Latest news with #PanchayatAdvancementIndex
India Gazette
26-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Panchayat Advancement Index 2.0 portal launched
New Delhi [India], May 26 (ANI): The two-day National Writeshop on Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) Version 2.0 for FY 2023-24 commenced on Monday at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi in the presence of Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, an official statement said. Other officials present in the event were Saurabh Garg, Secretary, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI); Sushil Kumar Lohani, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Rajib Kumar Sen, Senior Advisor, NITI Aayog. 'During the inaugural, the PAI 2.0 Portal was launched. Local Indicator Framework (LIF) Booklet for FY 2023-24 along with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) was also released on this occasion,' read a statement from the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. Delivering the inaugural address Secretary Vivek Bharadwaj emphasized upon the transformational potential of the Panchayat Advancement Index in enabling Panchayats to systematically assess and improve their performance across key areas of governance and service delivery. Referring to the vision of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Aspirational Districts and Aspirational Blocks, he said, 'We must now take that spirit forward in our Panchayats. When we record accurate data, we do not merely count; we contribute to the nation's transformation'. He highlighted that the PAI is not just a data collection tool but a mechanism to institutionalize transparent, accountable and performance-based Panchayat-level governance. He urged the ground functionaries to enter accurate data on the PAI portal 2.0 that will give a comprehensive view for holistic development of India. 'PAI data serves as the bedrock for equitable development, transparency, and participatory governance,' he added. He called upon all Gram Panchayats to display their PAI scorecards prominently at GP Bhawans to promote public participation and local accountability. Saurabh Garg, Secretary, MoSPI, in his keynote remarks, commended the Ministry of Panchayati Raj for building a strong evidence-based platform aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He noted that 'India's SDG data availability has risen from 55% to nearly 95% in the last five years. PAI 2.0 embodies the spirit of 'Measure what we treasure and treasure what we measure'.' He highlighted how the PAI framework, through improved standardisation, harmonisation and visualisation, advances the national goal of inclusive, outcome-oriented governance. He stated that PAI will become the basis for achieving the goal of Viksit Bharat through 'Sabka Prayas' based on the bottom-up participatory approach for development and serve as a benchmark for many other indicators that help in measuring India's progress. Rajib Kumar Sen, Senior Advisor, NITI Aayog, observed that PAI 2.0 is a powerful bridge connecting local efforts to national and global commitments. He stated that it complements the SDG India Index and enhances India's readiness for future Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) at global forums. He appreciated the thoughtful design of PAI 2.0 and its relevance for enabling local institutions to evaluate the real-time impact of various schemes. Sushil Kumar Lohani, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, stated that the National Writeshop reflects the government's commitment to institutionalizing data-backed and evidence-based planning and monitoring in Panchayats. He emphasized that 'PAI 2.0 equips Panchayats with practical tools to assess their own progress, identify gaps, and plan meaningfully. It encourages a culture of healthy competition and continuous improvement.' PAI is a multidimensional assessment framework developed by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj to enable performance tracking of over 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats across nine themes aligned with the Localization of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs). While PAI Version 1.0 served as the baseline and covered data from 2.16 lakh Gram Panchayats across 29 States/UTs, PAI Version 2.0 represents a major leap forward in functionality, efficiency, and usability. The transition from PAI 1.0 to 2.0 reflects a focused refinement of the framework, with a sharper and more practical set of indicators and data points to improve usability and reliability while retaining thematic comprehensiveness. The revised framework not only reduces the reporting burden but also improves data quality and reliability. The nine LSDG-aligned themes include: Poverty-free and Enhanced Livelihoods Panchayat, Healthy Panchayat, Child-Friendly Panchayat, Water-Sufficient Panchayat, Clean and Green Panchayat, Panchayat with Self-Sufficient Infrastructure, Socially Just and Socially Secured Panchayat, Panchayat with Good Governance, and Women-Friendly Panchayat. This Writeshop includes live demonstrations, technical walkthroughs, and hands-on exercises on portal configuration, data flow and validation. Day two will feature presentations from States and UTs on field experiences from PAI 1.0 and how they plan to utilize PAI 2.0 to enhance local planning and governance. It has brought together over 250 participants from 32 States/UTs, senior officials from relevant Ministries/Departments, representatives from Panchayati Raj Departments /Institutions/ SIRD&PRs of States/UTs, and technical and knowledge partners including NITI Aayog, MoSPI, National Informatics Centre (NIC), UNICEF, UNFPA, Transform Rural India (TRI), and the Piramal Foundation. (ANI)
