Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) ( UPSC Prelims)

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News Context

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has launched the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) to evaluate the performance of Gram Panchayats.

About Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI)

Concept: The PAI is a comprehensive index spanning multiple domains and sectors, designed to evaluate the overall holistic development, performance, and progress of panchayats.
 Aims: It seeks to measure the effectiveness of these grassroots institutions in achieving localized SDGs.
 Themes: The index assesses panchayats across nine critical themes related to local development, such as being poverty-free, clean and green, socially just, and healthy.
 Categories in the PAI:
  ● Achiever (0%): No panchayat in India reached the 'achiever' status in this year's evaluation.  
  ● Aspirant (61.2%): The majority of panchayats are classified under this category.  
  ● Performer (36%): A notable portion of panchayats has shown moderate progress.  
  ● Front-Runner: Gujarat led the rankings with the highest number of panchayats in this category.