The Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI)
Published on 13 Oct 2025
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has launched the PAI, a transformative tool to measure the progress of over 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) across India.
It is a multi-dimensional index used to assess the implementation of Localization of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs) across nine broad themes.
These are 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.
The panchayats were scored on a scale of 0-100 based on these indicators and ranked in one of five categories: Achiever (90-100), Front Runner (75-90), Performer (60-75), Aspirant (40-60) and Beginner (below 40).