Hindustan Times
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Working for nation's development also mark of patriotism: Panchayati Raj secretary
New Delhi, Guarding the borders is not the only act of patriotism and all those working for the nation's development are setting an example of devotion to the nation, said the secretary of the Panchayati Raj Ministry, Raj Vivek Bharadwaj, on Monday. He made the remarks while inaugurating a two-day workshop on the Panchayat Advancement Index that would measure growth at the village level. It aims at capacity building for data-based monitoring and planning at the village panchayat level to support holistic, inclusive, and sustainable development through Panchayati Raj Institutions. At the inauguration event, Bharadwaj said the index analyses over 100 indicators and gives a very comprehensive picture of overall development. "I am sure such a big effort has never been made before. With 2.5 lakh Panchayats being measured, there must be millions of data points," Bharadwaj said. "Sometimes we don't understand the value of our own contribution. Operation Sindoor has just concluded and our armies fought bravely. But there's isn't the only benchmark of patriotism." The Panchayati Raj Ministry said, "Standing at the border to guard the nation is not the only act of patriotism. All of us who are working for the development of the nation are contributing to it. We all are setting an example of our patriotism." "When you fill the correct data in PAI, when you ensure what is on the ground is reflected on the portal, you are contributing to the development of the country," he said to officials and panchayat members attending the workshop. Saurabh Garg, the Secretary of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation , said the PAI will help in getting data from the grassroots level. "It provides a very good basis for a bottom-up approach." He stressed that the index is the first of its kind, and will become a benchmark for other indicators to be developed. NITI Aayog Senior Advisor Rajib Kumar Sen said the index will help in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals . "It will provide the guidance required for a Viksit Bharat," he said. According to the Panchayati Raj Ministry, the PAI has been developed as a robust, multi-dimensional tool to assess and monitor the progress of village panchayats against nine themes aligned with the Localized Sustainable Development Goals . These themes cover areas such as poverty alleviation, health, education, water sufficiency, clean environment, infrastructure, governance, social justice, and women empowerment. While in the first phase - PAI 1.0 served as a baseline assessment tool, PAI 2.0 incorporates major enhancements based on extensive field experience and stakeholder feedback. It introduces a sharper and more focused framework by rationalising the number of indicators from 516 to 147. The refined Local Indicator Framework now emphasizes outcome-oriented, measurable indicators across nine LSDG themes, enabling village panchayats to track progress better, prioritise interventions, and enhance transparency in local governance.
Hans India
24-05-2025
- Business
- Hans India
PAI Version 2.0 to ensure data-based monitoring, planning at gram panchayat level
New Delhi: The Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) Version 2.0 is aimed at building capacities for data-based monitoring and planning at the gram panchayat level to support the achievement of holistic, inclusive, and sustainable development in rural areas through Panchayati Raj Institutions, the government said on Saturday. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is organising a two-day 'Writeshop' on the PAI Version 2.0 in the capital on May 26-27 which marks the national roll out of PAI 2.0 for FY 2023–24. The PAI has been developed as a robust, multidimensional tool to assess and monitor the progress of Gram Panchayats against nine themes aligned with the Localised Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs). These themes cover areas such as poverty alleviation, health, education, water sufficiency, clean environment, infrastructure, governance, social justice and women's empowerment. While PAI 1.0 (FY 2022–23) served as a baseline assessment tool, PAI 2.0 incorporates major enhancements based on extensive field experience and stakeholder feedback. According to the ministry, PAI 2.0 introduces a sharper and more focused framework by rationalising the number of indicators from 516 to 147, ensuring higher data quality, ease of reporting, and actionable insights. The refined 'Local Indicator Framework' now emphasizes outcome-oriented, measurable indicators across nine LSDG themes, enabling Gram Panchayats to better track progress, prioritize interventions, and enhance transparency in local governance. The key improvements in PAI 2.0 include reduction in the number of indicators from 516 in PAI 1.0 to 147 in PAI 2.0 to improve usability and reduce reporting burden; rationalised data points and themes, focusing on quality over quantity; auto-integration of data from national portals of Union Ministries and Departments; and streamlined and mobile-friendly portal interface with improved dashboards and user accessibility, among others. Participants will also engage in hands-on group exercises for portal configuration, data entry, validation, and use of PAI outputs in planning. On the second day, State and UT teams will present their experiences, share implementation insights from PAI 1.0, and showcase how they plan to utilise PAI 2.0 for strengthening Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs).
