Most candidates still call it "Sachivalayam recruitment", as if it were a single exam for a single post. It never was. The village and ward secretariats are offices in which staff from different departments work side by side, and each department recruits its own staff under its own service rules. The Panchayat Secretary belongs to the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development department; the Village Revenue Officer belongs to Revenue; the ANM belongs to Health; and so on. In 2026 the offices were also renamed in law: a village secretariat is now a Swarna Gramam, and a ward secretariat is a Swarna Wardu.
This guide sorts out the structure from official documents, then concentrates on the Panchayat Secretary, the post that anchors the village office. It uses the Government orders of 2019, the Gazette text of the 2025 and 2026 amendments, and the 2019 recruitment notification. Time-sensitive facts carry the words "As on October 2026" and the source. If a number comes only from an old notification, the text says so.
1. How the system arrived at its present name
The sequence below is taken from the Government orders and the Gazette. It is useful to memorise because exam questions often ask for the year, the order or the department.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2019 | G.O.Ms.No.110, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development (19 July 2019), establishes the village secretariat system; G.O.Ms.No.217, Municipal Administration and Urban Development (20 July 2019), does the same for wards |
| 2019 | G.O.Ms.No.148 (27 September 2019) amends the Panchayat Raj Subordinate Service Rules to include Panchayat Secretary Grade-V and Grade-VI (Digital Assistant); G.O.Ms.No.149 and No.150 (30 September 2019) fix their job charts |
| 2019 | G.O.Ms.No.156, General Administration (Cabinet-II), 21 December 2019, creates the Department of Village and Ward Volunteers and Village and Ward Secretariats |
| 2023 | Act 23 of 2023, the Andhra Pradesh Grama Sachivalayams and Ward Sachivalayams (GSWS) Act, 2023, gives the system a statutory framework |
| 2025 | G.O.Ms.No.1 (25 January 2025) and G.O.Ms.No.10 (28 August 2025) of the GSWS Department set up a three-tier structure at district, mandal or urban local body level |
| 2025 | Act 25 of 2025, assented on 27 October 2025 and published on 30 October 2025, amends the Act |
| 2026 | Ordinance 2 of 2026 (12 January 2026), then Act 17 of 2026 (assent 2 April 2026), rename the offices Swarna Gramam and Swarna Wardu, deemed effective from 13 January 2026 |
The recital of the 2026 Ordinance records that 15,004 village and ward secretariats were established in 2019. The same recital says the aim of the renaming is to align the offices with the State's Swarna Andhra and Viksit Bharat 2047 goals, and it adds three roles to the existing ones: implementation of welfare schemes, development of physical and environmental infrastructure, and good governance covering service delivery, skilling and technology upgrade. The department's head is called the Commissioner or Director of Swarna Gramam and Swarna Wardu, with a District Swarna Gramam and Swarna Wardu Officer in each district and a Mandal Swarna Gramam Officer or Urban Swarna Wardu Officer in each mandal or urban local body.
The 2025 amendment is a good example of how small changes show up in questions. The Statement of Objects of the Bill says that the Ward Education and Data Processing Secretary had to leave the ward office to visit schools and so could not concentrate on service delivery. The Act moved the education subject to the Ward Welfare Secretary and renamed the two posts the Ward Data Processing Secretary and the Ward Welfare and Education Secretary.
2. Who sits in a Swarna Gramam
Section 9 of the Act, as substituted in 2026, lists the functionaries. Table I covers the village office and Table II covers the ward office. The table below summarises Table I as printed in the Gazette of 10 April 2026.
