Policy Update
Muskan Thakur
Background
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj launched eGramSwaraj on 24 April 2020 under the e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project. The main aim was to make Panchayati Raj Institutions more transparent, accountable and efficient by shifting their day-to-day work onto a digital platform.
The system was developed by the National Informatics Centre as part of the Panchayat Enterprise Suite. It brings together a range of Panchayat functions such as planning, implementation, accounting, auditing, reporting and asset management on one platform. Earlier these tasks were scattered across different records and formats, but now they can be managed and tracked in a simple and organised way.
Along with the portal, a mobile application has also been introduced. This allows citizens to check information in real time and follow the progress of local projects. By combining the portal and the app, governance has become easier to access and more responsive to the needs of people.
The initiative was born out of the need to bring consistency to village-level planning and reporting. Since its launch, it has continued to evolve. It has been linked with the Public Financial Management System and now offers support in multiple regional languages so that more people can use it effectively.
The key goals of eGramSwaraj are to ensure transparency and accountability in the functioning of PRIs, to digitise core processes such as planning, implementation, reporting, audits and asset management, and to give citizens easy access to information so that they can participate more actively in governance.
The platform benefits a wide range of stakeholders including Gram Panchayats, Block and District administrations, State Panchayat departments and the citizens who rely on them.
Functioning
eGramSwaraj is built around a series of integrated modules, each designed to strengthen a specific aspect of PRI functioning:
- Panchayat Profile: Maintains demographic details, election details, and council composition.
- Planning and Reporting: Facilitates planning of activities and keeps a track of both physical and financial progress.
- Accounting: Facilitates work-based accounting and monitoring of funds expenditure with Treasury-PFMS (Public Financial Management System) integration.
- Asset Directory and Geo-tagging: It maintains a record of both movable and immovable assets. These assets’ location can be visualised through GIS mapping tools like Gram Manchitra.
- Audit Online: Ensures compliance with the norms specified by CAG by offering an interoperable audit interface that strengthens the Panchayat’s financial accountability.
These modules are supported by a network of integrations with tools such as Local Government Directory codes, GIS systems, and PFMS. Training programs, coordination through the National Project Management Unit (NPMU), and state-level handholding sessions have supported deployment across India.
Challenges
Despite its progress, eGramSwaraj has faced certain implementation challenges:
- Data Upload Delays: Data upload has been delayed in some states, such as Meghalaya, where Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) are not uploaded on time, slowing down full adoption of the platform.
- User Experience Issues: The mobile application often gives users a poor experience. Citizens and Panchayat officials find it difficult to navigate, especially when selecting villages from long dropdown lists, which makes the process time-consuming.
- Uneven Adoption Across States: Adoption across states remains uneven. Some states have invested in training and capacity building, while others have lagged behind, leading to wide differences in the quality of usage.
- Language Gaps: Language support is still incomplete. In many regions, users who depend on local languages struggle to use the system effectively, limiting accessibility and participation.
- Audit Coverage: Audit coverage is inconsistent. While some states conduct audits regularly and keep records updated, others follow irregular practices, weakening overall accountability.
Performance in Recent Years
Since its rollout, eGramSwaraj has steadily expanded its footprint across India. Today, the platform serves more than 2.7 lakh Panchayati Raj Institutions spread across 28 States and 6 Union Territories. This wide reach demonstrates its growing role in bringing planning, accounting, and monitoring onto a single transparent platform. While adoption levels differ across regions, the overall scale shows that Panchayats are increasingly turning to digital tools for governance.
Impact
eGramSwaraj has revolutionized local governance in a number of ways:
- Transparency: Citizens and officials both can now monitor the plans of PRIs, accounts, and audits in one place.
- Efficiency: Digital payment systems have minimized delays ensuring timely payment to vendors and contractors.
- Accountability: With the addition of AuditOnline, Panchayats are now held to stricter and more trusted financial accountability.
- Inclusivity: The citizen facing modules and regional language support has made the platform more people centric.
Emerging Issues
- Navigation on the platform can sometimes be difficult, especially with dropdown-heavy interfaces.
- Delays occur at the state level, which slow down the process of wider adoption.
- Limited language accessibility makes it harder for many users to fully engage with the system.
- Gaps in audit practices lead to uneven compliance across different states.
Way Forward
The future of eGramSwaraj depends on how effectively it can expand its reach and strengthen its contribution to local governance. Some important directions for its development include broadening its coverage so that every Panchayati Raj Institution across the country is fully onboarded and actively using the system. The platform also needs to focus on improving the user experience. Better navigation, stronger mobile compatibility and easy accessibility will make it more convenient for officials and citizens alike.
Another area of growth is the use of advanced analytics. By building detailed dashboards and state-wise performance scorecards, the system can provide valuable insights into planning, accounting, payments and audits. At the same time, eGramSwaraj can become more citizen-friendly by expanding regional language options, creating stronger feedback systems, setting up effective grievance redressal mechanisms and offering real-time alerts. These steps will make governance more participatory and responsive.
Finally, there is scope to link the data generated through eGramSwaraj with national platforms. This integration will support evidence-based decision-making and allow for more efficient policy implementation across different levels of government.
References
- Press Information Bureau. (2022, July 27). Access to e-GramSwaraj portal. Government of India. Retrieved from Access to e-GramSwaraj Portal
- National Informatics Centre. (2025). eGramSwaraj portal. Government of India. Retrieved from https://www.nic.in/project/egramswaraj/
- Ministry of Panchayati Raj. (n.d.). e-Gramswaraj. Government of India. Retrieved from https://panchayat.gov.in/en/e-gramswaraj
- Google Play. (2023, October 17). eGramSwaraj mobile application. Retrieved from https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nic.in.unified
- Apple App Store. (2023). e-GramSwaraj. Retrieved from https://apps.apple.com/us/app/e-gramswaraj/id6470904696
- Ministry of Panchayati Raj. (2023). Annual report 2022-23. Government of India. Retrieved from https://panchayat.gov.in/en/documents/annual-reports
- Facebook – Ministry of Panchayati Raj. (2025). Empowering Panchayats with access to vital data in regional languages for transparency. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/MinistryOfPanchayatiRaj/posts/1160695236081766
- Comptroller and Auditor General of India. (2021). Audit report on implementation of Panchayati Raj e-Governance initiatives. Retrieved from https://cag.gov.in/en/audit-report
About the contributor: Muskan Thakur is a Research Intern at IMPRI and a Master’s student in Economics at Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune
Acknowledgment: The author extends her sincere gratitude to the IMPRI team and Ms. Aasthaba Jadeja for her invaluable guidance throughout the process.
Disclaimer: All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organization.
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