Bhubaneswar: Suakati Gram Panchayat in Keonjhar district has brought pride to Odisha by winning a prestigious Jury Award at the 22nd National Awards for e-Governance (NAeG) 2025.
It is among the only three local bodies in the country to be recognized in the newly introduced category for Gram Panchayats, which honours grassroots initiatives that have effectively leveraged technology to enhance service delivery.
Joining Suakati in this honour are Palsana Gram Panchayat from Gujarat and Lalitpur Municipal Council from Uttar Pradesh. This year marks the first time that Gram Panchayats have been formally recognized at the National e-Governance Awards, highlighting the increasing focus on digital empowerment at the grassroots level.
The National Awards for e-Governance, organised annually by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, aim to promote and reward excellence in digital governance across government bodies and institutions in India.
A total of 10 Gold and 6 Silver awards were announced across six categories that include innovations using AI and new-age technologies, cyber security practices, digital transformation through data analytics, and replication of successful national projects at the state or district levels.
Among this year’s notable Gold awardees are the Indian Bureau of Mines for its Mining Tenement System, the India Meteorological Department for its Multi-Hazard Early Warning Decision Support System, the Commercial Tax Department of Madhya Pradesh for SAMPADA 2.0, and the Ministry of Civil Aviation for Digi Yatra.
Other projects recognised include initiatives from the Ministry of Defence, National Highways Authority of India, and the National Informatics Centre.
Each Gold Award carries a trophy, certificate, and an incentive of ₹10 lakh, while Silver Awardees receive ₹5 lakh. These funds are to be utilised by the awarded institutions or local bodies to further implement digital projects or bridge critical resource gaps in public service delivery.
The awards will be presented at the 28th National Conference on e-Governance, where digital innovators from across the country will converge to celebrate India’s progress in e-governance and discuss the road ahead.
