In News: The Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj has launched PANCHAM, a digital chatbot developed in collaboration with UNICEF, aimed at strengthening grassroots governance through technology-enabled support.
About PANCHAM
- Full Form: Panchayat Assistance and Messaging Chatbot
- Nature: AI-enabled digital governance tool
- Developed by: Ministry of Panchayati Raj in collaboration with UNICEF
- Target Users:
- Panchayat Elected Representatives (PRI members)
- Panchayat Functionaries (officials and staff)
Aim
- To empower Panchayats by providing:
- Real-time guidance
- Simplified governance workflows
- Easy access to rules, schemes, and advisories
- To improve day-to-day service delivery and decision-making at the grassroots level.
Key Features of PANCHAM
1. Direct Digital Connect
- Establishes a first-of-its-kind direct communication channel between:
- Government of India
- Panchayat representatives and functionaries nationwide
- Reduces dependence on multiple bureaucratic layers.
2. Multilingual Support
- Integrated with BHASHINI (National Language Translation Platform).
- Supports 22 Indian languages, enabling:
- Local-language interaction
- Inclusivity and ease of access for grassroots representatives
3. Two-Way Communication
- Enables Panchayat officials to:
- Send feedback
- Ask queries
- Flag local governance issues directly to the Ministry
- Strengthens bottom-up governance.
4. Information Dissemination
- Ministry can directly share:
- Circulars
- Advisories
- Policy updates
- Key governance messages
- Ensures uniform and timely information flow.
5. Citizen Access
- Citizens can access PANCHAM through a QR-code-based mechanism.
- Enhances:
- Transparency
- Citizen participation
- Accountability of Panchayats
6. Governance Impact
- Faster resolution of field-level issues
- Improved feedback loops between grassroots and policymakers
- Data-driven insights into Panchayat-level challenges
Significance
- Supports Digital India and e-Governance initiatives.
- Strengthens 73rd Constitutional Amendment objectives by empowering Panchayati Raj Institutions.
- Enhances last-mile governance delivery and administrative efficiency.
- Encourages participatory and responsive local governance.
IAS-2026 - OPTIONAL / GEOGRAPHY / PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION / SOCIOLOGY / ANTHROPOLOGY / ORIENTATION ON 03 & 04-10-2025 
