National Panchayati Raj Day
Topic: Panchayati Raj: Rural Local Government · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
National Panchayati Raj Day is observed on 24 April every year, and has been since 2010. It marks the day the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act came into force in 1993. That amendment gave panchayats constitutional status by adding Part IX and the Eleventh Schedule. The government often uses the day to launch panchayat schemes and release rankings.
Example
e-Gram Swaraj (a portal for panchayat planning and accounts) and the SVAMITVA scheme (drone mapping of village land for property cards) were both launched on 24 April 2020. PAI 2.0, which ranks gram panchayats, was released on 24 April 2026.
Don't confuse with
- Date of assent (20 April 1993): the President signed the 73rd Amendment on this day. The day it came into force, 24 April 1993, is the one that is observed.
- 74th Amendment (municipalities): it came into force on 1 June 1993, not 24 April.
Related concepts
- 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act 1992
- Compulsory and voluntary provisions of the 73rd Amendment
- Gram sabha
- Mahila sabha
- Three-tier panchayat system