In a significant initiative to advance the localisation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and strengthen grassroots governance, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has introduced the first-ever Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) on April 9, 2025 for assessing the performance and progress of over 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) throughout India.
The SDGs are a set of 17 global objectives adopted by the United Nations (UN) in 2015. It has 169 targets and 247 indicators, designed to address global challenges in areas like poverty, hunger, health, education, gender equality, climate change, and economic growth, among others. The SDGs are supported by the Government of India as part of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. While NITI Aayog tracks SDG progress at National State levels through SDG India Index based on the National Indicator Framework (NIF) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) derived from the Global Indicator Framework (GIF), the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) is leading the Localisation of SDGs (LSDGs) by involving GPs in the process. The PAI is a natural progression of India’s first sub-national measure of SDGs, the SDG India Index, which was launched by NITI Aayog in 2018.
What is Panchayat Advancement Index?
The PAI is a comprehensive, multi-dimensional evidence based composite tool designed to evaluate the implementation of the LSDGs across nine broad thematic areas.
The nine broad themes of the LSDGs assessed through PAI include: poverty-free and enhanced livelihoods in panchayat, healthy panchayat, child-friendly panchayat, water-sufficient panchayat, clean and green panchayat, panchayat with self-sufficient infrastructure, socially just and socially secured panchayat, panchayat with good governance, and women-friendly panchayat.
Collectively, these themes encompass 566 data points, out of which 435 are unique, 331 are mandatory that all GPs must report on, and 104 are optional that can be selected by states to focus on specific areas of development. The indicators are classified into numeric (207) and binary (228) formats to allow for both qualitative and quantitative analysis.
It uses a range of socio-economic indicators to assess the well-being and development of local communities within each panchayat. Key areas covered by the index include infrastructure (such as roads, electricity, water and sanitation), health and education (access to healthcare, schools, literacy and enrolment), economic factors (income levels, employment and agriculture), social indicators (poverty, gender equality and inclusion), governance (efficiency, transparency and public service delivery) and environmental sustainability (ecological balance and sustainable practices).
The PAI provides crucial insights for policymakers, public representatives and local authorities in identifying areas needing improvement, reducing disparities and supporting the achievement of development goals. It also helps in designing targeted policies to improve the quality of life in rural areas. The specific indicators and their weightage may vary depending on the priorities of the body implementing the index.
Implementation Mechanism and Categorisation
Data for these indicators is collected through a decentralised mechanism, starting from Gram Panchayat level and moving up through block, district, and state levels before final integration at the national level.
Panchayats are graded on a scale of 0–100 according to these indicators and are ranked into one of five categories: Achiever (90–100), Front Runner (75–90), Performer (60–75), Aspirant (40–60) and Beginner (below 40).
Findings from the Baseline Report
Of the 2.55 lakh GPs, validated data has been received from 2.16 lakh GPs across 29 states and Union Territories (UTs) highlighting a strong initial response. The PAI data for 11,712 GPs and Traditional Local Bodies (TLBs) from five states/UTs—Meghalaya, Nagaland, Goa, Puducherry, and West Bengal—has not been properly validated by the concerned state or UT.
Additionally, the PAI does not encompass all panchayats in Uttar Pradesh. Out of the 57,702 GPs in the state, validated data has been received for only 23,207 GPs.
As of now, out of the 2.16 lakh panchayats assessed, 699 have been ranked as ‘Front Runners’, 77,298 as ‘Performers’, 1,32,392 as ‘Aspirants’ and 5,896 as ‘Beginners’. Among the 699 ‘Front Runner’ panchayats, Gujarat leads with 346, followed by Telangana with 270 and Tripura with 42. Chhattisgarh tops the list of ‘Beginners’ with 1,449 panchayats falling under this category, followed closely by Uttar Pradesh with 1,237 panchayats. Notably no panchayat has been ranked in the ‘Achievers’ category (90–100 score range).
While there is no inter-state comparison, states can compare GPs within their jurisdiction based on LSDG thematic scores for each theme and the overall composite PAI score.
Way forward
In its first year of implementation, the PAI exercise has highlighted the need for improvements in data quality. It is expected that with each passing year, the quality and accuracy of data will continue to improve. The PAI represents a significant example of convergence and data sharing across departments. Various line departments are already using PAI data to assess the progress of schemes at the GP level. This data is crucial for evidence-based policy formulation and planning by governments. By identifying thematic and regional development gaps, it facilitates the preparation of data-driven Gram Panchayat Development Plans ensuring better convergence of schemes. It empowers Panchayats to become active agents of change in achieving the SDGs by 2030, while reinforcing the principles of democratic decentralisation.
© Spectrum Books Pvt. Ltd.
