Smart Gram Panchayat

• 16 Feb 2024

Why in News?

Recently, ‘Smart Gram Panchayat: Revolution towards Digitization of Gram Panchayat’ Project was inaugurated at Paprour Gram Panchayat of Begusarai District, Bihar.

Key Points

• The project aims to extend the PM-WANI (Prime Minister’s Wi-Fi Access Network Interface) Service to Gram Panchayats in Begusarai, marking a paradigm shift in rural connectivity.
• It is implemented by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, funded under the revamped Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA).
• The project targets 455 Gram Panchayats across 37 Blocks in Begusarai and Rohtas Districts in Bihar.
• Emphasis is placed on using technology to enhance access to online services in critical sectors like health, education, and skilling, improving the quality of life in rural areas.
• The beneficiaries of this initiative are Students, farmers, artisans, and Women Self-Help Groups (SHGs).

PM-WANI

• The Prime Minister Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM WANI) scheme launched by the Department of Telecom (DoT) in December 2020.
• It is one key scheme launched to bolster the penetration of public WiFi hotspots to establish a robust digital communication infrastructure throughout the nation, especially in rural areas.

Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA)

• The RGSA is a scheme of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, launched in 2018.
• Later it was revamped and the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of RGSA was approved for implementation from 2022-23 to 2025-26 for capacity building of elected representatives (ERs) of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).
• The primary objective of Revamped RGSA is to develop the governance capabilities of the Panchayats to deliver on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which are covered within the purview of Panchayats.