First Ever PAI Baseline Report for FY23 Shows Gujarat and Telangana Leading as Front Runners. National | Dated: 11 Apr 2025 In April 2025, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) launched the first-ever ‘Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) baseline report’ for the Financial Year 2022-23 (FY23), aimed at localizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 🎯 Key Highlights: - This initiative serves as a transformative tool to evaluate the performance of over 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) across India using a comprehensive and evidence-based framework aligned with the SDG 2030 Agenda. - The Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) is a composite index designed to assess Panchayat performance based on 9 themes under the Localized SDGs (LSDGs), such as Good Governance, Poverty-Free and Enhanced Livelihoods, among others. 💡 Other Important Facts: (i) According to the 2022-23 PAI data, out of 2,55,699 GPs, a total of 2,16,285 GPs submitted validated data. Among them, 699 (0.3%) Panchayats were identified as Front Runners. (ii) Gujarat led the rankings with 346 Gram Panchayats recognized as Front Runners, followed by Telangana with 270 Gram Panchayats in the same category. 📚 Test Your Knowledge: Recently, which Indian state topped the First-Ever PAI Baseline Report for FY23 with the highest number of Front Runner Gram Panchayats? Correct Answer: Gujarat 🚀 Quick Recap: About the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) Cabinet Minister : Lalan Singh Headquarters : New Delhi