Lok Sabha Question No. 4121 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-17
Subject: Progress of Projects in Panchayats
Ministry: PANCHAYATI RAJ
Asked by: Shri Ashish Dubey

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4121

ANSWERED ON 17/03/2026

## PROGRESS OF PROJECTS IN PANCHAYATS

## 4121. SHRI ASHISH DUBEY

Will the Minister of PANCHAYATI RAJ be pleased to state:

- a. the manner in which indices measuring the progress of projects and programmes in Panchayats are being used to identify item-wise gaps in their performance;
- b. the percentage increase in the Panchayat Progress Index scores of women-led Panchayats in 2025 compared to 2024;
- c. the steps being taken to develop high-performing Gram Panchayats in States like Gujarat and Telangana as Panchayat Learning Centers so that Panchayats in the Beginner'category can learn from thems and achieve the desired results;
- d. whether the said project is operational in Madhya Pradesh, particularly in Jabalpur; and
- e. if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF PANCHAYATI RAJ

## (SHRI RAJIV RANJAN SINGH ALIAS LALAN SINGH)

(a) & (b) The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has developed the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) as a composite assessment framework to assess the performance of Gram Panchayats/Equivalent to Gram Panchayats across nine themes aligned with the Localization of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs). Under PAI, Panchayats are assigned scores for each of these nine themes, along with an overall/composite score. These theme-wise and overall scores, made available through scorecards and dashboards, help in identifying areas with relatively low scores, thereby enabling Panchayats to focus on such areas and take targeted steps for balanced and all-round development. The scores can also help identify Panchayats with relatively better performance in specific themes or in overall/composite performance, which may be used for peer learning and dissemination of good practices among Panchayats.

PAI 1.0 for FY 2022-23 was released in April 2025. The scores for PAI 2.0 for FY 2023-24 were finalized in February 2026. However, the scores of PAI 1.0 and 2.0 are not comparable because the local indicators across 9 themes of LSDGs vary in the two surveys. Based on the recommendations of the Committee for Rationalization of Local Indicators under Panchayat

Advancement Index (PAI), the Ministry has introduced more relevant and representative local indicators and data points, while simplifying workflows to improve usability. In this process, the number of indicators has been rationalised from 516 in PAI 1.0 to 150 in PAI 2.0 for the year 2023-24. The exercise of PAI for the FY 2024 and 2025 has not yet commenced.

(c) The concept of Panchayat Learning Centres (PLCs) envisages identifying well-performing Gram Panchayats as demonstration and peer-learning sites for sharing good practices in planning, service delivery, governance processes, and the implementation of development initiatives. PLCs are intended to facilitate experience-based learning and knowledge exchange among Panchayats.

Panchayats, being institutions of local self-government under the State List, and the identification and establishment of Panchayat Learning Centres fall primarily within the domain of the respective State Governments.

However, the Ministry is implementing the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Revamped Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) w.e.f. the financial year 2022-23, with the main objective of building the capacity of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) for effective delivery of good governance. The scheme also supplements the efforts of States/UTs on a limited scale by supporting the establishment of institutional mechanisms by providing infrastructural support, such as the development of Panchayat Learning Centres (PLCs). Gram Panchayats with success stories/good practices or which have already shown exemplary work in identified themes for Local Sustainable Development Goals are developed as PLCs.

The PAI framework, through its theme-wise and overall performance scores, provides an evidence base to help identify top-performing Gram Panchayats on objective parameters, which may be referred to by States for various capacity-building, knowledge-sharing, and other administrative decision-making purposes.

Under the Revamped RGSA, 33 Panchayat Learning Centres (PLCs) have been approved for the State of Gujarat and 9 PLCs for the State of Telangana during the year 2025-26. As per information provided by the Government of Gujarat, 33 Gram Panchayats, one from each district, have been selected as Panchayat Learning Centres in the State. As reported by the State, the score obtained under the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 1.0 has been considered as one of the criteria for the selection of these Panchayats by the State Government.

(d) & (e) Yes, Sir. Madhya Pradesh is on-boarded in the exercise of the Panchayat Advancement Index, including Jabalpur District. In Jabalpur, Kushner Gram Panchayat of Panagar Block is the Best Gram Panchayat, which scored 75.11; Grade: A (Front Runner). Snapshot of Panchayat Advancement Index 2.0 for Jabalpur District, Madhya Pradesh is:-

| District   |   Total GPs |   A+ |   A |   B |   C |   D |
|------------|-------------|------|-----|-----|-----|-----|
| Jabalpur   |         527 |    0 |   1 | 336 | 189 |   1 |

Best Gram Panchayats in Jabalpur District of Madhya Pradesh across 9 Themes of Localization of Sustainable Development Goals are mentioned below:

| Name of Themes                                             | Best GP            | Block    |   Score | Grade           |
|------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------|----------|---------|-----------------|
| Theme 1: Poverty Free and Enhanced Livelihood in Panchayat | Lamkana            | Majhouli |   83.72 | A(Front Runner) |
| Theme 2: Healthy Panchayat                                 | Harai              | Jabalpur |   87.77 | A(Front Runner) |
| Theme 3: Child Friendly Panchayat                          | Pipariya (Kushner) | Panagar  |   84.62 | A(Front Runner) |
| Theme 4: Water Sufficient Panchayat                        | Kuwarhat           | Kundam   |   93.49 | A+ (Achiever)   |
| Theme 5: Clean & Green Panchayat                           | Simeriya           | Majhouli |   92.84 | A+ (Achiever)   |
| Theme 6: Panchayat with Self Sufficient Infrastructure     | Matamar            | Panagar  |   90.37 | A+(Achiever)    |
| Theme 7: Socially Just& Socially Secured Panchayat         | Murkuru            | Majhouli |   87.72 | A(Front Runner) |
| Theme 8: Panchayat with Good Governance                    | Saliya             | Jabalpur |   90    | A+(Achiever)    |
| Theme 9: Women Friendly Panchayat                          | Pipariya (Kushner) | Panagar  |   72.21 | B (Performer)   |

****