Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj S. P. Singh Baghel will commence the National Panchayati Raj Day celebrations in New Delhi on Friday. This day, observed annually on April 24, marks the enactment of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, granting constitutional status to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in India. This year commemorates 33 years since this significant milestone in India’s democratic journey.
At Vigyan Bhawan, a Report on Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI)-2.0 and three books on ‘Meri Panchayat Meri Dharohar’ will be unveiled during the event. The Ministry’s ‘Panchayat Dharohar Initiative’ will release three illustrated publications on rural heritage, including a Monograph on Rural Heritage of Tripura, a Monograph on Rural Heritage of Tirupati, and ‘Uttarkashi: Saumya Kashi: The Soul of Himalayan Heritage’.
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has planned extensive celebrations of National Panchayati Raj Day at various levels across the country, from State to Gram Panchayat levels. Gram Panchayats will conduct Gram Sabha meetings to reinforce participatory democracy at the grassroots. This day serves as a platform to acknowledge the role of the three-tier Panchayati Raj system in propelling progress towards Viksit Bharat.
In the previous year, PM Modi oversaw the distribution of property cards under the SVAMITVA Scheme in January 2025, providing legal ownership documents to 65 lakh rural citizens in a single day. This initiative covered over 50,000 villages in 10 States and 2 Union Territories, bringing the total number of property cards distributed under SVAMITVA to 2.25 crore. The event saw the participation of Union Ministers, Chief Ministers, Governors, Lieutenant Governors, and representatives from 237 Districts.
