First PAI report places 11 GPs from state in Grade B
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, April 10 2025: The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has released the first-ever Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI), offering a detailed assessment of grassroots development in over 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) across India.

The data presents a mixed picture for Manipur, highlighting both challenges and pockets of progress among its local self-governments.

Of the state's 3,222 GPs, state government submitted validated and submitted data for 1,976 on the PAI portal.

According to the report, Manipur has no Gram Panchayat in the highest-performing category, with most falling in the lower performance brackets.

A total of 1,741 GPs (88.1 per cent) were graded C while 224 (11.3 per cent) were placed in the lowest D grade.

Only 11 GPs (0.6 per cent) earned a mid-level B grade.

Notably, no Panchayat in the state qualified for the top two categories of A or A+ .

This distribution suggests that while most Panchayats meet basic governance and development benchmarks, substantial gaps remain in achieving higher levels of progress.

The Panchayat Advancement Index, a composite measure based on 435 local indicators (331 mandatory and 104 optional) and 566 unique data points, assesses performance of panchayats across nine themes of the Localisation of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs).

These themes include poverty eradication, health, child welfare, water sufficiency, environmental sustainability, infrastructure, social justice, governance, and women's empowerment.

In Manipur, the best overall performing GP is Phungyar in Kamjong block, which scored 65.19 on the index.

It is followed by Shakok and Noney, both recording scores slightly below 64 .

On the other end of the spectrum, Motjang in Churachandpur ranked at the bottom with a score of just 0.77 .

Several other panchayats scored under 1, while some hovered in the low 30s, exposing glaring disparities in rural development across the state.

The index also evaluated pancha-yats thematically.

Under the theme of Poverty-Free and Enhanced Livelihoods (T1), Ngoiphai GP leads the state with a score of 82.33 .

In the Healthy Panchayat category (T2), Golenkot stood out with a perfect score of 100 .

Katomai Centre emerged as the best Child-Friendly Panchayat (T3) with a score of 76.94, while Gouchinkhup Veng topped the Water-Sufficient Panchayat category (T4) with a score of 78.92 .

Bungjang was recognised as the best Clean and Green Panchayat (T5), scoring 58.67 .

For infrastructure, Khundrakpam scored the highest in the Self-Sufficient Infrastructure category (T6) with 57.05 .

In the theme of Social Justice and Social Security (T7), Kongkan achieved the top position with a score of 73.8 .

Leishangthem led in the category of Good Governance (T8), scoring 67.09, while Mualjin was recognised as the most Women-Friendly Panchayat (T9) with a score of 77.22 .

The data validation process was another key feature of the index.

In Manipur, around 70 per cent of the submitted data was verified at the block and line department levels.

However, the verification rate declined to approximately 69 per cent at the district level and 61 per cent at the state level, leading to submission of data for only 1976 GPs out of 3222, indicating room for improvement in administrative oversight and data quality.

The index marks a significant step toward localising the Sustainable Development Goals and improving accountability at the grassroots.

It aligns with the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation's National Indicator Framework, tailoring global goals to rural realities.

Nationally, 2,16,285 of 2,55,699 panchayats submitted validated data.

While 699 panchayats were recognised as Front Runners, a majority - 1,32,392 - were categorised as Aspirants, indicating the need for focused interventions.

Gujarat and Telangana led the rankings with the highest number of Front Runners, while states like Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh had a large number of low-performing Panchayats.

For Manipur, the PAI not only provides a snapshot of current grassroots development but also serves as a roadmap for targeted policy interventions.

The stark contrast between the state's top and bottom-ranking Panchayats underscores the urgent need for focused efforts to bridge development gaps and empower rural communities.

Comment