| No. | Functionary | Line department |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Panchayat Secretary (Grade-V) | Panchayat Raj and Rural Development |
| 2 | Panchayat Secretary (Grade-VI), Digital Assistant | Panchayat Raj and Rural Development |
| 3 | Engineering Assistant | Panchayat Raj and Rural Development |
| 4 | Welfare and Education Assistant | Social Welfare / Tribal Welfare |
| 5 | Agriculture / Horticulture / Sericulture Assistant | Agriculture and Co-operation |
| 6 | Veterinary / Fisheries Assistant | Animal Husbandry / Fisheries |
| 7 | Village Revenue Officer (Grade-II) | Revenue |
| 8 | Survey Assistant | Revenue |
| 9 | Mahila Police / Grama Mahila Samrakshana Karyadarshi | Home |
| 10 | Energy Assistant | Energy |
| 11 | Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) | Health, Medical and Family Welfare |
Table II (Swarna Wardu) has ten functionaries: Ward Administrative Secretary; Ward Sanitation and Environment Secretary; Ward Data Processing Secretary; Ward Amenities Secretary; Ward Welfare and Education Secretary; Ward Planning and Regulation Secretary; Ward Revenue Secretary; Ward Women and Weaker Sections Protection Secretary (the Ward Mahila Samrakshana Karyadarshi); Ward Energy Secretary; and Ward Health Secretary. Six of the ten sit under Municipal Administration and Urban Development; the Ward Revenue Secretary belongs to Revenue, the Ward Women and Weaker Sections Protection Secretary to Home, the Ward Energy Secretary to Energy and the Ward Health Secretary to Health, Medical and Family Welfare.
Four notes to Section 9 matter for questions. Note 1 says the Mahila Police functionary is not "police" within the meaning of the Police Act, 1861. Note 2 says the allotment of functions follows guidelines issued by the Government or the line department. Note 3 says functionaries are governed by the service rules of their respective line departments. Note 4 says the Government may categorise the offices and prescribe the number of functionaries for each.
Because each department has its own service rules, a candidate should never apply to "the Sachivalayam". You apply to a post under a department, with its own qualification, scheme of examination and appointing authority.
3. The Panchayat Secretary: the post and its rules
G.O.Ms.No.148, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development (Mdl.I) Department, dated 27 September 2019, amended the Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Subordinate Service Rules, 2010 by adding two categories in Class A (supervisory posts): Panchayat Secretary Grade-V (category 5) and Panchayat Secretary Grade-VI, Digital Assistant (category 6), after the existing Grade-IV. The Panchayat Raj Act of 1994 (Act 13 of 1994) is the parent Act cited in the order. The details below come from that order.
Appointing authority. The District Collector is the appointing authority for the new categories, and the District Collector (Panchayat Wing) is the competent authority to post and transfer Panchayat Secretaries of Grades III, IV, V and VI within the district, and is also their disciplinary authority.
Method of appointment. Grade-VI (Digital Assistant) is filled by direct recruitment. Grade-V is filled by direct recruitment, by promotion from Grade-VI, and by a third route for certain persons working in gram panchayats whose services were regularised under earlier orders of 1994 and 1997 (excluding junior assistants, junior assistant-cum-bill collectors and Sanitary Inspectors Grade-I). Because the Grade-V posts were newly created in 2019, all the posts then were filled by direct recruitment as a one-time measure. For the future, the order sets a ten-vacancy cycle for Grade-V: the first vacancy by promotion from Grade-VI, the second to fourth by direct recruitment, the fifth by promotion from Grade-VI, the sixth from the third feeder category, the seventh by promotion from Grade-VI, and the eighth to tenth by direct recruitment. Grade-IV is filled by promotion from Grade-V.
Qualification. For Grade-V direct recruitment, a degree from any university in India established under a Central, State or Provincial Act, or from an institution recognised by the University Grants Commission. For Grade-VI (Digital Assistant), a degree or diploma in Electrical, Electronics, Computers, IT or Instrumentation, BCA or MCA, or any degree with Computers as one of the subjects, for example B.Sc. (Computers) or B.Com. (Computers).
Pay and probation. Those appointed by direct recruitment draw a consolidated Rs 15,000 per month for two years. After satisfactory completion of two years' probation, Grade-V is given the scale of Rs 15,030 - 46,060, and Grade-VI the scale of Rs 14,600 - 44,870. The District Collector declares probation. These are the 2019 figures, and later pay revisions mean they are not today's pay slip. The two-year consolidated stipend was also stated in G.O.Ms.No.110, which applied it to all the functionaries recruited initially.
