The Ministry of Panchayati Raj celebrated National Panchayati Raj Day on April 24, 2026 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi to commemorate the enactment of the landmark 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1993 which gave constitutional status and legal recognition to Panchayati Raj Institutions across India. The 2026 theme was 'Sashakt Panchayat, Sarvangeen Vikas' (Empowered Panchayats, Holistic Development) with an emphasis on localised Sustainable Development Goals. The central event was graced by Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj S. P. Singh Baghel and a written message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi was read out. The Ministry released the Report on the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2.0, a multi-domain multi-sectoral index used to assess the holistic development, performance and progress of panchayats based on socio-economic indicators across nine themes drawn from the Localised Sustainable Development Goals framework. Three illustrated publications under the Panchayat Dharohar Initiative were also released: a Monograph on Rural Heritage of Tripura, a Monograph on Rural Heritage of Tirupati and a volume titled Uttarkashi: Saumya Kashi: The Soul of Himalayan Heritage. Elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions from Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Haryana participated in the New Delhi function and Gram Panchayats across the country held special Gram Sabha meetings reaffirming the spirit of participatory democracy at the grassroots. India has 2.5 lakh panchayats with 24.04 lakh elected representatives, of whom 49.75 per cent are women. The 16th Finance Commission has earmarked a record 4.35 lakh crore rupees for rural local bodies for the 2026-31 award period.