Bhubaneswar, May 28: Odisha's Suakati Gram Panchayat in Keonjhar district has made the state proud by winning a prestigious Jury Award at the 22nd National Awards for e-Governance (NAeG) 2025.
This recognition places Suakati among only three local bodies across the country to be honoured in a newly introduced category dedicated to Gram Panchayats. The award celebrates grassroots initiatives that have effectively harnessed technology to improve public service delivery.
Alongwith Suakati, Palsana Gram Panchayat from Gujarat and Lalitpur Municipal Council from Uttar Pradesh also received the honour. This is the first time Gram Panchayats have been officially acknowledged at the National e-Governance Awards, signalling a growing emphasis on digital inclusion and empowerment at the rural level.
Organised annually by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, the National Awards for e-Governance aim to promote and reward excellence in digital governance across India’s government institutions.
This year, a total of 10 Gold and 6 Silver awards were distributed across six categories, recognising innovation in areas such as artificial intelligence, cyber security, data analytics, and replication of successful digital projects at the state and district levels.
Among the prominent Gold award recipients 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 the Digi Yatra initiative.
Wirth mentioning, digital governance projects undertaken by the Ministry of Defence, the National Highways Authority of India, and the National Informatics Centre.
Each Gold Award comprises a trophy, certificate, and a monetary reward of ₹10 lakh, while Silver Award winners receive ₹5 lakh. These funds are intended to support further digital initiatives or address key resource gaps in public service delivery.
The awards will be formally presented during the 28th National Conference on e-Governance, where policymakers, technocrats, and digital innovators will gather to celebrate India’s strides in e-governance and chart out future directions.
