Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2.0
Context:
On National Panchayati Raj Day (April 24, 2026), the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj released the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2.0 for the financial year 2023-24.
The index serves as a comprehensive report card evaluating the performance of 2,59,867 rural local bodies across India, covering all states and union territories except West Bengal.
Framework and Methodology:
PAI 2.0 is built on the framework of Localization of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs).
This framework consolidates the 17 global SDGs into nine specific thematic areas relevant to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), ranging from poverty-free livelihoods to women-friendly panchayats.
This second edition is significantly refined, drastically reducing the assessment criteria from 516 indicators in PAI 1.0 to a sharper focus of 150 indicators and 230 data points.
PAI 2.0 introduced new features like mandatory Gram Sabha validation for transparency, auto-porting of data from national portals, and vernacular language support.
Performance Categories and Results:
Gram Panchayats are ranked on a 0–100 scale into five distinct grades:
Achiever / A+ (90 and above)
Front Runner / A (75 to below 90)
Performer / B (60 to below 75)
Aspirant / C (40 to below 60)
Beginner / D (below 40).
Top Performing States:
Tripura emerged as a standout leader, with 80% (943) of its rural local bodies ranked as 'Front Runners'.
It was followed by Kerala, with 10% of its panchayats in the 'Front Runner' category, and Odisha with 8%.
Lagging States:
Major states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, and Punjab significantly lagged, with only a minuscule fraction of their panchayats making the 'Front Runner' list (Punjab had just 1 out of 13,233).
The 'Achiever' Deficit:
Notably, out of the over 2.5 lakh participating local bodies, zero panchayats managed to score high enough to make it into the overall 'Achiever' (A+) category.
While overall 'Achievers' were absent, many panchayats secured A+ grades in individual themes, primarily showing strong outcomes in "Poverty Free and Enhanced Livelihoods" and "Healthy Panchayat".