Question : What are schemes for Rural Local Bodies development ?

NOTES ON GRAMA PANCHAYATS (for G S 

Papers) {Prepared on 10.12.2025 } 

For Study purpose only 

NB: For any doubts clarification, please refer to the recommended text books 

TOPIC : GRAM PANCHAYTS (with questions 

for 

UPSC(CSE)(Prelims) Exams. ,2026 

Introduction: 

1)Panchayat, being “Local Government”, is a State subject and part of the State list of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India. 

2)Thus, the primary responsibility of providing dedicated office infrastructure for Gram Panchayats and internet connectivity in Panchayats lies with States/UTs. 

3)The Gram Panchayat (GP) Bhawan functions as the office for Panchayats to carry out its various administrative functions. 

4)The States/ UTs have to ensure the Gram Panchayat Bhawan is functional, with provisions such as public seating, space for Gram Sabha meetings, information walls, multifunctional rooms etc. to support effective governance and community use. 

Question:What is RGSA ? 

Ans: Under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA), the Ministry supplements the efforts of States/UTs including Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in building Panchayat infrastructure and computers and peripherals, at a limited scale, with particular focus on the North Eastern States. Further, Ministry with its limited resources under RGSA, attempted a saturation approach for supporting Gram Panchayat Bhawans and computerization. 

Gram Panchayat Bhavans :

With regard to Gram Panchayat Bhawans, the focus was on approving GP Bhawan for Panchayats having a population of over 3,000 but lacking their own building. Under the scheme of RGSA, construction of 13342 Gram Panchayat Bhawans has been approved to different States/UTs including 1273 and 500 Gram Panchayat Bhawans to the State of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, respectively. Similarly, procurement of 55,587 computers has been approved under the scheme including 3145 and 4,267 Computers to the State of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, respectively. The State/UT-wise details of Gram Panchayat Bhawans and computers approved under RGSA is given below. District-wise information is not maintained centrally. 

Internet: 

All Gram Panchayats are accessing internet services either through private service providers or via the BharatNet project. As a result, all GPs are using e-GramSwaraj portal for carrying out a wide range of functions and activities. Further, to attain the vision of Digital India, the BharatNet project is being implemented by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in a phased manner to provide broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats in the country. So far, 2.18 lakh GPs/ Traditional Local Bodies (TLBs) have been made service-ready for providing high-speed internet services under the BharatNet project. Additionally, to improve digital connectivity, the Amended BharatNet Programme was approved by the Cabinet on 04.08.2023 for the upgradation of the existing network of BharatNet Phase-I and Phase-II and the creation of a network in the remaining Gram Panchayats. 

Under the scheme of RGSA, procurement of 3,145 computers was approved for the State of Uttar Pradesh. So far, the State/ UTs of Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Manipur, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Andaman & Nicobar Island, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu and Ladakh have reported that there are no Gram Panchayats are without computers. 

e-Panchayat Mission: 

Ministry is implementing the e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project (MMP) under RGSA for e-enablement of Panchayats to improve service delivery, transparency, and administrative efficiency. The eGramSwaraj application, developed as part of the e-Panchayat MMP, has facilitated digital planning, accounting, monitoring, and online payments at Panchayat level. The integration of eGramSwaraj with the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) enables real-time payments to vendors and service providers, ensuring seamless fund flow and reducing delays. Additionally, the Ministry has integrated eGramSwaraj with the Government eMarketplace (GeM) to bring transparency at Panchayat level procurement. This integration allows Panchayats to procure goods and services through GeM via the eGramSwaraj platform. Further, an application of ‘AuditOnline’ has been developed for online audits of Panchayat accounts and their financial

management. All the Panchayats of the State of Uttar Pradesh are on-boarded on eGramSwaraj. Out of 58,596 Panchayats in the State of Uttar Pradesh, 58562 Panchayats have prepared and uploaded their Panchayat Development Plan (PDP) on eGramSwaraj portal. 

Other applications developed by the Ministry like Meri Panchayat has endeavored to bring transparency in Panchayat Governance by making information on planning, activities and progress of works in Panchayat accessible to public. Similarly, Panchayat NIRNAY is an online application which aims to bring transparency and better management in conduct of Gram Sabhas by Panchayats. 

Model Panchayat Citizens' Charter and Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs): 

The Ministry has introduced the Model Panchayat Citizens' Charter, aligning local actions with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This framework guides Panchayats in delivering services in a time bound manner while addressing citizens' grievances effectively. The campaign "Meri Panchayat, Mera Adhikaar – Jan Sevaayein Hamaare Dwaar," conducted in 2021, reinforced these efforts. So far, 2.15 lakh Gram Panchayats have uploaded their Citizens’ Charters, offering 954 services, including 33 services of Uttar Pradesh. 

Question: What is SWAMITA in Uttar Pradesh ? 

Ans: Under SVAMITVA Scheme, in Uttar Pradesh, drone survey has been completed in 90,573 targeted abadi villages and 1.08 crore property cards have been prepared in 70,958 villages which are linked to State’s revenue records . Ministry of Panchayati Raj does not maintain district-wise data of property cards linked to central financial platforms to ensure access to formal credit. The Government has assessed the technical accuracy of the boundaries of property parcels created under the SVAMITVA Scheme. Survey of India (SoI) carries out the drone-based large-scale mapping (LSM) using survey grade drones and CORS network to ensure positional accuracy of upto 5 cms for the abadi properties. Local error correction is undertaken through a ground verification process with the involvement of Gram Panchayat representatives, property owners, and revenue officials. Parcel boundary lines are validated on ground and corrections, if any, are incorporated before finalization of the property maps and issuance of property cards. 

