Bhubaneswar: Suakati gram panchayat under Banspal block in Odisha’s Keonjhar district won 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.

Palsana gram panchayat in Gujarat and Lalitpur Municipal Council from Uttar Pradesh are the two other local bodies selected for Jury Award. 

The annual National Awards for e-Governance are held by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions to recognize and promote excellence in digital governance across Indian government agencies and institutions.

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.

The Indian Bureau of Mines' Mining Tenement System, the India Meteorological Department's Multi-Hazard Early Warning Decision Support System, the Madhya Pradesh Commercial Tax Department's SAMPADA 2.0, and the Ministry of Civil Aviation's Digi Yatra are among this year's notable Gold awardees. Other projects recognised include initiatives from the Ministry of Defence, the National Highways Authority of India, and the National Informatics Centre.

Each Gold award carries a trophy, certificate, and an incentive of Rs 10 lakh, while Silver awardees receive Rs 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 given out at the 28th National Conference on e-Governance, a gathering of digital pioneers from all over the country to celebrate India's progress in e-governance and talk about the next steps.

“It is a moment of immense pride and joy for Keonjhar district. 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. I congratulate the entire team at Suakati for their vision, commitment, and hard work. This achievement will surely inspire other panchayats in the district and beyond to embrace digital governance for better service delivery,” said Keonjhar Collector Vishal Singh.