Panchayat Advancement Index
Also called: Panchayat Development Index, PAI · Topic: Panchayati Raj: Rural Local Government · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) is an index of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. It scores gram panchayats on the nine themes of the localised SDGs. Each GP gets a grade: Achiever, Front Runner, Performer, Aspirant or Beginner. It shows where each panchayat stands, so plans can target weak areas.
Example
The baseline PAI for 2022-23 was released in April 2025. It covered 2,16,285 GPs: none was an Achiever, and 699 were Front Runners. PAI 2.0 for 2023-24 was released on 24 April 2026. It covered 2,59,867 GPs, with 3,635 Front Runners.
Don't confuse with
- Devolution Index: it scores states, not GPs. It measures how much power states have handed to panchayats across six areas, including functions, finances and functionaries.
Related concepts
- People's Plan Campaign
- Gram Panchayat Development Plan
- Localisation of Sustainable Development Goals
- e-Gram Swaraj
- SVAMITVA scheme