National Panchayat Awards 2025 & 2026 — Andhra Pradesh winners, from rank 24 to rank 1.
19 National Panchayat Awards, a world record for 13,326 simultaneous Gram Sabhas, and ₹4,500 crore in MGNREGS deployment — under Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan's leadership of the Panchayat Raj & Rural Development ministry, June 2024 to April 2026.
6 Historic State Milestones
Mission Awards
Grameen (SBM-G)
18 Recognitions across 5 national award programs
| Panchayat / Entity | District | Category | Rank / Tier | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Panchayat Awards 2024–25 · Deen Dayal Upadhyay Puraskar · Vigyan Bhawan, 31 Dec 2024 | ||||
| Bommasamudram GP | Chittoor (Irala) | Healthy Panchayat | 1st | — |
| Nyayampudi GP | Anakapalli (Nakkapalle) | Water Sufficient Panchayat | 1st | — |
| Muppalla GP | NTR (Chandarlapadu) | Socially Just & Secured Panchayat | 1st | — |
| Tagarampudi GP | Anakapalli | Clean & Green Panchayat | 1st | — |
| Gollapudi GP | NTR | Atma Nirbhar Panchayat | 3rd | — |
| National Panchayat Awards 2025–26 · Deen Dayal Upadhyay Puraskar · New Delhi, 3 Jun 2026 | ||||
| Srungavaram GP | Anakapalli (Nathavaram) | Good Governance | 1st | ₹1 Cr |
| Bokkasam Palem GP | Tirupati | Women-Friendly Panchayat | 1st | ₹1 Cr |
| Chemmullapalli GP | YSR Kadapa | Poverty-Free & Enhanced Livelihoods | 2nd | ₹75 L |
| Gundamala GP | Prakasam | Self-Sufficient Infrastructure | 3rd | ₹50 L |
| Kuppam Mandal | Chittoor | Overall LSDG Themes (NDSPSVP Block) | 3rd | ₹1.5 Cr |
| National Panchayat Awards 2025–26 · Special Awards | ||||
| Kandulavari Palle GP | Chittoor | Climate Action Special Award | 1st | — |
| District Panchayat Resource Centre | Chittoor | Kshamta Nirmaan Sarvottam Sansthan (Institutions) | 1st | — |
| Kanipakam GP | Chittoor | Atma Nirbhar Panchayat Special Award | 2nd | — |
| 6th National Water Awards · Ministry of Jal Shakti · Rashtrapati Bhavan | ||||
| Dubbiganipalli GP | Annamayya | Best Grama Panchayat | 1st | — |
| Murugummi GP | Prakasam | Best Grama Panchayat | 2nd | — |
| Sri Podili Rajasekhara Raju (EFFORT NGO) | Prakasam | Best Individual · Water Sector | 1st | — |
| Other National Recognitions | ||||
| S.P.S.R. Nellore District | Nellore | Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari 1.0 | National | — |
| Andhra Pradesh (PMSBY & PMJJBY) | Statewide | Highest Single-Day Insurance Enrollment | World Record | — |
Source: Press Information Bureau · Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj · Ministry of Jal Shakti · Compiled from official award-ceremony records, 2024–26.
4 Tourism Awards · 2024–26
| Award | Conferred By | Year | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Tourism Promotion State | Global Travel Market | 2026 | Coastal Strategy |
| Global Tourism Award | Global News Network | 2025 | Investment (₹20,000 Cr) |
| Emerging Coastal & Heritage Destination | 10th ITCTA Awards | 2025 | Eco-Heritage |
| Best Tourism Village (Ahobilam) | Union Ministry of Tourism | 2024 | Spiritual & Rural |
Source: AP Tourism Department · Union Ministry of Tourism · GTM/ITCTA award announcements.
