Gujarat has emerged as the country’s best-performing state for grassroots rural governance and development, taking first place in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj’s first-ever Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2022-2023. Gujarat was ranked highest by the PAI, with 346 panchayats designated as ‘Front Runners’- the most for any state in India. The PAI assessed more than 2.16 lakh gram panchayats (GPs) across 29 states.
As per the Ministry’s official release, the inclusive and sustainable rural development model of Gujarat deserves the credit for the state’s success. The model emphasizes the empowering local self-governments to be self-sufficient and future-ready. This approach has led the state to the fore of rural transformation.
Being next in line, Telangana bagged the second position with 270 Front Runner panchayats, while Tripura stood third with a score of 42.
Apparently, the index categorises gram panchayats on the basis of their performance in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through 9 key themes, which include healthcare, child welfare, poverty alleviation, healthcare, infrastructure, and women empowerment among others.
Out of the total gram panchayats assessed nationwide,
- 699 were ranked as Front Runners (scores between 75-90)
- 77,298 as Performers (60-75)
- 1,32,392 as Aspirants (40-60)
- 5,896 as Beginners (below 40)
It is noteworthy that the PAI will become an important tool in order to track grassroots development, helping to enable the targeted interventions and policy reforms to bridge gaps and boost progress in the direction of the SDGs.