The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has released the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2.0 for 2023-24. PAI measures Gram Panchayat progress by converting the 17 SDGs into 9 Localised SDG themes. Version 2.0 used over 150 indicators and 230 data points, grading Panchayats as Achiever, Front Runner, Performer, Aspirant or Beginner on a 0-100 scale. With about 97.3% participation, over 2.59 lakh Gram Panchayats were assessed; 3,635 emerged as Front Runners, about 45.7% were Performers, and none achieved the Achiever (A+) grade. Tripura, Kerala and Odisha were the top-performing States. The index aids Gram Panchayat Development Plans.