The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has issued a rejoinder to a cartoon published in The Times of India that depicted Gram Panchayats as having failed, replaced by "InstaGram Panchayats." The Ministry asserts that this portrayal does not reflect the reality of advancements in strengthening the Panchayati Raj system. The Ministry highlights initiatives like the Meri Panchayat mobile application, integration with platforms such as Gram Manchitra and Bhashini, and the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA), which have collectively enhanced Gram Panchayat capabilities and promoted community participation. The Ministry emphasizes the progress of over 2.5 lakh Panchayats operating through eGramSwaraj, utilizing PFMS for payments, managing assets through NAD, delivering citizen-centric services via ServicePlus, and expanding online service delivery. These efforts demonstrate that Gram Panchayats are actively moving towards the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, and are vital institutions driving sustainable development and participatory democracy at the grassroots level.
Key Entities Referenced
eGramSwaraj: A platform used by Panchayats for operations.
Ministry of Panchayati Raj: The governmental ministry issuing the rejoinder.
The Times of India: The newspaper in which the cartoon was published.
New Delhi: The city where The Times of India edition was published.
14th May 2025: Date of the Times of India edition that published the cartoon in question.
Gram Panchayats: Village-level local self-governance institutions in India.
InstaGram Panchayats: A satirical term used in the cartoon implying that Gram Panchayats have failed.
PIB Delhi: Press Information Bureau, Delhi, the source of the posted rejoinder.
TIMES TECHIES: A section in The Times of India where the cartoon was published.
14 April 2016: The original publication date of the cartoon in The Times of India.
Panchayati Raj system: The system of local self-governance through Panchayats in India.
India: The country where the Panchayati Raj system operates.
32 lakh: Number of elected representatives of Panchayats.
14 lakh: Number of women members in Panchayats.
PRI: Panchayati Raj Institutions
Meri Panchayat mobile application: A mobile application that empowers citizens to access Panchayat-level information.
Gems of Digital India Award 2024: Award received by the Meri Panchayat mobile application.
MoPR: Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
Gram Manchitra: A platform integrated with Gram Panchayats for planning.
Bhashini: A platform integrated with Gram Panchayats for multilingual access.
India Meteorological Department IMD: An organization providing weather forecasting services, integrated with Gram Panchayats.
Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan RGSA: Flagship Scheme for training and capacity building of Panchayat representatives.
201819: Year when Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan RGSA was introduced.
202223: Year when Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan RGSA was revamped.
3.65 crore: Number of Panchayat representatives and functionaries who have undergone training and capacity building.
2.50 lakh: Number of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).
PFMS: Public Financial Management System, used for realtime payments by Panchayats.
National Asset Directory NAD: A system for asset management by Panchayats.
ServicePlus: A platform for delivering citizen-centric services.
Citizen Charters: Adopted by Panchayats for service delivery.
Viksit Bharat 2047: A vision towards which Gram Panchayats are moving.
Phulera Ka Panchayati Raj: A three-part digital series by MoPR.
Aditi Agrawal: Individual associated with the release of the information. (Name is likely a representative from the Ministry)
2128730: Release ID of the notification.
Ministry of Panchayati Raj
Rejoinder regarding Cartoon Published in The Times
of India, New Delhi Edition Dated 14th May 2025
Gram Panchayats are Vibrant Institutions of Local
Self Governance; Not Failed InstaGram Panchayats
Posted On: 14 MAY 2025 8:04PM by PIB Delhi
The New Delhi edition of The Times of India dated 14 May 2025 has published, under the TIMES
TECHIES section (page 24), a cartoon originally carried by The Times of India on 14 April 2016 with the
caption: “Gram Panchayats failed. We have InstaGram Panchayats.”
In this context, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj states that the phrase “Gram Panchayats failed. We
have InstaGram Panchayats” does not reflect the ground realities or the considerable advancements
made so far in strengthening the Panchayati Raj system over the years. The Ministry is of the view that
while satire holds its place in media, broad generalisations like these, about the performance of
democratic institutions, can lead to misperceptions about the transformative work being done at the
grassroots level in India. The exemplary work of more than 32 lakh elected representatives of Panchayats,
including over 14 lakh women members to build a robust PRI system in India often tends to be undermined or
misrepresented with over simplistic depictions.
To illustrate, amongst the various achievements in the recent past, the Meri Panchayat mobile application
(recognised with the Gems of Digital India Award 2024) of MoPR, empowers citizens to access
Panchayat-level information in real-time, promoting greater public engagement. This not just
strengthens community participation but also thrives democratic values that India stands for, at the grassroots
level. Integration with platforms like Gram Manchitra, Bhashini, and the India Meteorological
Department (IMD) has enhanced Gram Panchayat capabilities manifold in planning, multilingual
access, and hyperlocal weather forecasting for better disaster preparedness and livelihood resilience.
Under the Flagship Scheme of ‘Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA)’ introduced in 2018-19 and
subsequently revamped from 2022-23, training and capacity building of over 3.65 crore Panchayat
representatives and functionaries (cumulative) of more than 2.50 lakh Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) at all
levels has been completed, thus enabling strong leadership at the grassroots level that is transforming the face
of rural India.
With over 2.5 lakh Panchayats operating through eGramSwaraj, real-time payments via PFMS, asset
management through the National Asset Directory (NAD), citizen-centric services delivered through
ServicePlus, adoption of Citizen Charters, expansion of online service delivery mechanisms, availability of
Gram Panchayat-level weather forecasting, construction of state-of-the-art Panchayat Bhawans, and
increasing own-source revenue mobilisation, the Gram Panchayats today are moving decisively and
successfully towards the vision of “Viksit Bharat 2047”. The PRI system in India immensely contributes
towards inclusive growth marked by technological integration, environmental sustainability, linguistic
inclusivity, and community participation.
Today, Gram Panchayats in India are striving towards becoming Digital, Smart, and Atmanirbhar. Public
response to a recent three part digital series ‘Phulera Ka Panchayati Raj’ by MoPR clearly indicates growing
public interest, awareness, and confidence in Panchayat-led governance system in the country. The view that
Gram Panchayats have failed is erroneous, rather they are vibrant institutions of local self-governance
essential for achieving the goals of sustainable development and participatory democracy.***
Aditi Agrawal
(Release ID: 2128730)