Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI), State-wise Performance

In a significant step towards the localization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and strengthening decentralised governance, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has introduced the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) — a revolutionary vehicle to gauge the development of more than 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) in India.

Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI)

Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) is a composite performance assessment tool that seeks to gauge the advancement and effectiveness of panchayats in delivering key services, ensuring good governance, and promoting sustainable rural development.

• Launch: The first-ever PAI Baseline Report for FY 2022–23 was launched by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
• Purpose: To enhance evidence-based rural development and better assess the performance of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).

The index considers a range of parameters, such as:

• Governance and transparency
• Infrastructure and service delivery
• Social inclusion and welfare
• Financial management
• People’s participation
• Use of technology and innovation

Purpose of PAI

• Standardized tool to assess panchayat governance and development.
• Encourages transparency, accountability, and citizen participation.

Themes for Panchayat Advancement Index

PAI tracks the performance of Panchayats on nine Localized SDGs (LSDGs) themes ie.

• Poverty-Free and Improved Livelihoods in Panchayat,
• Healthy Panchayat,
• Child-Friendly Panchayat,
• Water-Abundant Panchayat,
• Clean and Green Panchayat,
• Self-Sufficient Infrastructure Panchayat,
• Socially Just and Socially Secured Panchayat,
• Good Governance Panchayat and
• Women-Friendly Panchayat.

These themes bring global goals to rural realities, enabling local governments to customize their strategies for comprehensive development.

Overall National Participation

• Total Gram Panchayats in India: 2,55,699

• Submitted validated data: 2,16,285 GPs

Categories of Performance of Gram Panchayats (GPs)

• Achievers (90+): None
• Front Runners (75 to below 90): 699 (0.3%)
• Performers (60 to below 75): 77,298 (35.8%)
• Aspirants (40 to below 60): 1,32,392 (61.2%)
• Beginners (below 40): 5,896 (2.7%)

State-wise Performance in Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) Baseline Report 2022–23

• Gujarat:

  • Front Runners: 346
  • Performers: 13,781 (highest in the country)

• Telangana:

  • Front Runners: 270
  • Performers: 10,099

• Other top-performing states by Performer count:

  • Maharashtra: 12,242
  • Madhya Pradesh: 7,912
  • Uttar Pradesh: 6,593

States with High Number of Aspirant GPs

• Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh show a high share of Aspirant-level Panchayats, indicating a need for focused development efforts.

Additional Notes

• No Panchayat qualified as an Achiever in this cycle.
• No inter-state comparison or ranking has been made yet.

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