**Executive Summary**
This document outlines the objectives and key features of the Revamped Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA). The initiative aims to enhance the capacity of elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), strengthen Gram Sabhas, promote e-governance, and facilitate the devolution of powers to Panchayats. Funds for the scheme are demand-driven, released to States/UTs based on approved Annual Action Plans and expenditure pace. The information was shared on March 11, 2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Objectives of Revamped RGSA:**
* **Capacity Building:** Develop leadership roles for elected PRI representatives to enable Gram Panchayats to function effectively as the third tier of government.
* **Strengthening Grassroots Participation:** Enhance the effectiveness of Gram Sabhas as the primary forum for people's participation within the Panchayat system.
* **Promoting E-governance:** Encourage the adoption of e-governance and technology-driven solutions to improve administrative efficiency, transparency, accountability, and service delivery in Panchayats.
* **Devolution of Powers:** Facilitate the devolution of powers and responsibilities to Panchayats in accordance with the Constitution and the PESA Act 1996.
**Funding and Implementation:**
* **Demand-Driven Funding:** Funds are released to States/UTs based on their approved Annual Action Plans and the rate of expenditure.
* **Eligibility for Fund Release:** Requisite documents, including utilization certificates and auditor's reports, must be submitted. Funds are to be utilized solely for approved components as prioritized by the State.
* **Monitoring and Review:** Implementation is regularly reviewed through the Training Management Portal (TMP), meetings, video conferences, field visits by Ministry officials, and pre-CEC meetings.
* **Central Empowered Committee (CEC):** The CEC reviews RGSA implementation and approves Annual Action Plans for States/UTs.
**Impact and Evaluation:**
* **External Evaluation:** An external evaluation by the Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA), assessed the scheme's effectiveness.
* **Positive Outcomes:** The evaluation indicates that RGSA's structured, multi-layered capacity-building approach has enhanced PRI capacities in areas such as operations, planning, implementation (including GPDP), digital governance, citizen engagement, and financial management.
* **Knowledge and Practice Gains:** Post-training assessments show measurable improvements in knowledge and practices, supporting effective local governance and SDG localization.
* **Cross-Cutting Themes:** RGSA has contributed significantly to strengthening grassroots governance and advancing themes like accountability, transparency, gender mainstreaming, digital infrastructure utilization, and convergence.
**Fund Release and Expenditure (2022-23 to 2025-26):**
* Annexure-I provides State/UT-wise fund release and expenditure data from 2022-23 to 2025-26. District-wise data is not maintained centrally.
* Fund utilization for FY 2025-26 includes Central Share from SNA and SNA-SPARSH modules, State Share, and unspent balances from the previous year.
**Impact Analysis**
**States/UTs**
* **Impact:** States and Union Territories receive funds for implementing RGSA initiatives. They are responsible for developing Annual Action Plans and prioritizing approved components for fund utilization. The data in Annexure-I illustrates the varying levels of fund release and utilization across different States/UTs over the specified fiscal years.
* **Action Required:** States/UTs must submit Annual Action Plans for approval by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), submit utilization certificates and auditor's reports for fund release, and prioritize fund utilization for approved RGSA components.
**Elected Representatives of PRIs**
* **Impact:** The scheme aims to enhance their leadership roles and capacity in Panchayat operations, planning, and implementation. They are expected to gain knowledge and improve practices in areas such as digital governance, citizen engagement, and financial management.
* **Action Required:** Participate in capacity-building programs, training modules, and exposure visits as part of the RGSA initiative.
**Citizens**
* **Impact:** Improved service delivery, enhanced transparency and accountability in Panchayat administration, and increased citizen engagement are anticipated outcomes of RGSA implementation.
* **Action Required:** Participate in Gram Sabhas and engage with local governance mechanisms as facilitated by the strengthened PRIs and e-governance initiatives.
**Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Central Empowered Committee (CEC)**
* **Impact:** Responsible for the overall implementation, review, and approval of the RGSA. They monitor fund releases and expenditure and assess the scheme's effectiveness through various review mechanisms.
* **Action Required:** Review and approve Annual Action Plans of States/UTs, monitor implementation through the Training Management Portal (TMP), meetings, and field visits, and assess the scheme's effectiveness and impact.
Key Entities Referenced
Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA): The primary scheme discussed, aimed at strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutions.
PESA Act 1996: Legislation referenced in relation to the devolution of powers and responsibilities to Panchayats.
Central Empowered Committee (CEC): A committee responsible for approving Annual Action Plans and reviewing the implementation of RGSA.
Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA): The external body that conducted an evaluation of the Revamped RGSA.
Ministry of Panchayati Raj: The ministry overseeing the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan.
Ministry of Panchayati Raj
Objectives And Key Features of Rashtriya Gram
Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA)
Posted On: 11 MAR 2026 2:36PM by PIB Delhi
The major objectives and key features of Revamped Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) are as
follows:
i. Develop the capacity of elected representatives of PRIs for leadership Roles to enable the Gram
Panchayats to function effectively as the third tier of Government.
ii. Strengthening Gram Sabhas to function effectively as the basic forum of people's participation
within the Panchayat system.
iii. Promote e-governance and other technology-driven solutions to enable good governance in
Panchayat administrative efficiency and improved service delivery with transparency and
accountability;
iv. Promote devolution of powers and responsibilities to Panchayats according to the spirit of the
Constitution and the PESA Act 1996; etc.
Revamped RGSA is demand-driven in nature.Funds are released to States/UTs based on the respective
Annual Action Plan approved by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) and the pace of expenditure.
Release also requires submission of the requisite documents, such as the utilization certificate and
auditor’s report,etc. Funds must be used only for approved components, as prioritized by the State.
