**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj will be celebrating a two-day PESA Mahotsav in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh on December 23rd and 24th, 2025 to commemorate the enactment of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA). The mahotsav will include the launch of the PESA Portal, PESA Indicators, and Training Modules on PESA in Tribal Languages. Special Gram Sabhas will be held across all PESA States on December 24th, 2025.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Event Overview:**
* The PESA Mahotsav will be a two-day event held in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
* Celebration of the PESA Act enactment anniversary, with PESA Day being observed on December 24th.
* The event will be inaugurated by Shri Konidala Pawan Kalyan, Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Panchayati Raj & Rural Development, Government of Andhra Pradesh.
* The event expects participation from approximately 2,000 representatives from 10 PESA states.
* The Mahotsav will take place at Visakhapatnam Port Authority Campus and other locations around the city.
* **Launches and Initiatives:**
* PESA Portal launch for information dissemination and PESA implementation monitoring.
* PESA Indicators to assess implementation status across states.
* Training Modules on PESA in Tribal Languages to enhance awareness and capacity-building.
* Release of an E-book on Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh, documenting traditional knowledge, culture, and heritage.
* **Special Gram Sabhas:**
* Special Gram Sabhas will be held in PESA Gram Panchayats of Andhra Pradesh and across the ten PESA States.
* Gram Sabhas will focus on strengthening community participation, natural resource protection, customary practice preservation, livelihoods, and social justice.
* Scheduled on December 24th, 2025, in all ten PESA states.
* **Activities:**
* The Mahotsav will include sports and cultural activities.
* Scheduled PESA run (23rd December, 2025) and archery events, as well as food and crafts exhibition (23rd - 24th December, 2025).
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder:** PESA States (Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana)
**Impact:** The states are the focal point of the celebrations and will be represented by approximately 2,000 people. This includes a broad spectrum of representatives, including Panchayat leaders, sportspersons, and cultural artists.
**Action Required:** Representatives from these states should attend the mahotsav in Visakhapatnam and participate in the Gram Sabhas. States should be prepared to implement and utilize the PESA Portal and PESA Indicators once launched.
**Stakeholder:** Tribal Communities in PESA Areas
**Impact:** The Mahotsav aims to celebrate and promote the cultural and traditional heritage of tribal communities from PESA areas. The Mahotsav will showcase the tribal heritage of India.
**Action Required:** Tribal communities should participate in and showcase their cultural heritage at the event.
**Stakeholder:** Ministry of Panchayati Raj
**Impact:** The Ministry is responsible for organizing and executing the PESA Mahotsav and ensuring the successful launch of key initiatives.
**Action Required:** The Ministry must finalize arrangements for the Mahotsav, including venue setup, participant coordination, and the launch of the PESA Portal, PESA Indicators, and Training Modules.
Key Entities Referenced
The Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA): Central act extending provisions of Part IX of the Constitution to Scheduled Areas with modifications.
Ministry of Panchayati Raj: Central ministry celebrating the PESA Mahotsav.
Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh: Location of the PESA Mahotsav celebrations.
PESA Mahotsav: Two-day festival celebrating the enactment of PESA Act and its impact on tribal communities.
PESA Portal: Portal for dissemination of information and monitoring of PESA implementation
Ministry of Panchayati Raj
Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh Gears Up for
Grand PESA Mahotsav Celebrations on 23rd–
24th December 2025
PESA Portal, PESA Indicators to Be Launched ; Special Gram
Sabhas to Be Organised Across All PESA States
प्रव तथ: 21 DEC 2025 1:24PM by PIB Delhi
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is celebrating a two-day PESA Mahotsav : Utsav Lok Sanskriti Ka on
23rd & 24th December 2025 in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh to mark the enactment of the
Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA). PESA Day is being observed on 24th
December as anniversary of the PESA Act. The mahotsav will be inaugurated by Shri Konidala Pawan
Kalyan, Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for the Panchayati Raj & Rural Development,
Government of Andhra Pradesh. Union Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Shri Vivek Bharadwaj
along with other senior officials of the centre and the state will also attend the event. The celebration is
expected to witness the participation of nearly 2,000 representatives from all 10 PESA States, including
Panchayat representatives, sportspersons, cultural artists etc. The PESA Mahotsav is envisaged as a
national platform to celebrate the cultural and traditional heritage of tribal communities from PESA areas.
Several important national initiatives on PESA will be launched on 24th December 2025. These include
the PESA Portal for dissemination of information and monitoring of PESA implementation, PESA
Indicators to assess the status of implementation across States, Training Modules on PESA in Tribal
Languages to strengthen awareness and grassroots capacity-building and an E-book on Kinnaur district
of Himachal Pradesh, documenting the region’s traditional knowledge, culture and heritage. As part of
the celebrations special Gram Sabhas will be held in PESA Gram Panchayats of Andhra Pradesh with
the participation of elected representatives from the participating States on ten identified PESA themes. In
addition, special Gram Sabhas will also be organised across all ten PESA States on 24th December 2025,
focusing on strengthening community participation, protection of natural resources, preservation of
customary practices, livelihoods and social justice.
The mahotsav will witness a range of sports and cultural activities, showcasing the diversity and vibrancy
of India’s tribal heritage. The primary venue for the Mahotsav will be Visakhapatnam Port Authority
Campus with activities spread across Ramakrishna Beach, Indoor Stadium, Cricket Stadium and the
Kalavani Auditorium all in the city of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.About PESA Act 1996
In terms of article 243M(4)(b) of the Constitution of India, Parliament enacted “The Provisions of the
Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996” (called as PESA Act), for extending the
provisions of Part-IX of the Constitution, with certain exceptions and modification, to the Scheduled
Areas. Scheduled Areas are those areas which are declared by the President of India. Article 244(1) and
the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution deals with provisions relating to the Scheduled Areas. Since those
Scheduled Areas are mentioned under Fifth Schedule of the Constitution, therefore, they are called as Fifth
Schedule Areas. At present, Fifth Schedule Areas have been declared in 10 States viz. Andhra Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan
and Telangana.
***Aditi Agrawal
(रलीज़ आईडी: 2207154) आगंतुक पटल : 1183
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