New Delhi: Tripura has emerged as the leading state in the country in terms of the number of top-performing gram panchayats, with Kerala securing the second position. The achievement is highlighted in the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) report for 2023–24 released by the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj. Odisha ranks third. West Bengal did not cooperate with the ministry’s study.

The rankings were determined based on factors such as health, education, poverty eradication, irrigation, sanitation, and development focusing on the welfare of women and children. Accordingly, 943 out of 1,176 gram panchayats in Tripura (80%) secured an A grade.

In Kerala, which has 941 panchayats, 95 (10%) received an A grade. While the remaining 233 panchayats in Tripura were awarded B grade, Kerala has 840 panchayats in the B category. The remaining six panchayats in Kerala fall under the C grade.

In Odisha, which ranks third, 555 out of a total of 6,794 panchayats received an A grade. As many as 4,566 panchayats secured B grade, 1,627 received C grade, and 46 were placed in D grade.

States at the bottom of the ranking include Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan. Other states that performed well include Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu.

The Panchayat Advancement Index is designed to strengthen grassroots governance. A total of 112 indicators were used for the assessment. As many as 3,313 panchayats showed notable progress in poverty eradication and livelihood generation, while 1,015 panchayats performed well in promoting healthy living conditions.

Across the country, 2,59,867 panchayats were part of the assessment process. Among them, 3,635 panchayats ranked at the top, 1,18,824 were categorized as high-performing, 1,23,719 were identified as promising, and 13,689 were classified as beginners.