Indian Express
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Role of Panchayati Raj in strengthening local governance
(The Indian Express has launched a new series of articles for UPSC aspirants written by seasoned writers and scholars on issues and concepts spanning History, Polity, International Relations, Art, Culture and Heritage, Environment, Geography, Science and Technology, and so on. Read and reflect with subject experts and boost your chance of cracking the much-coveted UPSC CSE. In the following article, Dr. Akhil Kumar explores the evolution of the Panchayati Raj Institutions.) Recognising the significant role of panchayats in local governance, the government on April 9 launched the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) – 'a key metric for assessing progress at the grassroots level and aiding in the formulation of localised strategies and targets for inclusive rural development'. Additionally, the 2024 index published by the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj and the effort towards addressing the practice of 'Pradhan Pati' or 'Mukhiya Pati' speaks volumes about the significance attached to the Panchayat Raj Institutions in strengthening an inclusive grassroots governance. But how has this institution evolved from traditional panchayats to constitutional local bodies over time ? Let's explore. Evolution of Panchayati Raj Institutions The Panchayati Raj Institutions play a very important role in the rural hinterland of India in the decentralisation of power and governance to the grassroots level. While these local self-governing bodies were formally institutionalised and strengthened through the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments in 1992 – conferring the constitutional status upon rural local bodies (panchayats) and urban local bodies (municipalities) – their origins dates back to times immemorial. Traces of early forms of the panchayat raj system can be found in Vedas, Kautilya's Arthashastra, the Mauryan empire and other historical sources. Over the decades, the institutions of the panchayat raj system have undergone significant changes in the pre and post-independence years. During British colonial rule, Lord Mayo's resolution of 1870 ushered in the decentralisation of power and advocated the devolution of finances to develop the villages and towns. Lord Ripon's reforms in 1882 are considered a 'pioneering' framework for local governance in British India, as they recommended that the smallest administrative units must be placed under the auspices of local boards. Later, in 1909, the Royal Commission on Decentralisation, led by Sir Henry William, examined the functioning of these local boards and identified the lack of representation and inadequate powers as major constraints in their effective functioning. The commission made a few recommendations which were later incorporated in the the Government of India Act, 1919. After attaining independence in 1947, India laid greater emphasis on decentralisation of administration to promote local self-governance in its villages. On November 25, 1948, K Santhanam, a Gandhian and a member of the Constituent Assembly, insisted upon the Chairman of the Drafting Committee to insert/include an amendment in support of this vision. As a result, during the framing of the Constitution, a special provision on decentralisation was embedded in the Directive Principles of State Policy under Part IV in Article 40. The article states: 'The State shall take steps to organise village panchayats and endow them with such powers and authority as may be necessary to enable them to function as units of self-government.' Community development programme, precursor to panchayats As a precursor to the Panchayati Raj Institutions, the community development programme was initiated by the government during the First Five-Year Plan (1951-55). After independence, India grappled with several challenges, including food scarcity, poverty, and unemployment. The community development programme was introduced as a remedial measure aimed at involving all communities in rural areas in the process of development. Prior to the inception of this programme, India had undertaken certain community development projects. Some notable initiatives were the Sriniketan Institute of Rural Reconstruction by Rabindranath Tagore in 1921/1922; the Marthandam Experiment by Dr. Spencer Hatch through the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu; and the Firka Development Scheme by T. Prakasam in 1946 in the Madras presidency, to name a few. Although major activities such as agricultural development (including land development, supply of fertilisers and pesticides), irrigation (such as digging wells), laying roads, prevention of epidemics were taken up under the community development programme, it did not yield the desired results. The programme faced challenges like lack of people's participation, bureaucratic red-tapism, and corruption. A study conducted by the Planning Commission found that artisans were