Speaking on the occasion, the Panchayati Raj Minister said that a particularly inspiring feature of the National Panchayat Awards 2025 is that 22 of the 42 awardees are led by women elected representatives.PANCHAYATS FROM the five southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana and Tamil Nadu bagged 18 of 42 National Panchayat Awards 2025, while those from the Hindi heartland states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar could manage to win just one each.The awards, conferred by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj annually, recognise outstanding local rural bodies across the country for their contribution towards the Localisation of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs) and excellence in grassroots governance. The performance of the local bodies is assessed through the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI), which evaluates panchayats across governance, infrastructure, livelihoods, social justice, environment, and women empowerment indicators.This year, 42 panchayats from 17 states and union territories were selected for the two categories of awards – Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar (DDUPSVP) and Nanaji Deshmukh Sarvottam Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar (NDSPSVP).The awards were presented by Union Panchayati Raj Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh ‘Lalan’ and his deputy S P Singh Baghel. Out of the 42 panchayats, the maximum 6 were from Karnataka, followed by Andhra Pradesh (5), Kerala (4), Telangana (2) and Tamil Nadu (1). Odisha also stood among the best performers, with 5 panchayats from the state winning the awards.Panchayats from the Northeastern states also performed well with three each from Assam and Tripura winning the awards. One each from Sikkim and Mizoram also won the awards.However, the performance of panchayats from the Hindi heartland states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar remained poor, with only one panchayat each from both the states winning the award. UP’s poor performance is significant as the state accounts for the most number of panchayats (57,694 out of 2,69,405 total panchayats) in the country. One panchayat each from Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh also won the award. No panchayat from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh could make it to the winners list.Speaking on the occasion, the Panchayati Raj Minister said that a particularly inspiring feature of the National Panchayat Awards 2025 is that 22 of the 42 awardees are led by women elected representatives. Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express' National Bureau, specializes in reporting on governance, policy, and data. He covers the Prime Minister’s Office and pivotal central ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Jal Shakti. His work primarily revolves around reporting and policy analysis. In addition to this, he authors a weekly column titled "STATE-ISTICALLY SPEAKING," which is prominently featured on The Indian Express website. In this column, he immerses readers in narratives deeply rooted in socio-economic, political, and electoral data, providing insightful perspectives on these critical aspects of governance and society. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram