In this video:
Sushil Kumar Lohani, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, India
Topic: Digital Panchayats: Building Rural Egovernance from the Ground Up
Key Highlights:
[1] India has over 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats with 32 lakh elected representatives, over 50% of whom are women—showcasing active grassroots democracy.
[2] The Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) uses 150+ indicators across 9 themes to assess and improve panchayat performance.
[3] Drone-based property mapping under the Swamitva Yojana has helped issue property cards to villagers, empowering them with ownership and access to credit.
[4] Mobile apps like Panchayat Nirnay and Meri Panchayat bring transparency, weather updates, grievance reporting, and local governance info to citizens.
[5] Digital governance at the panchayat level is revolutionizing rural India by ensuring transparency, efficiency, and empowerment—making true grassroots democracy a digital reality.