PAI 2.0: Panchayat grades, pillars and state results
Why in the news
A second version of India’s village-level scoring system was in focus. It links each Gram Panchayat’s work to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and doubles up as a planning aid.
Key facts
- PAI 2.0 is the second-generation tool for rating local governance, covering more than 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats.
- Its purpose is Localization of SDGs (LSDGs): turning the 17 global goals into village-level action.
- Scoring uses nine thematic pillars, among them a healthy Panchayat, water sufficiency, clean and green, good governance and women-friendly.
- Uttar Pradesh recorded 100% participation (57,678 GPs); West Bengal was the major state that did not join.
Grade bands (status in 2024)
| Grade | Label | Score | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | Achiever | 90 and above | No Panchayat qualified |
| A | Front Runner | 75 to 90 | 3,635 Panchayats |
| B | Performer | 60 to 75 | 1,18,824 Panchayats, the largest group |
| C | Aspirant | 40 to 60 | Weaker areas, for example parts of Bihar |
| D | Beginner | below 40 | Critically lagging areas, for example remote Northeast |
Themes tracked
- Poverty-free and enhanced livelihoods: jobs and social security.
- Healthy Panchayat: maternal health, immunisation, sanitation.
- Water-sufficient: potable water and greywater handling; Clean and green: renewables and waste.
- Self-sufficient infrastructure: roads, streetlights, community halls.
- Socially just and secured (SC/ST/elderly), good governance (digital services, Gram Sabha meetings) and women-friendly (participation, safety).
Key concepts
- Traditional Local Bodies (TLBs): tribal councils in parts of the Northeast under the Sixth Schedule that act as Panchayats; PAI 2.0 includes them for full national coverage.
- GPDP: the yearly development plan of each Panchayat; PAI 2.0 scores now serve as a diagnostic input for what goes into it.
- Grades also help the government spot regions needing urgent attention and those that can act as Learning Hubs.
Exam angle
- Subject: Panchayati Raj and local governance (UPSC GS-2); also state PSC rural development.
- Top performer: Tripura; highest participation: Uttar Pradesh.
- Related terms: LSDG, TLB, GPDP, Learning Hubs.