State/UT-wise, year-wise funds released and expenditure, including for the State of Rajasthan, since the
launch of Revamped RGSA, are enclosed as Annexure-I. District-wise information is not maintained
centrally.
The implementation of RGSA is regularly reviewed through Training Management Portal (TMP),
meetings/video conferences, field visits by officials of the Ministry, as well as pre-CEC meetings. The
Central Empowered Committee also reviews the implementation of the Revamped RGSA while approving
the Annual Action Plans of States/UTs.
To assess effectiveness and identify measures to strengthen Panchayati Raj Institutions, an external
evaluation of the Revamped RGSA was undertaken by the Institute of Rural Management, Anand
(IRMA).The evaluation indicates that the scheme’s structured, multi-layered capacity-building approach,
combining classroom/thematic modules, exposure visits, and digital learning, has enhanced PRI capacities
in Panchayat operations, planning, and implementation (including GPDP), digital governance, citizen
engagement, and financial management. Post-training assessments record measurable gains in knowledge
and practices, supporting effective local governance and the localization of SDGs.In addition, NITI Aayog has commissioned an independent assessment study of RGSA to provide
complementary evidence on outcomes. The study has observed that RGSA has made a significant
contribution to strengthening governance capacity at the grassroots level. The scheme has also
substantially advanced several cross-cutting themes, including accountability, transparency, gender
mainstreaming, effective use of digital infrastructure, and convergence.
ANNEXURE-I
State/UT-wise Fund Release and Expenditure from 2022-23 to 2025-26
(Rs. in crores)
S. States/ UTs 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26
N.
Funds Fund Funds Fund Funds Fund Funds Fun
Released utilized Released utilized Released utilized Released util
on
28.0
1 Andaman & 0.00 1.03 0.79 1.28 2.12 1.18 1.00 1.8
Nicobar
Islands
2 Andhra 0.00 5.62 0.00 21.35 2.52 59.64 30.00 35.0
Pradesh
3 Arunachal 108.69 132.45 72.09 89.97 70.00 77.94 52.00 54.0
Pradesh
4 Assam 55.29 95.15 77.70 91.41 60.00 71.87 55.71 57.2
5 Bihar 33.37 70.07 25.00 51.81 0.00 75.08 35.00 35.6
6 Chhattisgarh 0.00 29.52 17.57 22.25 16.50 34.12 30.00 29.7
7 Dadra & 1.14 4.50 1.00 0.38 1.00 0.24 1.25 1.7
Nagar Haveli
and Daman &
Diu
8 Goa 0.00 1.12 0.89 1.00 1.35 1.29 1.00 1.29
9 Gujarat 0.00 0.01 0.00 1.28 0.00 15.48 7.50 10.610 Haryana 0.00 3.06 0.00 8.84 5.00 8.22 17.50 29.
11 Himachal 60.65 37.49 19.31 69.30 27.21 42.94 14.00 18.7
Pradesh
12 Jammu & 40.00 57.75 65.00 98.61 65.00 57.89 50.00 64.3
Kashmir
13 Jharkhand 0.00 18.44 31.00 25.95 0.00 26.47 15.00 21.6
14 Karnataka 36.00 25.67 20.00 39.02 16.25 49.53 20.00 22.
15 Kerala 30.40 23.13 10.00 37.04 10.00 32.65 18.00 20.6
16 Ladakh 0.00 1.52 1.00 0.80 0.00 0.58 0.50 0.2
17 Lakshdweep 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0
18 Madhya 28.00 145.17 32.17 74.16 40.00 96.82 42.00 64.0
Pradesh
19 Maharashtra 37.84 129.03 116.12 194.26 80.00 134.79 53.00 80.5
20 Manipur 8.63 3.31 9.56 8.34 0.00 3.91 3.55 8.95
21 Meghalaya 0.00 6.41 6.00 6.26 8.00 7.60 7.50 4.64
22 Mizoram 14.27 25.48 10.00 15.64 12.00 19.63 15.00 17.6
23 Nagaland 0.00 0.00 10.00 5.46 10.00 15.32 10.00 11.2
24 Odisha 11.40 24.83 27.33 44.22 20.00 60.15 55.00 80.2
25 Puducherry 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0
26 Punjab 34.25 42.91 10.00 23.06 5.00 23.89 30.00 34.0
27 Rajasthan 0.00 32.53 21.72 40.12 15.00 30.88 10.00 22.9
28 Sikkim 6.01 4.98 6.00 7.90 7.00 7.19 3.00 4.2
29 Tamil Nadu 25.42 8.53 0.00 25.98 45.00 63.69 20.00 51.6
30 Telangana 0.00 3.19 20.00 20.47 0.00 8.99 3.00 24.31 Tripura 9.80 3.76 7.43 10.96 10.00 20.24 30.00 27.
32 Uttar Pradesh 85.05 96.33 84.13 158.95 38.77 180.84 20.24 53.3
33 Uttarakhand 42.48 57.15 64.67 66.29 50.00 63.72 40.00 26
34 West Bengal 4.28 50.89 33.69 57.32 52.68 82.56 40.00 71.0
Sub-Total 672.97 800.17 670.40 730.75
Other 10.01 10.01 14.69 14.69 23.77 23.77 20.78 20.5
Implementing
Agency
Total 682.98 1151.04 814.86 1334.37 694.17 1399.11 751.53 100
Fund utilization includes the Central Share the figure of FY 2025-26 comprise funds released
through SNA module till 30thJune 2025 and SNA SPARSH since 1stJuly 2025, the State Share, and
the unspent balance of the previous year. Funds released represent the Central Share only. For FY
2025–26, the releases comprise funds through both SNA and SNA-SPARSH.
This information was given by Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh in a
written reply in Rajya Sabha on 11th March 2026.
***
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