Panchayats are recognised as ‘Institutions of self government’ by the Indian Constitution. 2.51 lakh Panchayats, including 2.39 lakh Gram Panchayats, 6904 Block Panchayats, and 589 District Panchayats, are present in our nation. More than 29 lakh Panchayat members are present. The 15th Finance Commission has suggested Rs. 2,36,805 crore for rural local bodies (RLBs)/panchayats for the fiscal year 2021-26.
Even though the Panchayati Raj Institutions have been around for a while, it has been noted that they have not been able to achieve the status and dignity of viable and responsive people’s bodies for a number of reasons, including the lack of regular elections, protracted super sessions, inadequate representation of weaker groups like women and Scheduled Castes and Tribes, inadequate devolution of power, and a lack of financial resources.
Panchayati Raj institutions now have constitutional legitimacy thanks to the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992, which went into effect on April 24, 1993. Thus, this day is significant in the history of the devolution of political authority to the people.
The 73rd Amendment has a highly noticeable effect on rural India since it permanently altered power dynamics. As a result, the Indian Government decided to designate April 24 as National Panchayati Raj Day after consulting with the States. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is serving as the focal point of the celebration.
Since 2010, the National Panchayati Raj Day (NPRD) has been observed on April 24.
What Are The 73rd Constitutional Amendment’s Salient Features
The Part IX of the Constitution titled “The Panchayats” was added by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment.
Gram Sabhas (villages) are the basic unit of the democratic system, consisting of all adult members who are registered to vote. Except in States with a population of less than 20 lakh, there is a three-tier system of panchayats at the village, intermediate block/taluk/mandal, and district levels (Article 243B). Direct elections must be used to fill all positions (Article 243C (2)).
National Panchayati Raj Day 2023’s theme
Panchayaton ke Sankalpon ki Siddhi ka Utsav (पंचायतों के संकल्पों की सिद्धि का उत्सव ) is the theme of National Panchayati Raj Day in 2023. As part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM) 2.0, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj will observe National Panchayat Awards Week from April 17 through April 21, 2023, leading up to National Panchayati Raj Day (April 24, 2023).
Awards Presented on this Day
In honour of their hard work, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has been honouring the best performing Panchayats/States/UTs across the country. Awards are given in a number of categories, including:
Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Sashaktikaran Puraskar,
Nanaji Deshmukh Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Puraskar,
Child-friendly Gram Panchayat Award,
Gram Panchayat Development Plan Award and
e-Panchayat Puraskar (given to States/UTs only).
Grants from Finance Commissions
More funds have been allocated to states by succeeding Finance Commissions for distribution among PRIs, as follows:
Tenth Finance Commission (1995-2000): Rs.4380.93 crore
Eleventh Finance Commission (2000-2005): Rs.8000.00 crore
Twelfth Finance Commission (2005-2010): Rs.20,000.00 crore
Thirteenth Finance Commission (2010-15): Rs.65160.71crore
Fourteenth Finance Commission (2015-2020): Rs.2,00,292.20 crore
Fifteenth Finance Commission (2020-2026): Rs.2,97,555.00 crore
Integration Of Beneficial Details With E-Gramswaraj
The Ministry Of Panchayati Raj Has Been Working To Integrate Beneficiary Information From Several Union Ministries/Departments With The E-Gramswaraj Application In Order To Increase Transparency And Empower Panchayats. The Material Will Be Made Available To Gram Panchayats So They Can Read It Aloud During Gram Sabhas So The General Public Can Verify It. A Significant Step Towards Establishing Accountability Through Digitization And Public Involvement Would Be This Verification.
Capacity Building Of Panchayati Raj Institutions
One of the main initiatives of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) has been the capacity building of PRIs. In order to improve PRIs, the Ministry has been offering programmatic, technical, and institutional support, as well as advocacy support for inter-ministerial and multi-sectoral coordination. Increasing devolution to PRIs, addressing local governance issues, and outreach aimed at bolstering rural India are all covered under the umbrella of capacity building. The following sections provide descriptions of some of the significant initiatives made to help PRIs increase their capacity:
(a)Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA): From 2018-19 to 2021-22, the RGSA was implemented as a centrally sponsored scheme. A total of Rs. 2149.09 crore was made available, and more than 1.42 crore elected representatives, functionaries, and other Panchayat stakeholders received a variety of training.
(b)Revamped Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (2022-23 to 2025-26): Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Revamped RGSA approved by Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 13.04.2022 for implementation from 01.04.2022 to 31.03.2026 (co-terminus with XV Finance Commission period) at a total cost of Rs.5911 crore including Central Share of Rs.3700 crore and State share of Rs.2211 crore.
The scheme of the Revamped RGSA focuses on reimagining Panchayati Raj Institutions as dynamic hubs of local self-government with a special focus on localising the Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs) at the grassroots level by adopting thematic approach through concerted and collaborative efforts of Central Ministries and State Line departments as well as other stakeholders with a “Whole of Government and Whole of Society” approach.
Coverage: The Revamped RGSA will apply to all states and union territories (UTs) in the United States. Wherever the term “Panchayats” is used in these rules, it refers to institutions of rural local administration outside of Part IX districts.
Funding pattern: The system includes both central and state components. The Government of India has provided whole funding for the scheme’s major components. Except for NE, Hilly States, and UT of J&K, where Central and State share is 90:10, the funding pattern for State Components is in the ratio of 60:40 between the Centre and States, respectively. The Central share is 100% for the other UTs.