Odisha’s Suakati Gram Panchayat Wins Prestigious Jury Award at 22nd National Awards for e-Governance 2025

Bhubaneswar, May 28 : Suakati Gram Panchayat of Banspal block in Odisha’s Keonjhar district has been honored with a prestigious Jury Award at the 22nd National Awards for e-Governance (NAeG) 2025. This recognition marks Suakati as one of only three local bodies nationwide to receive accolades in the newly introduced category for Gram Panchayats, which celebrates innovative grassroots initiatives using technology to improve public service delivery.

Joining Suakati in this exclusive recognition are Palsana Gram Panchayat from Gujarat and Lalitpur Municipal Council from Uttar Pradesh. This is the first year Gram Panchayats have been formally recognized at the National e-Governance Awards, highlighting the increasing focus on digital empowerment at the village level.

Organized annually by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, the National Awards for e-Governance honor excellence in digital governance across government agencies and institutions. This year, a total of 10 Gold and 6 Silver awards were announced across six categories, including innovations using AI and new-age technologies, cybersecurity, digital transformation through data analytics, and the replication of successful national projects.

Each Gold Award recipient receives a trophy, certificate, and ₹10 lakh to further digital initiatives, while Silver Awardees receive ₹5 lakh. These funds aim to help awarded bodies advance their digital projects and address resource gaps in public service.

The awards will be formally presented at the 28th National Conference on e-Governance, which brings together digital leaders from across India to celebrate progress and plan the future of e-governance.

Keonjhar Collector Vishal Singh expressed pride in the achievement, stating, “Suakati Gram Panchayat receiving the Special Jury Award at the National e-Governance Awards is a testament to the transformative power of technology, even at the grassroots level. This recognition reaffirms our belief that effective governance, when backed by innovation and dedication, can truly uplift rural communities.”

The award underscores the growing role of technology in empowering rural India and improving the quality of governance at the local level.