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Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2.0

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May 02, 2026

Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Polity & Governance

Why in News?

On the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Day, celebrated on 24th April 2026, the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2.0 Report for the FY 2023–24 was released.

  • PAI – It is a comprehensive framework designed to measure the holistic development of Panchayats across multiple domains and sectors.
  • It is the world’s first nationwide system to evaluate the progress of Gram Panchayats & Traditional Local Bodies using clear, verifiable indicators.
  • Released by – Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
  • PAI 2.0 – It assessed 2,59,867 rural local bodies (97.3% of all Panchayats) based on their performance and progress across 150 indicators covering nine SDGs.
  • PAI 1.0 – Released last year, using FY 2022–23 data, was based on 516 indicators, which have now been reduced to 150.
  • It reflects the government’s commitment to strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutions and promoting ‘Viksit Gram Panchayats’ through participatory, transparent, and data-driven local governance.
  • Thematic Framework – Framework of Localisation of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs) - Aggregates the 17 global SDGs into 9 thematic areas relevant to Panchayati Raj Institutions.

Themes

  • 5 categories – Based on their score on a scale of 0-100  
    • ‘Achiever’ (90-100),
    • ‘Front Runner’ (75-90),
    • ‘Performer’ (60-75),
    • ‘Aspirant’ (40-60 ) and
    • ‘Beginner’ (below 40).
  • Coverage – PAI 2.0 covers all Gram Panchayats in the country, except West Bengal.

Key Findings

  • Overall Distribution – Of the 2,59,867 Gram Panchayats,

Overall distribution

  • State Highlights
  • Front Runner – Tripura has emerged as the top-performing state in the PAI 2.0, with 80% of its Gram Panchayats, followed by Kerala (10%) and Odisha (8%).
  • Large states – Like Uttar Pradesh (0.09%), Bihar (0.02%), Rajasthan (0.07%), and Punjab (0.007%) lag far behind in front runner category.
  • Significance – PAI has become a key evidence-based tool for improving planning, performance monitoring, and accountability of Gram Panchayats/TLBs across States and Union Territories.

References

  1. Indian Express | Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2.0
  2. PIB | Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2.0
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