National Panchayati Raj Day

National Panchayati Raj Day

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj in collaboration with the Government of Madhya Pradesh commemorated National Panchayati Raj Day (NPRD).

Major Highlights of the Day

• The Prime Minister inaugurated an integrated e-GramSwaraj and GeM portal for public procurement at the Panchayat level.
• The integration aims at enabling panchayats to market their goods and services through GeM leveraging the e-GramSwaraj platform.
• The Prime Minister handed over SVAMITVA Property Card to select beneficiaries, symbolizing the attainment of the milestone of 1.25 crore property cards distribution under the SVAMITVA Scheme in the country.

About National Panchayati Raj Day

• It is celebrated on April 24 every year in India to commemorate the historic day when the Panchayati Raj System was introduced in the country.
• This system was introduced in 1993 by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, which aimed at bringing democracy at the grassroots level and empowering people in rural areas.

Significance

• The Panchayati Raj System has been instrumental in bringing about significant changes in the rural landscape of India.
• It has given people in rural areas a voice and an opportunity to participate in the decision-making process, leading to the overall development of their respective areas.
• The system has been successful in bringing about socio-economic development, promoting social justice, and empowering women in rural areas.

SVAMITVA Scheme

• It aims to provide “Records of Rights”/ Property Cards to rural household owners of the inhabited area of the village.
• It covers multifarious aspects viz. facilitating monetisation of properties and enabling bank loans; reducing property-related disputes; comprehensive village-level planning.
• It will further enhance the socio-economic profile of the Panchayats, making them self-sustainable.

Practice Questions for Prelims

Consider the following statements about SVAMITVA Scheme:
1. It is a central sector scheme
2. Survey of India is a technology implementation agency
3. Ministry of Panchayati Raj is the nodal ministry.

Choose the correct code:
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) All of the above

Ans. d)

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