Departmental tests. Rule 10, as substituted, requires every direct recruit to Grade-V to pass the Accounts Test for Local Body Employees (Paper-I and Paper-II) and the Computer Proficiency Test within the probation period, and every direct recruit to Grade-VI to pass the Accounts Test (Paper-I and Paper-II). If the candidate fails, probation is extended. This is a frequent question: what must a Panchayat Secretary pass during probation? The answer is the accounts tests and, for Grade-V, the computer test.
4. What the Panchayat Secretary does: the job chart
G.O.Ms.No.149, dated 30 September 2019, sets out the general job chart that applies to all village functionaries and a specific job chart for the Panchayat Secretary. Key points:
- The office of the gram panchayat is termed the "Village Secretariat" (now Swarna Gramam), and the functionaries are employees of the local government, responsible to the gram panchayat.
- Functionaries attend office daily, maintain a daily work diary, and are expected to verify the needs and problems of households identified by the village volunteers.
- The Panchayat Secretary is the Secretary or Convener of the secretariat and the executive authority of the gram panchayat. The Panchayat Secretary is subordinate to the gram panchayat and works under the control of the Sarpanch.
- The Panchayat Secretary is the Drawing and Disbursing Officer, who pays the salaries of the staff of the secretariat and the honorarium of the village volunteers.
- Casual leave of the functional assistants is sanctioned by the Sarpanch; earned leave, service records, promotions and disciplinary matters are handled by their respective line departments.
- The specific duties come in three groups. Administrative: collect taxes and non-taxes and deposit them in the treasury; keep records and cheque books; convene the gram panchayat, standing committee and Gram Sabha meetings; implement their resolutions; protect government property and act against encroachment of panchayat land and buildings with the support of the VRO; assist during floods and cyclones; report outbreaks of communicable diseases with the support of the ANM and the VRO; ensure total sanitation; act as Registrar of Births and Deaths and issue birth and death certificates, with a monthly report to the revenue authority by the 5th of the next month; act as Marriage Officer; report atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes; and perform election duties. Financial: prepare the annual accounts, budget estimates and the demand, collection and balance statement and place them before the gram panchayat, for submission to the State Audit Department before 15 May of the next year; furnish returns when called for; and coordinate the use of plan funds as per the Gram Panchayat Development Plan. Community welfare and development: ensure payment of social security pensions through the Welfare Assistant; prepare the Gram Panchayat Development Plan with elected representatives, functional assistants and volunteers; and motivate women to form self-help groups.
- The order also lists enactments that the functionaries must help to implement, such as the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1956, the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act 1956, the Weights and Measures Act 1976, the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986, the Domestic Violence Act 2005 and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006.
The Digital Assistant (G.O.Ms.No.150 of the same date) is the nodal officer for IT activities and digitalisation. The order makes the Digital Assistant in charge of the front office (the counter for Mee-Seva, CSC and Spandana services), responsible for faultless receipt of applications on the principle of first come, first served and without any third-party agency, and for entering household data collected by the volunteers. The Digital Assistant maintains the village database, looks after mobile applications, tabs and computers, keeps online accounts on systems such as PRIA Soft, PFMS and CFMS under the supervision of the Panchayat Secretary, uploads the approved Gram Panchayat Development Plan in Plan Plus, tracks works, maintains the local government's page on the National Panchayat Portal and creates awareness of Direct Benefit Transfer.
5. Recruitment status as on October 2026
Source checked: the APPSC recruitment notifications list, read on 7 October 2026.
The list showed notifications 07/2026 to 26/2026, all dated 15 September 2026, none for Panchayat Secretary or any other Swarna Gramam functionary. That is a negative result only: because each line department can publish its own notification, and because the former Sachivalayam portal could not be reached from our connection, we could not rule out a notice elsewhere. Some websites in 2026 describe an expected notification for more than 14,000 posts. We did not find that on any official page, so treat the figure as unverified.
What the official documents do tell you is what a future notification would be built on: the service rules (G.O.Ms.No.148), the secretariat structure (Act 23 of 2023 as amended) and the 2019 template described next.