Ministry of Panchayati Raj has no plans to create a National Rural Property Database by integrating SVAMITVA data with other Central registries

Question : What are schemes for Rural Local Bodies development ? 

Ans: 

Schemes/Initiatives

Objectives

Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA)  Incentivization of Panchayats (IoP), a central component of the RGSA scheme  Mission Mode Project on e-Panchayats  (MMP-ePanchayat), a central component of the RGSA scheme,

To strengthen Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) through capacity building and training of the Elected Representatives (ERs) and their functionaries, and providing infrastructural support like construction of Gram Panchayat Bhawan and computerization.  To promote healthy competition among PRIs by recognising and rewarding best-performing Panchayats for their achievements in service delivery, public welfare, and recently—their progress toward Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  To fund various e-governance projects to develop digital solutions to promote digitalization of Panchayats, bringing efficiency, accountability, and transparency to the functioning of PRIs and contributing to their overall transformation.

Central Sector Scheme of Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas (SVAMITVA)

To provide Record of Rights to households owning residential properties in villages through drone-based surveys. Property cards are issued with the broader aim of reducing disputes and ensuring clear land ownership.

Recent Major Initiatives 

Enablement of Panchayats to Mobilize Own Sources of Revenue

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is actively working in collaboration with the States to augment OSR generation in PRIs by facilitating the formulation of relevant rules. The Ministry has developed the Samarth digital application for tax demand generation and collection at the PRI level and is collaborating with Institutions like IIM on capacity-building modules.

Leadership/  Management  Development  Programme (MDP) for Panchayati Raj Intuitions (PRIs)

The Leadership/ Management Development Programme (MDP) for Elected Representativeness and officials of Panchayats with the institute of Excellence such as Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA), etc. has been started with the major objective of honing the essential leadership skills, including but not limited to communication, decision-making, and conflict resolution, thereby nurturing effective leadership qualities of the Panchayats.

Long-Term Domestic Training Programmes for higher Learning of Panchayat Officials

Ministry of Panchayat Raj has taken initiative for the “Funding for Long-Term Domestic Training Programmes” for upto one year of duration for officials of PRIs and Panchayati Raj Department in the States/UTs under the State component of RGSA. The move aims at ensuring that the officials receive advanced, sector-specific training from Institutes of Excellence which will upgrade their skill set for better service delivery at the grassroots.

Residential Foundation Training Programme up to 45 days under RGSA for the Newly Recruited Functionaries of PRIs:

Ministry is supporting Residential Foundation Training Programme at State/UT level for up to 45 days for the newly recruited functionaries of PRIs, including Block Development Officers, Panchayat Development Officers, Panchayat Secretaries, Village Extension Officers, Accountants, Tax Collectors, Rozgar Sahayaks, Panchayat Engineering Cadre officials, Gram Sevaks/Sevikas and other officials recruited specifically for serving in the PRIs.

Centre of Excellence on PESA  (For PESA States such as Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana)

Towards strengthening the local self-governance in tribal areas and effective implementation of the Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA-1996), Centre of Excellence on PESA has been established in the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Amarakantak, Madhya Pradesh under the aegis of Ministry of Panchayati Raj for capacity building of tribal leaders, preservation & promotion of customary law and practices and strengthening institutional support and research.

Model Youth Gram Sabha

To foster awareness and participation among the youth in grassroots democracy and the Panchayati Raj system by simulating the functioning of Gram Sabhas within educational institutions, the initiative has been launched encouraging the school students to participate and learn the functioning of the rural local governance and instil democratic values of inclusivity and equity, and build leadership and critical thinking skills. It also seeks to enhance awareness about local governance and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), thereby empowering students to contribute meaningfully to national development.

Meri Panchayat Application	Meri Panchayat App is a Mobile Governance (m-Governance) App developed to make information, aggregated from different portals of this Ministry pertaining to functioning of Gram Panchayats, easily accessible to public.
Gram Panchayat Level Weather Forecasting	The Gram Panchayat level weather forecasting initiative, developed in collaboration between with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) and the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), provides Gram Panchayats with weather forecast on temperature, rainfall, wind speed, cloud cover, humidity with a five-day weather forecast and hourly updates.
eGramSwaraj-BHASHIN I integration	This integration allows eGramSwaraj to provide services in 22 scheduled languages of India through Bhashini’s AI-powered translation, making local-language accessibility a reality for users across India.
SabhaSaar	To make Gram Sabha documentation faster, easier, and in a structured format, an AI-enabled application-"SabhaSaar" has been developed and launched on 14.08.2025 to automatically generate Minutes of Meetings (MoM) from audio and video recordings of Gram Sabha meetings.

Citizen Charter and Service Delivery by PRIs

Citizen Charter, has since been extended to the Gram Panchayat with the prime emphasis on ease of living. In 2021, the Model Citizen Charter was launched to standardize service delivery across Panchayats by setting clear service standards, time limits, grievance redress mechanisms, and citizen scrutiny.

Question: 15th Finance Commission for Rural Local Bodies :

Ans: 

The Union Government has released funds to the States under the Fifteenth Finance Commission (15th FC) grants for the Rural Local Bodies (RLBs) during the financial year 2024-2025 and 2025-26 to the eligible gram panchayats, block panchayats, and district panchayats in the States. 

The grants under the 15th FC are released to the RLBs based on the Grant Transfer Certificate (GTC) submitted by the States &the fulfillment of all the mandatory eligibility conditions by the RLBs and the States as stipulated in the Operational Guidelines for implementation of the 15thFinance Commission Rural Local Body grants issued by the Finance Ministry