neglected, and that only areas with existing irrigation facilities and large landholdings benefitted. Three-tier system Hence, the government constituted a committee in 1957 under the chairmanship of Balwant Rai Mehta to suggest improvements. In its report, the committee suggested the decentralisation of governance from the village to the district level. It proposed a three-tier structure – at the lowest level, the Village Panchayats, at the intermediary (taluk or block) level, Panchayat Samitis, and at the highest level, the Zilla Parishads. Rajasthan emerged as the first state to implement the proposed model on October 2, 1959, followed by Andhra Pradesh in November 1959. To address the ineffective implementation of the proposed three-tier structure and to identify the lacunae in the functioning of these Panchayati Raj Institutions, a new committee was constituted under the chairmanship of Ashok Mehta in 1977 during the tenure of the first non-Congress government led by the Janata party. The committee recommended replacing the three-tier structure with a two-tier system, with Mandal Panchayats at the bottom and the Zilla Parishads at the top. It also advocated for the reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes based on their population to safeguard their interests. Most importantly, it endorsed the participation of political parties in panchayat raj affairs. However, the implementation of these recommendations remained limited due to factors such as maintaining uniformity in a diverse nation and finances and other constraints. Subsequently, several committees were formed over the years to review the functioning of the Panchayati Raj Institutions from time to time such as Hanumantha Rao Committee (1983), GVK Rao Committee (1985), L M Singhvi Committee (1986), P K Thungan Committee (1989) and Harlal Singh Kharra Committee (1990). Evaluating the Functioning of panchayats From the late 1980s onwards, the government made several attempts to empower Panchayati Raj Institutions by granting them constitutional status, with various amendments introduced in 1989, 1990, and 1991. It was during the tenure of the P V Narasimha Rao government when the goal was finally achieved in December 1992, with both Houses of Parliament passing the amendment which was ratified by 17 state assemblies. Thereafter, two new parts were added to the Constitution: Part IX for 'The Panchayats,' and Part IX A for 'The Municipalities'. According to the Ministry of Panchayati Raj's Annual Report 2024-25, there are 2,55,397 gram panchayats, 6,742 intermediary panchayats, and 665 district panchayats in India. To evaluate the functioning of the Panchayati Raj Institutions, the government devised the Panchayat Devolution Index to assess every state's performance of its local bodies across various dimensions such as finances, accountability, capacity building and others. This index was based on the concept paper presented by V N Alok and Laveesh Bhandari in 2004, which outlined three dimensions: Functions, Finances, and Functionaries (3Fs). Later, three other parameters – Capacity Building, Accountability, and Framework – were added to the index. In the recently released Panchayat Devolution Index, Karnataka secured the top position followed by states such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu and others. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj released this index based on a study conducted by the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA). The index also identified several challenges in the functioning of these institutions such as the lack of financial autonomy, financial constraints, transparency, inadequate human resources, holding elections and updating electoral rolls. The Ministry also introduced the e-Gram Swaraj application to enhance the functioning of Panchayat activities. However, the lack of digital literacy came out as a major constraint, limiting its ability to strengthen the institutions. Such factors hinder the Panchayati Raj Institutions from functioning effectively and executing various socio-economic welfare programmes introduced by the governments to strengthen grassroots governance. Post Read Questions What were the earliest references to local self-governance? How did colonial administrative reforms, such as Lord Mayo's resolution of 1870, shape the early structure of village governance? The 73rd amendment to the Constitution is seen as one of the landmark developments in India's journey as a constitutional republic, establishing the panchayati raj system. Comment. How does the Ministry of Panchayati Raj assess the performance of these institutions across different states? What are the core dimensions of the Panchayat Devolution Index, and how has it evolved since its inception in 2004? How does the e-Gram Swaraj application aim to improve Panchayat functioning? Despite constitutional backing and digital interventions, why do Panchayati Raj Institutions still struggle with financial autonomy and transparency? Suggest the way forward.
