A primary highlight of the 2026 edition is the official introduction of a dedicated 'Gram Panchayat' category.

The Ministry of Personnel has announced that 17 innovative digital projects across seven distinct categories have been chosen for the National Awards for e-Governance 2026. This prestigious announcement confirms that the upcoming 29th National Conference on e-Governance, scheduled to be hosted in Jaipur, Rajasthan, will serve as the official venue for the national awards ceremony.

To incentivize technological breakthroughs at the grassroots level, the central government has structured major financial rewards alongside official trophies. Under the newly approved guidelines, Gold Award recipients will be conferred a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh, while Silver Award winners will receive Rs 5 lakh.

A primary highlight of the 2026 edition is the official introduction of a dedicated 'Gram Panchayat' category. This newly added tier is specifically designed to recognize village-level digitization efforts that successfully deepen and expand public service delivery through modern digital infrastructure.

Among the high-profile winners, the Ministry of Agriculture's extensive 'AgriStack' initiative and the data-driven 'Panchayat Unnati Index' by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj secured top honors. Both platforms reflect India's aggressive strategy toward building an interconnected, data-centric governance framework.

Rounding out the elite list, the Prayagraj Mela Authority was recognized for its digital management of 'Mahakumbh-2025' alongside Kerala's innovative 'Blood Bag Traceability' portal. Additionally, Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar Temple Trust won acclaim for 'Trinetra', an advanced AI-based video surveillance system.