Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2.0 Report Out: 3635 Panchayats Emerge as Front Runners

Record Participation of 97.3% by Gram Panchayats/Traditional Local Bodies Achieved; Panchayat Report Card Shows Strong Gains in Livelihoods & Health Posted On: 29 APR 2026 4:34PM by PIB Delhi In a major step towards strengthening grassroots governance and promoting inclusive rural development, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj on the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Day celebrated on 24th April 2026 released the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2.0 Report for the FY Year 2023&ndash;24 . Serving as a report card for each Panchayat, the report highlights that (based on composite scores) 3,635 Gram Panchayats fall under the Front Runner category, while 1,18,824 Gram Panchayats (around 45.72% of participating GPs/Traditional Local Bodies) are placed in the Performer category. The top-performing themes, under which GPs have shown strong outcomes, include Poverty Free and Enhanced Livelihoods in Panchayat and Healthy Panchayat. Under Theme 1: Poverty Free and Enhanced Livelihoods in Panchayats, a total of 3,313 Gram Panchayats (GPs)/Traditional Local Bodies (TLBs) across the country have achieved the A+ grade, reflecting significant performance in poverty reduction and livelihood generation at the Panchayat level. Similarly, under Theme 2: Healthy Panchayats, a total of 1,015 Gram Panchayats/TLBs have attained the A+ grade, demonstrating strong outcomes in preventive healthcare, nutrition awareness, sanitation practices and community engagement. PAI 2.0 has recorded an exceptional national participation of 97.30 per cent, with 2,59,867 Gram Panchayats across 33 States and Union Territories submitting validated data &ndash; a marked and commendable improvement over the 80.79 per cent participation achieved under PAI Version 1.0. Among the key improvements in this version are a single integrated data entry form, mandatory Gram Sabha validation for transparency and accountability, enhanced auto-porting of data from national portals of nodal Union Ministries and Departments, soft and cross-data validation mechanisms for improved data accuracy, real-time dashboards for intuitive navigation, and embedded vernacular language support. The release of PAI 2.0 (FY 2023&ndash;24) reinforces the Government’s commitment to strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutions and advancing the vision of &ldquo;Viksit Gram Panchayats&rdquo; through participatory, transparent, and data-driven local governance. About PAI 2.0 The Panchayat Advancement Index serves as a robust tool for evidence-based planning, performance monitoring, and incentivising Panchayati Raj Institutions. It is increasingly being adopted by States and Union Territories to prioritise developmental interventions, support the preparation of Gram Panchayat Development Plans, and identify high-performing Panchayats as learning hubs and models of best practice. India’s first nationwide data-driven framework to assess Gram Panchayat performance, PAI 2.0 evaluates each of the more than 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats across the country against 150 indicators and 230 data points spanning nine thematic areas under the Localization of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs) &ndash; covering Poverty, Health, Child Welfare, Water, Environment, Infrastructure, Social Justice, Good Governance, and Women’s Empowerment. A significantly refined and strengthened version of its predecessor, PAI 2.0 has rationalized the indicator framework from 516 indicators and 794 data points in PAI Version 1.0 to 150 indicators and 230 data points, ensuring sharper focus, greater usability and stronger linkage with national planning frameworks. Based on their composite PAI scores, Gram Panchayats are classified into five performance categories &ndash; Achiever (A+: 90 and above), Front Runner (A: 75 to below 90), Performer (B : 60 to below 75), Aspirant (C: 40 to below 60), and Beginner (D: below 40) &ndash; enabling meaningful benchmarking, healthy competition, and targeted interventions at the grassroots level. State/UT wise No. of GP/Equivalent to GP categorized in grades of PAI v.2.0 FY 2023-24 S. No State/UT No. of GPs/Equivalent to GP No. of GP submitted Data* A B C D 1 Andaman & Nicobar 70 70 0 21 49 0 2 Andhra Pradesh 13310 13310 591 10178 2468 73 3 Arunachal Pradesh 2108 2108 0 72 1718 318 4 Assam 2192 2192 25 1209 884 74 5 Bihar 8053 8053 2 771 6862 418 6 Chhattisgarh 11643 11643 30 3936 5941 1736 7 Gujarat 14534 14534 75 11963 2471 25 8 Goa 191 188 0 80 107 1 9 Haryana 6225 6225 7 3342 2779 97 10 Himachal Pradesh 3615 3615 1 1706 1828 80 11 Jammu & Kashmir 4291 4291 1 1459 2792 39 12 Jharkhand 4345 4345 6 1993 2311 35 13 Karnataka 5946 5946 36 3707 2172 31 14 Kerala 941 941 95 840 6 0 15 Ladakh 193 193 0 62 129 2 16 Lakshadweep 10 10 0 5 5 0 17 Madhya Pradesh 23011 23011 33 11154 11514 310 18 Maharashtra 27894 27894 315 10049 16909 621 19 Manipur 3041 3041 0 57 1231 1753 20 Meghalaya 6859 3069 0 18 2292 759 21 Nagaland 1277 1277 0 33 1040 204 22 Mizoram 840 840 34 549 253 4 23 Odisha 6794 6794 555 4566 1627 46 24 Puducherry 108 108 0 77 31 0 25 Punjab 13233 13233 1 3275 9464 493 26 Rajasthan 11037 11037 8 5437 5389 203 27 Sikkim 199 199 1 163 35 0 28 Tamil Nadu 12482 12482 197 10520 1746 19 29 Telangana 12556 12556 624 10056 1853 <span style="font-family:Times New