National Panchayati Raj Day 2021: Date, theme, history, significance, all you need to know

Ministry of Panchayati Raj commemorates the 24th April as the National Panchayati Raj Day (NPRD) every year.

National Panchayati Raj Day 2021: April 24 has been recognised as National Panchayati Raj Day. The annual celebration is done to commemorate the day on which the 73rd Constitutional Amendment was passed in 1992. The act came into effect on April 24, 1993. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had declared the first National Panchayati Raj Day on 24 April in the year 2010. National Panchayati Raj Day is celebrated to mark the inception of decentralised power.

A committee was formed in 1957 to focus on the evolution of Panchayati Raj in the country. The chairman of the committee was Balwantrai Mehta. The committee in its report recommended a decentralised three-layered Panchayati Raj system – Gram Panchayat at the Village level, Panchayat Samiti at the Block level and Zila Parishad at the District level.

The mission of the Panchayati Raj system is to empower, enable and establish accountable Panchayati Raj institutions to ensure inclusive development and efficient delivery of services along with social justice.

Ministry of Panchayati Raj commemorates the 24th April as the National Panchayati Raj Day (NPRD) every year. This occasion provides an opportunity for direct dialogue with Panchayat representatives from all over the country as well as recognizing their achievements to empower and motivate them further.

The Constitution of India recognizes Panchayats as ‘Institutions of self-government’. There are more than 2.6 lakh Panchayats at all three tiers in India. These Panchayats work towards the socio-economic developments of grass-root administrative units at the Village, Block and District level.

National Panchayati Raj Day 2021 is also a unique occasion to recognise the Panchayats for their exemplary work towards building an Aatma Nirbhar Bharat.

Though there is no particular theme for National Panchayati Raj Day, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj awards the best performing Panchayats every year across the country in recognition of their work for improving the lives of the rural public. Awards are given under various categories which include Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Sashaktikaran Puraskar (DDUPSP), Nanaji Deshmukh Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Puraskar (NDRGGSP), Child-friendly Gram Panchayat Award (CFGPA), Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) Award and e-Panchayat Puraskar (given to States/UTs only).

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj which deals with all matters relating to Panchayati Raj and Panchayati Raj institutions was formed in May 2004 to cater to the needs of the grassroots level of governance.