National Panchayat Awards 2025

The Government of India has officially announced the winners of the National Panchayat Awards 2025, selecting 42 Panchayats from across the country for their outstanding achievements in local governance.

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj confirmed that the prestigious award distribution ceremony will take place in New Delhi on the 3rd of next month (June 3, 2026). 

State Performance Leaderboard

While Panchayats from across the nation were recognized, three states emerged at the forefront of this year’s awards:

• Karnataka: Secured the highest number of awards in the country with six selected Panchayats.
• Andhra Pradesh: Followed closely, securing five awards.
• Odisha: Tied for second place, also securing five awards.

Award Categories and Structure

The national honours are divided into two primary categories, aimed at promoting sustainable development and overall excellence at the grassroots level:

1. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar: This category recognises outstanding Gram Panchayats that have shown exemplary performance across themes linked directly to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These themes include:

• Poverty-free livelihoods
• Health and water sufficiency
• Sanitation and environmental protection
• Women-friendly governance and social justice

A total of 34 Gram Panchayats spanning 17 States and Union Territories have been selected for this honour.

2. Nanaji Deshmukh Sarvottam Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar: This category celebrates holistic excellence by rewarding the absolute best-performing Panchayats across three distinct administrative tiers:

• District level
• Block level
• Gram (village) level

Tripura’s Sepahijala was announced the Best District Panchayat under the the Nanaji Deshmukh Sarvottam Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar. It will receive  five crore rupees. 

Financial Incentives: To further boost local infrastructure and development, the winning Panchayats will receive substantial financial incentives. The prize money ranges from 50 lakh rupees to five crore rupees, depending on the specific category and the tier of the winning Panchayat.

Source: PIB