The Ministry of Panchayati Raj participated in the Innovation Sandbox presentation and showcased the “Digital Transformation Initiatives in Land Governance through SVAMITVA Scheme” detailing the processes followed by States to digitalize land governance systems transparently and efficiently. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has been conferred with the prestigious 1^st Prize in the Innovation Sandbox presentation for “Digital Transformation Initiatives in Land Governance through SVAMITVA Scheme” at the second annual three-day “Public Policy Dialogues” Conclave of the Bharti Institute of Public Policy (BIPP), Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad during 3^rd January – 5^th January 2024.

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj’s innovative efforts in leveraging technology to enhance the efficacy and accountability in the implementation of SVAMITVA Scheme were acknowledged as outstanding and transformative on previous occasions as well. SVAMITVA Scheme had won the prestigious Gold Prize in National Awards for e-Governance 2023 in the category “Use of Emerging Technology for Providing Citizen-Centric Services” organized by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions at Indore, Madhya Pradesh in October 2023.

SVAMITVA Scheme was also conferred with the Gold award for the category “Innovative Use of Technology in e-Governance for Digital Transformation” at Digitech Conclave 2023 organized at Goa in August 2023.

Background:

SVAMITVA Scheme of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj is a Central Sector Scheme that has significantly contributed to the empowerment of rural communities in India. By leveraging cutting-edge drone surveys and GIS mapping technology, the scheme ensures accurate demarcation of land parcels, thereby mitigating disputes and providing individuals with property records of rights i.e. SVAMITVA Property Cards, thereby facilitating monetization of properties, enabling bank loans and comprehensive village-level planning. This integration of technology not only streamlines the documentation process but also marks a significant step towards a more transparent and efficient land administration system, fostering socio-economic progress in rural areas.

The SVAMITVA Scheme (https://svamitva.nic.in) stands out as a ground-breaking initiative that harnesses innovation and new technologies to transform the landscape of land ownership in rural India. The Scheme has been recognized and received awards on various platforms since its launch by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24^th April, 2020.

The scheme with target year of completion of its implementation 2024–25, has achieved many milestones. The drone survey has been completed in 2.90 lakh villages and 1.66 crore property cards have been prepared for 1.06 lakh villages so far. The scheme has been saturated with generation of property cards of all inhabited villages of Haryana, Uttarakhand, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Goa.

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SK/SS/SM