The Ministry of Panchayati Raj, under its capacity building initiatives, under the Revamped Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA), facilitates training programmes for elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). The number of elected Panchayati Raj Institution representatives trained under capacity building programmes during the last three years, year-wise and State/UT-wise, is placed at Annexure-I. Panchayats, being “Local Government”, are a State subject and form part of the State List under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India.
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj implements the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) with the primary objective of strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) through capacity building and training of Elected Representatives (ERs) and PRI functionaries, and by providing selective infrastructural support such as Gram Panchayat Bhawans and computers and peripherals. Revamped RGSA is demand-driven in nature. Funds are released to States/UTs based on the Annual Action Plans approved by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) and the pace of expenditure. Release of funds is also subject to the submission of requisite documents such as Utilization Certificates and Auditor’s Reports. The funds are to be utilized only for the approved components as prioritized by the States/UTs. The State/UT-wise and year-wise details of funds allocated, released, and utilized under RGSA are placed at Annexure II . 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 The Ministry of Panchayati Raj implements the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) to strengthen the capacity of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and their elected representatives. Under RGSA, orientation training is imparted to newly elected Panchayat representatives within six months of their onboarding and refresher training within two years thereafter. The scheme acknowledges challenges such as literacy barriers and limited reach in remote areas. To address these challenges, training modules are designed keeping in view varying literacy levels and local contexts, and Master Trainers are trained accordingly to deliver the training based on the capacity of trainees. Further, as part of measures to institutionalize a structured and continuous training framework with special focus on Women Elected Representatives (WERs), simplified and gamified training modules in vernacular languages, including specialized modules for WERs, have been developed. Under the specialized WER module, 1,05,966 Women Elected Representatives (WERs) have been trained as on 28.02.2026, and around 7 lakh WERs have been trained under the Revamped RGSA scheme during FY 2025-26. Further, training under RGSA is delivered through a cascading model at the State, district, and block levels to ensure wider outreach, including in remote and geographically dispersed areas. Annexure-I State-wise and year-wise details of trained Elected Panchayati Raj Institution representatives of the last three years and the current year S. No. States 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26 (till 28 Feb 2026) ER Trained ER Trained ER Trained ER Trained 1 Andaman & Nicobar Islands 692 21 723 619 2 Andhra Pradesh 2,201 30,195 65,299 30,342 3 Arunachal Pradesh 2,184 1,198 2,054 3,173 4 Assam 51,893 14,499 3,699 63,198 5 Bihar 3,65,222 73,877 2,62,466 57,120 6 Center 1,912 177 329 729 7 Chhattisgarh 1,12,193 83,641 26,851 1,29,676 8 Goa 1,293 2,078 2,645 529 9 Gujarat 175 7 16,343 4,796 10 Haryana 4,027 7,493 206 77,973 11 Himachal Pradesh 1,440 30,624 34,283 2,287 12 Jammu & Kashmir 2,78,764 1,77,182 23 - 13 Jharkhand 3,050 39,503 34,763 48,716 14 Karnataka 1,08,496 63,918 54,610 36,234 15 Kerala 54,372 20,968 17,684 18,768 16 Ladakh - - - 72 17 Madhya Pradesh 56,010 26,763 69,565 1,22,670 18 Maharashtra 3,51,495 3,24,812 1,20,278 54,773 19 Manipur 27 884 42 715 20 Meghalaya 7,032 47,526 42,077 33,470 21 Mizoram 1,956 8,712 8,673 11,717 22 Nagaland 646 2,508 3,920 2 23 Odisha 75,270 51,386 96,445 23,629 24 Punjab 24,596 6,785 42,981 61,018 25 Rajasthan 373 54,574 11,604 10,941 26 Sikkim 2,529 2,758 2,690 1,188 27 Tamil Nadu 74,179 95,898 48,058 14,931 28 Telangana 1,246 41 30 34,716 29 Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu 374 608 419 2,228 30 Tripura 3,794 47,405 36,404 35,016 31 Uttar Pradesh 40,264 62,561 36,922 1,26,222 32 Uttarakhand 2,34,294 68,133 13,157 57,712 33 West Bengal 86,353 1,86,680 1,29,043 1,15,026 TOTAL 19,48,352 15,33,415 11,84,286 11,80,206 Annexure II The State/UT-wise details of funds allocated, released, and utilised under the Revamped Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) during FY 2025-26 (Rupees in crore) S. No. States/ UTs 2025-26 (as on 28.02.2026) Funds Allocated Funds Released Fund utilized 1 Andaman & Nicobar Islands 1 1 1.81 2 Andhra Pradesh 30 30 35.02 3 Arunachal Pradesh 52 52 54.04 <span style="