Union Minister of Panchayati Raj and Fisheries Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh popularly known as Lalan Singh conferred the National Panchayat Awards 2025 on 42 exemplary Panchayats from 17 States and Union Territories at a ceremony held in New Delhi on 3 June 2026. Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj Professor S P Singh Baghel and senior officials of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj also attended the ceremony which honours grassroots institutions of self government for their achievements in implementing the nine Sustainable Development Goals localised at the panchayat level.

Under the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar 34 Gram Panchayats were selected covering nine thematic areas including poverty free livelihood enhanced healthy water sufficient clean and green and self sufficient infrastructure village. Under the Nanaji Deshmukh Sarvottam Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar 8 Panchayats were chosen with 3 from the Best District Panchayat category 2 from Best Block Panchayat and 3 from Best Gram Panchayat category as the highest aggregate performers.

Karnataka emerged as the top performing state with six awards while Andhra Pradesh and Odisha bagged five awards each and eight panchayats from four North Eastern States were also recognised. Winning Panchayats receive cash incentives ranging from Rupees 50 lakh to Rupees 5 crore depending on the tier and category to be utilised for further development works. The awards which derive their statutory basis from the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act 1992 are administered by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.