6. The 2019 recruitment as a template
Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Notification No. 01/2019, dated 26 July 2019, invited applications for 7,040 posts of Panchayat Secretary Grade-V. The key features:
| Feature | 2019 notification |
|---|---|
| Age | 18 to 42 as on 1 July 2019 |
| Scale | Rs 15,030 - 46,060, with Rs 15,000 consolidated for two years |
| Application | Online, 27 July to 10 August 2019 |
| Exam | OMR-based objective written examination, around 1 September 2019 |
| Marks | 150 (Part A 75, Part B 75) with negative marking |
| Qualifying marks | 40% for OC, 35% for BC and 30% for SC, ST and PH |
| Tie-break | Age, with the older candidate placed higher |
The 2019 exam was an offline OMR test. Some websites describe the Sachivalayam exams as online. A later cycle may differ, and the current notification decides.
Part A: General Studies and Mental Ability (75 questions, 75 minutes). General mental ability and reasoning; quantitative aptitude including data interpretation; comprehension in Telugu and English; general English; basic computer knowledge; current affairs of regional, national and international importance; general science and its day-to-day applications with contemporary developments in science and technology and information technology; and sustainable development and environmental protection.
Part B: History, Economy, Geography, Politics and related areas (75 questions, 75 minutes). History and culture of India with a focus on Andhra Pradesh; Indian polity and governance (constitutional issues, the 73rd and 74th Amendments, public policy, reforms and Centre-State relations with reference to Andhra Pradesh); economy and planning in India with emphasis on Andhra Pradesh; society, social justice and rights issues; physical geography of the Indian subcontinent and Andhra Pradesh; the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and its administrative, economic, social, cultural, political and legal implications; key welfare and development schemes of the Government of Andhra Pradesh; and women's empowerment and economic development through self-help groups and community-based organisations, with a focus on weaker sections.
Notice how closely the Part B syllabus matches the Panchayat Secretary's real work: panchayat law, local finance, schemes and self-help groups. Study with the job chart open beside the syllabus.
7. Local government: what to know cold
Constitutional base. Article 243G allows State legislatures to give panchayats powers and authority to function as institutions of self-government. G.O.Ms.No.110 records that the 73rd Amendment placed 29 subjects in the Eleventh Schedule, and that the Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Act, 1994 provides for a three-tier system: gram panchayat at village level, mandal parishad at the intermediate level and zilla parishad at district level. For a fuller treatment of the ladder, the schedules and the urban side, read the polity and Panchayati Raj notes.
Why the secretariat model was designed. G.O.Ms.No.110 explained that although subjects had been transferred to panchayats, a lack of infrastructure and manpower at gram panchayat level had prevented meaningful local government. It proposed a village secretariat of functional assistants for roughly every 2,000 population. A gram panchayat with a population between 2,000 and 4,000 counted as one unit; smaller panchayats could be grouped; larger panchayats received more teams; and in hilly and tribal areas the 2,000 norm could be relaxed. The order also required one week of induction training and said the functionaries recruited initially would be on a two-year probation at a consolidated stipend of Rs 15,000 a month.
Money and records. The Panchayat Secretary is the Drawing and Disbursing Officer. The annual accounts and budget go to the gram panchayat and then to the audit authorities before 15 May of the next year. Payments are made by pay order or digital transaction.
Registrations. The Panchayat Secretary is the Registrar of Births and Deaths and the Marriage Officer. Expect at least one question on this each year.
8. Worked examples for the aptitude part
Percentage. A gram panchayat collects Rs 4,80,000 in house tax, 62.5 per cent of the demand. The demand is 4,80,000 divided by 0.625, which is Rs 7,68,000.
Ratio. A grant of Rs 1,20,000 is split between sanitation and water supply in the ratio 3:2. Sanitation receives 3/5 of the grant, which is Rs 72,000.
Data interpretation. A table shows pensions disbursed in four months as 1,200, 1,350, 1,500 and 1,650. The increase each month is 150, so the next value in the pattern is 1,800. Average of the four months is 5,700 divided by 4, which is 1,425.
Simple interest. A loan of Rs 20,000 at 9 per cent for 2 years carries interest of 20,000 × 9 × 2 / 100 = Rs 3,600.
Time and work. One person digitises a ledger in 10 days and another in 15 days. Together they take 1 / (1/10 + 1/15) = 6 days.
Reasoning series. The series 5, 11, 23, 47, ? doubles the previous term and adds 1. The next term is 95.