13 Andhra Pradesh cities ranked · Guntur joint 2nd
| City / Ward | Category | Score | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category I · Population above 10 lakh · 48 cities | |||
| Vijayawada | Above 10 lakh | 186 | 8th (joint) |
| Visakhapatnam | Above 10 lakh | 172 | 21st (joint) |
| Category II · Population 3–10 lakh · 42 cities | |||
| Guntur | 3–10 lakh | 195 | 2nd (joint) |
| Nellore | 3–10 lakh | 187 | 9th |
| Rajahmundry | 3–10 lakh | 180 | 14th |
| Kurnool | 3–10 lakh | 162 | 29th |
| Kadapa | 3–10 lakh | 144 | 34th (joint) |
| Anantapur | 3–10 lakh | 144 | 34th (joint) |
| Category III · Population below 3 lakh · 40 cities | |||
| Eluru | Below 3 lakh | 193 | 4th |
| Vizianagaram | Below 3 lakh | 189.5 | 6th |
| Srikakulam | Below 3 lakh | 185.5 | 11th (joint) |
| Ongole | Below 3 lakh | 168.5 | 25th (joint) |
| Chittoor | Below 3 lakh | 167.8 | 26th |
| Ward Awards | |||
| Vijayawada Ward 60 | National · wards of 10,000–30,000 | — | 2nd |
| Guntur Ward 42 · Vijayawada Ward 31 | State level · wards of 10,000–30,000 | — | State Award |
| Nellore Ward 06 | State level · wards below 10,000 | — | State Award |
Source: Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2026 Result — Central Pollution Control Board (PRANA portal) · National Clean Air Programme.
Award Categories
Awarded Entities
Showing AllFull winners list — National Panchayat & Tourism Awards (2024–26)
Andhra Pradesh won 18 national panchayat, water and rural-governance recognitions and 4 global tourism awards between June 2024 and April 2026, rising from rank 24 to rank 1 in the RGSA national performance index. Below is the complete, verified list.
National Panchayat Awards — Andhra Pradesh Winners
Bommasamudram GP — Healthy Panchayat (1st Prize, 2024–25)
Irala, Chittoor district · Conferred by the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj
Recorded zero maternal and child deaths with 100% first-trimester pregnancy registration and 100% institutional childbirths, and issued 783 ABHA digital health IDs under Ayushman Bharat.
Nyayampudi GP — Water Sufficient Panchayat (1st Prize, 2024–25)
Nakkapalle, Anakapalli district · Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj
Delivered 100% household tap connections and 50,000 litres of storage across two OHSR tanks, with a Village Water & Sanitation Committee that is 50% women.
Muppalla GP — Socially Just & Secured Panchayat (1st Prize, 2024–25)
Chandarlapadu, NTR district · Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj
Empowered 2,107 women through 166 self-help groups, delivered 847 pensions and 1,378 ration cards, and achieved universal social-security coverage.
Tagarampudi GP — Clean & Green Panchayat (1st Prize, 2024–25)
Anakapalli district · Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj
Achieved 100% segregated waste collection, one tonne of daily vermicompost, a single-use-plastic ban and 128 acres of Zero-Budget Natural Farming.
Gollapudi GP — Atma Nirbhar Panchayat (3rd Prize, 2024–25)
NTR district · Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj
Collected ₹4.11 crore in Own Source Revenue in 2023–24 (up 40% year-on-year), reaching 80% operational self-reliance and installing 50 solar streetlights.
Srungavaram GP — Good Governance (1st Prize, 2025–26 · ₹1 Cr)
Nathavaram, Anakapalli district · Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj
Recognised for transparent e-GramSwaraj governance, 100% digital grievance resolution and open financial audits.
Bokkasam Palem GP — Women-Friendly Panchayat (1st Prize, 2025–26 · ₹1 Cr)
Tirupati district · Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj
Achieved 100% self-help-group participation and strong women's representation in local decision-making and statutory Gram Sabhas.
Chemmullapalli GP — Poverty-Free & Enhanced Livelihoods (2nd Prize, 2025–26 · ₹75 L)
YSR Kadapa district · Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj
Eliminated extreme poverty through micro-enterprises and MGNREGS livelihoods, with 100% saturation of social-security pensions.
Gundamala GP — Self-Sufficient Infrastructure (3rd Prize, 2025–26 · ₹50 L)
Prakasam district · Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj
Built extensive CC roads, achieved 100% LED streetlight coverage and strong drainage and solid-waste infrastructure.
Kuppam Mandal — Overall LSDG Themes, NDSPSVP Block (3rd Prize, 2025–26 · ₹1.5 Cr)
Chittoor district · Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj
Scored among the highest averages across all nine Localized SDG themes with exemplary block-level coordination.
Kandulavari Palle GP — Climate Action Special Award (1st Prize, 2025–26)
Chittoor district · Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj
Pioneered village-level carbon reduction, solar adoption and afforestation toward net-zero emissions.
