[Answered] Getting the ‘micropicture’ at the panchayat level is critical for grassroots governance. In this context, discuss how the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) can transform evidence-based decision-making and localization of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs) in India.

Introduction

Effective grassroots governance requires access to granular, reliable, and comprehensible data. In this context, the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI), launched by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj in April 2025, marks a significant leap in capturing the ‘micropicture’ at the gram panchayat (GP) level. It enables data-driven governance and strengthens the localization of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs) by transforming how development is tracked and delivered across India’s vast rural landscape.

Understanding PAI and Its Framework

It is based on validated data from over 2.16 lakh gram panchayats, providing each GP with a scorecard indicating their performance and gaps across thematic areas such as health, education, sanitation, gender equality, and livelihoods. The PAI Baseline Report 2022-23 is a composite index based on:

1. 435 unique indicators (331 mandatory, 104 optional)
2. 566 data points
3. Spread across 9 LSDG-aligned themes, in line with the National Indicator Framework (NIF) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

Transformational Role in Evidence-Based Decision-Making

1. Micro-level Insights: Traditional government portals focus on the macro picture. PAI shifts the lens to the grassroots, offering hyperlocal, disaggregated data linked to specific households and communities.
2. Accessibility of Information: PAI has been designed to be understandable even to sarpanches and ward members, empowering local functionaries with actionable insights.
3. Improved Accountability: When citizens can see where their GP stands, it creates bottom-up pressure for performance and transparency in fund utilization.
4. Targeted Interventions: Identifying precise gaps — e.g., in health infrastructure or school attendance — allows for swift corrective measures, particularly by line departments at the block and district levels.
5. Constituency-wise Reports: MPs and MLAs can generate constituency-level PAI reports, enabling better targeting of schemes under MPLADS, MLALAD, CSR, or DMF funds.

Boost to Localization of SDGs

1. LSDG Alignment: By mapping indicators directly to SDG goals and targets, PAI brings the global development agenda to the panchayat level, making India’s rural areas active agents in achieving the SDGs by 2030.
2. Outcome-Oriented Governance: PAI links data to outcomes — e.g., whether a GP is truly a “Healthy Panchayat” — rather than just inputs or expenditures, fostering a results-based approach.
3. Stakeholder Involvement: The PAI framework promotes collaboration among elected representatives, community members, frontline workers, and civil society organisations (CSOs), making development participatory.

Way Forward

1. Deploy trained data analysts at the block and district levels to interpret and act on PAI findings.
2. Encourage Unnat Bharat Abhiyan institutions to handhold panchayats and explain their PAI scores and actionable steps.
3. Develop a similar index for urban local bodies to cover the full spectrum of local governance.
4. Strengthen data visualisation and analytics tools to make insights more accessible and comprehensible to all stakeholders.

Conclusion

The Panchayat Advancement Index is not just a performance measurement tool but a catalyst for transformative grassroots governance. By capturing the micropicture, it empowers local institutions, democratizes data access, and puts panchayats at the heart of India’s sustainable development journey.