The Ministry of Panchayati Raj said on 29 April 2026 that it had released the Panchayat Advancement Index 2.0 report for FY 2023-24 on National Panchayati Raj Day, observed on 24 April 2026. The report works as a report card for each panchayat and is meant to support inclusive rural development through local-governance outcomes. On composite scores, 3,635 gram panchayats were placed in the Front Runner category, while 1,18,824 units, about 45.72 percent, were placed in the Performer category.
The strongest themes were Poverty Free and Enhanced Livelihoods in Panchayat and Healthy Panchayat. Under the first theme, 3,313 gram panchayats or traditional local bodies achieved A+ grade, reflecting performance on poverty reduction and livelihood generation. Under Healthy Panchayats, 1,015 units achieved A+ grade, showing outcomes in preventive healthcare, nutrition awareness, sanitation practices and community engagement. Participation reached 97.30 percent, with 2,59,867 gram panchayats across 33 states and Union Territories submitting validated data, compared with 80.79 percent in the first version.
The ministry said PAI 2.0 improves transparency through an integrated data-entry form, mandatory Gram Sabha validation, greater auto-porting of data from national portals, cross-data validation, real-time dashboards and vernacular-language support. It assesses more than 2.5 lakh gram panchayats through 150 indicators and 230 data points across nine themes linked to localising sustainable development goals. The earlier framework of 516 indicators and 794 data points has been rationalised. Panchayats are classified as Achiever, Front Runner, Performer, Aspirant or Beginner, enabling benchmarking, competition and targeted interventions.