awarded to Panchayats for remarkable contributions to renewable energy adoption, promoting sustainable energy practices at the grassroots level. | Maharashtra, Odisha, Tripura |
| Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar (DDUPSVP) | Recognizes 27 Gram Panchayats for exceptional performance across 9 LSDG themes, including poverty alleviation, health, education, and good governance. | Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Ladakh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh |
| Panchayat Kshamta Nirmaan Sarvottam Sansthan Puraskar | Honors institutions for their exceptional support to Panchayats in implementing the Localization of SDGs. | Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha |
| Nanaji Deshmukh Sarvottam Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar | Awarded to 9 Panchayats for overall excellence in implementing all themes of the LSDGs. | 9 Awardee Panchayats |