Computer basics. Which is a spreadsheet function that adds a range of cells? SUM. Which is an output device? A printer.
9. Study plan for a 10-week sprint
| Weeks | Part A | Part B |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Reasoning, arithmetic basics | History of AP, formation of the State |
| 3 to 4 | Data interpretation, English | Geography of AP, rivers and ports |
| 5 to 6 | Computer basics, science | Polity, 73rd and 74th Amendments, panchayat law |
| 7 to 8 | Current affairs, environment | Economy and schemes, self-help groups |
| 9 | Full Part A sets | Full Part B sets |
| 10 | Two full 150-minute papers | Error log |
Use the government schemes notes, the geography notes, the reorganisation Act explainer for the bifurcation unit, and the culture notes. Keep a one-page sheet of dated facts and verify any "as on" figure against an official source before exam day.
Common exam traps
- Treating "Sachivalayam" as a single post or single exam.
- Using the old names after 2026. Swarna Gramam and Swarna Wardu are the current names of the offices.
- Quoting 2019 pay as current pay.
- Mixing Grade-V and Grade-VI. Grade-V needs any degree; Grade-VI needs a computer-related qualification.
- Forgetting the promotion roster of ten vacancies.
- Forgetting that the Panchayat Secretary is the Drawing and Disbursing Officer and the Registrar of Births and Deaths.
- Calling the 2019 exam online. It was OMR-based.
- Believing a vacancy number that is not on an official page.
- Confusing the Ward Revenue Secretary (Revenue) with the Ward Administrative Secretary (Municipal Administration).
Key facts for the exam
- G.O.Ms.No.110 (PR&RD, 19 July 2019) established the village secretariat system; G.O.Ms.No.217 (MA&UD, 20 July 2019) did the same for wards.
- 15,004 secretariats were established in 2019 (recital of Ordinance 2 of 2026).
- G.O.Ms.No.148 (27 September 2019) added Panchayat Secretary Grade-V and Grade-VI (Digital Assistant) to the 2010 service rules.
- Job charts: G.O.Ms.No.149 (Panchayat Secretary) and No.150 (Digital Assistant), dated 30 September 2019.
- Probation: two years at Rs 15,000 consolidated (2019); scales then Rs 15,030 - 46,060 and Rs 14,600 - 44,870.
- Tests during probation: Accounts Test Paper-I and II, plus the computer test for Grade-V.
- Act 23 of 2023; Act 25 of 2025; Act 17 of 2026 (renaming, deemed effective 13 January 2026).
- Table I lists eleven functionaries; Table II lists ten.
- 2019 exam: 150 marks; Part A 75, Part B 75; OMR; negative marking.
- As on October 2026, no Panchayat Secretary notification on the APPSC list.
Ten practice MCQs
1. The 2026 Act that renamed the village secretariat as Swarna Gramam is: a) Act 23 of 2023 b) Act 25 of 2025 c) Act 17 of 2026 d) Act 13 of 1994 Answer: c. Act 23 of 2023 is the principal Act.
2. Which order added Panchayat Secretary Grade-V and Grade-VI (Digital Assistant) to the service rules? a) G.O.Ms.No.110 b) G.O.Ms.No.148 c) G.O.Ms.No.149 d) G.O.Ms.No.217 Answer: b. Dated 27 September 2019.
3. The competent authority to post and transfer Panchayat Secretaries Grade-III to VI within a district is: a) The Sarpanch b) The Mandal Parishad Development Officer c) The District Collector (Panchayat Wing) d) The Commissioner of Police Answer: c.
4. Under the 2019 rules, what must a direct-recruit Panchayat Secretary Grade-V pass within probation? a) Only a typing test b) Accounts Test Paper-I and II and the Computer Proficiency Test c) A driving test d) No test Answer: b.
5. In the ten-vacancy roster for Grade-V, the first vacancy is filled by: a) Direct recruitment b) Promotion from Grade-VI c) Transfer d) Deputation Answer: b.
6. The Panchayat Secretary is the Drawing and Disbursing Officer for: a) Only the Sarpanch b) The staff of the secretariat and the honorarium of the volunteers c) Only the ANM d) Only teachers Answer: b.