District Panchayat Resource Centre — Best Capacity-Building Institution (1st Prize, 2025–26)
Chittoor district · Panchayat Kshamta Nirmaan Sarvottam Sansthan Puraskar
Trained over 1,000 officials and supported Gram Panchayats in achieving Localized Sustainable Development Goals.
Kanipakam GP — Atma Nirbhar Panchayat Special Award (2nd Prize, 2025–26)
Chittoor district · Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj
Recognised for strong Own Source Revenue mobilisation, self-funding village maintenance and infrastructure.
Dubbiganipalli GP — Best Grama Panchayat, 6th National Water Awards (Joint 1st)
Annamayya district · Ministry of Jal Shakti
Awarded for outstanding groundwater recharge and community-led restoration of traditional water bodies.
Murugummi GP — Best Grama Panchayat, 6th National Water Awards (Joint 2nd)
Prakasam district · Ministry of Jal Shakti
Recognised for community-led water conservation, water-quality monitoring and micro-irrigation.
Sri Podili Rajasekhara Raju (EFFORT NGO) — Best Individual, Water Sector, 6th National Water Awards (1st)
Prakasam district · Ministry of Jal Shakti
Awarded 1st prize for individual excellence and statewide impact on water conservation.
S.P.S.R. Nellore District — Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari 1.0 (National Award)
Nellore district · Ministry of Jal Shakti, presented at Rashtrapati Bhavan
National recognition for community-driven (Jan Bhagidari) water management, presented by the President of India.
Andhra Pradesh — Gram Sabha World Record (23 August 2024)
Statewide · Certified by the World Records Union
Set a world record conducting Gram Sabhas simultaneously in 13,326 panchayats in a single day, passing ₹4,500 crore in MGNREGS resolutions.
Tourism Awards — Andhra Pradesh
Best Tourism Promotion State — Global Travel Market (GTM) 2026
Statewide · Global Travel Market
Honoured for the strategic promotion of Andhra Pradesh's 1,053 km coastline, India's second-longest.
Global Tourism Award 2025 — Global News Network
Statewide · New Delhi
Recognised for securing ₹20,000 crore in tourism investment under the 2024–29 Integrated Tourism Framework Policy.
Emerging Coastal & Heritage Destination — 10th ITCTA Awards (2025)
Statewide · Indian Tourism Congress Travel Association
Awarded for coastal-project integration, Araku Valley eco-tourism and caravan-tourism reforms.
Best Tourism Village: Ahobilam — Union Ministry of Tourism (2024)
Rural · Declared on World Tourism Day
Recognised for preserving deep spiritual and cultural roots and pioneering rural and wellness tourism.
Environmental Awards — Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2026
Guntur — Joint 2nd Rank, Cities of 3–10 Lakh (2026)
Category II · Score 195 · MoEFCC / CPCB, National Clean Air Programme
Ranked joint 2nd nationally among 42 cities with 3–10 lakh population, level with Firozabad and behind only Rourkela. Guntur Ward 42 also won a State-level ward award.
Vijayawada Ward 60 — 2nd Rank, National Ward Awards (2026)
Wards of 10,000–30,000 population · Swachh Vayu Survekshan
The only Andhra Pradesh ward in the national ward rankings. Vijayawada Ward 31 separately won a State-level ward award.
Eluru — 4th Rank, Cities Below 3 Lakh (2026)
Category III · Score 193
The highest-placed Andhra Pradesh town among 40 smaller cities, behind only Kalinga Nagar, Angul and Talcher.
Vizianagaram — 6th Rank, Cities Below 3 Lakh (2026)
Category III · Score 189.5
One of three Andhra Pradesh towns in the category's top 11, alongside Eluru and Srikakulam (joint 11th).
Vijayawada — 8th Rank, Cities Above 10 Lakh (2026)
Category I · Score 186
Ranked joint 8th among 48 of India's largest cities, level with Ahmedabad and ahead of Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai. Visakhapatnam placed joint 21st in the same category. Vijayawada Municipal Corporation received ₹45 lakh in prize money for its two ward awards.
Nellore — 9th Rank, Cities of 3–10 Lakh (2026)
Category II · Score 187
Placed in the national top 10 of its category. Nellore Ward 06 won a State-level ward award.
Verified Sources & References
Data aggregated from official portals.