Ministry of Panchayati Raj launched first-ever Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) baseline report for FY 2022-23 to strengthen grassroots governance and track rural progress. This comprehensive index measures the performance of over 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) across nine localized Sustainable Development Goal (LSDG) themes.
Key Highlights
Data Collection & Validation:
- Total Gram Panchayats considered: 255,699
- Validated submissions: 216,285 GPs
- Data from five States/UTs (Meghalaya, Nagaland, Goa, Puducherry, and West Bengal) were excluded due to pending validation.
Performance Categories:
- Front Runners: 699 GPs (0.3%)
- Performers: 77,298 GPs (35.8%)
- Aspirants: 132,392 GPs (61.2%)
- Beginners: 5,896 GPs (2.7%)
- Achiever Category: No Panchayat achieved the highest “Achiever” status.
Regional Performance:
Leaders in Front Runner Category:
- Gujarat: 346 GPs
- Telangana: 270 GPs
Other High-Performing States: Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh.
Concentration of Aspirant GPs: Notably high in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh.
About Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI)
Purpose:
- To provide an evidence-based tool for assessing and enhancing the performance of Gram Panchayats.
- To enable targeted policy interventions and support localized development planning.
Assessment Framework:
Evaluates Panchayats across nine critical themes including: Governance; Poverty reduction; Infrastructure; Health and child-friendliness; Water sufficiency; Women-friendly policies, among others.
Built on 435 indicators aligned with the National Indicator Framework of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
Outcomes and Benefits:
- Fosters healthy competition among Panchayats.
- Informs national and state-level policy decisions.
- Aims to drive the transition towards a more responsive and adaptive skilling ecosystem at the grassroots level.
- Assists in monitoring and guiding improvements in rural governance.
Strategic Importance
Grassroots Empowerment:
- PAI is a critical tool for monitoring performance and identifying development gaps at the Panchayat level.
Policy Guidance:
- Provides actionable insights that help in formulating localized development policies.
Fostering Transparency:
- Enhances accountability within the decentralized governance system.
Nationwide Impact:
- With over 2.5 lakh Panchayats being assessed, the index contributes significantly to inclusive and sustainable rural development in India.