7. Before which date must the annual accounts of a gram panchayat reach the audit authorities, per the job chart? a) 31 March b) 15 May c) 30 June d) 1 July Answer: b. The order says before 15 May of the succeeding year.
8. How many subjects are in the Eleventh Schedule, as recorded in G.O.Ms.No.110? a) 18 b) 29 c) 36 d) 12 Answer: b.
9. In the 2019 Grade-V exam, Part A and Part B carried how many marks each? a) 50 and 100 b) 75 and 75 c) 100 and 50 d) 60 and 90 Answer: b. The total was 150.
10. Under Note 3 to Section 9, the functionaries are governed by: a) The Panchayat Raj Act only b) The service rules of their respective line departments c) The Police Act d) Rules of the Collector only Answer: b.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Sachivalayam exam one exam? No. Each department recruits for its own posts. The 2019 Panchayat Secretary Grade-V exam was held by the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development department.
Is it still called a Sachivalayam? In law, the office is now called Swarna Gramam (rural) or Swarna Wardu (urban), from 13 January 2026. People will use the older name for some time.
What is the qualification for Panchayat Secretary? Under the 2019 service rules, a degree from a recognised university for Grade-V, and a computer-related degree or diploma for Grade-VI. Check the current notification.
What is the pay? The 2019 figures were Rs 15,000 consolidated for two years and then Rs 15,030 - 46,060 (Grade-V) or Rs 14,600 - 44,870 (Grade-VI). These are historical.
Will there be a notification soon? As on October 2026 we found none on the APPSC list. Figures from websites are unverified.
Does a Panchayat Secretary get promoted? The 2019 rules provide promotion from Grade-VI to Grade-V and from Grade-V to Grade-IV, with a roster. Check the rules before you rely on timelines.
Which post is better, Panchayat Secretary or VRO? That depends on your qualification, your interests and the notification. Read the job charts side by side: the Secretary handles money, records and meetings; the VRO handles land, crops and certificates.
Related reading
- Andhra Pradesh government exams 2026
- AP polity and Panchayati Raj notes
- AP VRO and VRA guide
- AP Sachivalayam salary and job profile
- AP government schemes notes
- Telugu edition: సచివాలయ పంచాయతీ సెక్రటరీ గైడ్
- Andhra Pradesh hub
Practise on Pareeksha
Practise each unit under time. The platform has 10 Lakh+ MCQs, 100+ Exams and 5,000+ Full-Length Mocks. Start with a free mini mock, then take a full paper in the online test series. Write the reason for each wrong answer in your error log.
Sources and verification
Pages opened and read for this guide:
- Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission portal home page and recruitment notifications list (portal-psc.ap.gov.in), read on 7 October 2026.
- Andhra Pradesh Gazette Extraordinary, 10 April 2026, Act No. 17 of 2026, with substituted Section 9 Tables I and II, as reproduced in the PRS Legislative Research compilation of the GSWS Act, 2023 with amendments (prsindia.org). The same compilation reproduces Act No. 25 of 2025 (Gazette of 30 October 2025).
- Andhra Pradesh Gazette Extraordinary, 13 January 2026, Ordinance No. 2 of 2026, and Bill No. 19 of 2025 (24 September 2025) with its Statement of Objects and Reasons (prsindia.org).
- G.O.Ms.No.110, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development (Mdl.I) Department, 19 July 2019 (copy on an ap.gov.in site).
- G.O.Ms.No.148, 27 September 2019, G.O.Ms.No.149 and G.O.Ms.No.150, both 30 September 2019 (copies on an ap.gov.in site).
- Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Notification No. 01/2019 dated 26 July 2019 for Panchayat Secretary Grade-V, official PDF text obtained through a mirror because the former Sachivalayam portal did not resolve from our connection.
Not verified: any 2026 Panchayat Secretary or Digital Assistant notification and its numbers; current pay scales; the current qualification and exam scheme for any Swarna Gramam post other than those in the 2019 documents; the "14,000 posts" figure reported on websites. The Sachivalayam portal itself (gramawardsachivalayam.ap.gov.in) could not be reached.
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.