Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2.0 Report 2023–24: Key Findings & Significance

30 Apr 2026

Ministry of Panchayati Raj released the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2.0 Report for FY 2023–24 to assess grassroots governance.

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Key Findings of Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2.0

High National Participation: Achieved 97.3% participation, with over 2.59 lakh Gram Panchayats submitting validated data.
- Significant improvement from 80.79% in PAI 1.0, indicating better institutional adoption.
Performance Distribution of Panchayats: 1,18,824 Panchayats (≈45.7%) fall under Performer (B) category.
- 3,635 Panchayats are categorized as Front Runners (A).
- Very few Panchayats achieved top A+ (Achiever) status.
Strong Gains in Livelihoods and Health: High performance in “Poverty Free & Enhanced Livelihoods” and “Healthy Panchayat” themes.
- Over 3,300 Panchayats achieved A+ in livelihood indicators.
Improved Data Governance: Introduction of single data entry form, Gram Sabha validation, and real-time dashboards.
- Enhanced transparency, accountability, and accuracy through cross-validation mechanisms.
Rationalised Indicator Framework: Indicators reduced from 516 (PAI 1.0) to 150, improving usability and policy alignment.
- Covers 9 LSDG themes such as health, education, environment, and governance.

About Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI)

PAI is a nationwide data-driven framework to evaluate the performance of Gram Panchayats.
- It acts as a “report card” for grassroots governance.
Released by: Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
Coverage: Covers more than 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats across India in PAI 2.0
- PAI 1.0 released in 2025 covered and processed data from 2.16 lakh Gram Panchayats.
Framework Basis: Built on Localization of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs).
Indicators Used: Based on 150 indicators and 230 data points.
- Themes include Poverty, Health, Child Welfare, Water, Environment, Infrastructure, Social Justice, Governance, and Women Empowerment.
Classification of Gram Panchayats: Classified into five performance categories based on their composite PAI scores
- Front Runner (A): 75–89
- Performer (B): 60–74
- Aspirant (C): 40–59
- Beginner (D): Below 40

Significance of PAI 2.0

Evidence-Based Planning: Provides granular, data-driven insights for preparing Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) enabling targeted policy interventions.
Strengthening Local Governance: Encourages transparency, accountability, and participatory governance through Gram Sabha validation.
- Builds capacity of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).
Promoting Competitive Federalism: Creates ranking and benchmarking among Panchayats.
- Identifies best-performing Panchayats as models for replication.

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Conclusion

PAI 2.0 marks a significant shift towards data-driven, decentralized governance by linking grassroots performance with national development goal strengthening the vision of “Viksit Gram Panchayats” and inclusive rural transformation.

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