What is DAANVEER initiative?

• The Ministry of Panchayati Raj launched DAANVEER on July 29.

• It is a citizen participation initiative that enables individuals and organisations to voluntarily contribute computers to gram panchayats to strengthen digital infrastructure at the grassroots.

• The initiative aims to ensure that every gram panchayat is digitally equipped, connected and future-ready, while creating a transparent and accountable platform for citizens to support local institutions.

• Carrying the tagline “Give Back to Your Village”, DAANVEER gives citizens, including members of the Indian diaspora, an opportunity to contribute to the development of their native villages.

• An initiative of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, it has been developed in collaboration with the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and DigiHaat.

• DAANVEER provides an end-to-end digital and verifiable mechanism through which citizens and organisations can contribute towards the technology and infrastructure needs of gram panchayats.

• The initiative is available through the Meri Panchayat app, which is integrated with the DigiHaat marketplace. 

• Donors can choose from quality-verified computer bundles mapped to state-specific technical specifications, while delivery details are automatically populated to eliminate additional paperwork.

• The platform also allows contributors to track their donations from dispatch to installation and provides them with a digital certificate of appreciation.

• India has nearly 2.5 lakh gram panchayats, which form the foundation of grassroots governance. 

• DAANVEER builds on its existing digital governance ecosystem, including e-GramSwaraj, Meri Panchayat, Sabha Saar, AuditOnline and Gram Manchitra, and seeks to bridge digital infrastructure gaps by ensuring gram panchayats are better equipped to deliver citizen-centric services.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)