Panchayat Development Index

About Panchayat Development Index

• It is a multi-domain and multi-sectoral index that is intended to be used to assess the overall holistic development, performance & progress of panchayats.
• It takes into account various socio-economic indicators and parameters to gauge the well-being and development status of the local communities within the jurisdiction of a panchayat.
• It would play a significant role for performance evaluation and progress assessment in achieving the localization of Sustainable Development Goals in rural areas.
• Under this the Local Indicators Framework on nine themes of Localization of Sustainable Development Goals was prepared.
• The nine themes taken into account are poverty free and enhanced livelihood in village, healthy village, child friendly village, water sufficient village, clean and green village, village with self-sufficient infrastructure, socially just and socially secured villages, village with good governance, and women friendly village.
• Ranks: This Index ranks panchayats on the basis of scores, and categorises them into four grades.
  • Those with scores under 40 per cent fall in grade D, 40-60 per cent in grade C, 60-75 per cent in grade B, 75 to 90 per cent in category A, while those scoring above 90 per cent will be categorised as A+.
• Significance
  • It shall provide valuable insights into the areas that require attention for improvement within the rural areas under the jurisdiction of the panchayats.
  • It helps in identifying disparities, achievement of development goals, and formulating targeted policies and interventions to enhance the overall well-being and quality of life of rural communities.

Q1) What are the SDGs?

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are 17 goals with 169 targets with interlinked objectives designed to serve as a "shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. All 191 UN Member States have agreed to try to achieve by the year 2030.

Source: Panchayat Development Index will help in comparing Panchayats in their progress of development goals across nine themes as well as in composite PDI score