Panchayat Advancement Index Wins Gold Award at National e-Governance Awards 2026

The Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) has been awarded with the Gold Award at the National e-Governance Awards 2026. It was developed by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and PAI is the comprehensive data-driven framework which is designed to assess the performance of Gram Panchayats across the country.

PAI Receives Gold Award at National e-Governance Awards 2026

The Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) has been selected for the prestigious Gold Award under the Category of VII – Digital Transformation through the Use of the Data Analytics in the Digital Platforms by Central Ministries, States and Union Territories.

This award will be presented during the 29th National Conference on e-Governance which set be held on 1-2 July 2026 in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

The recognition showcases the government’s efforts to promote the innovation, transparency and the data-driven decision-making in local governance.

The Gold Award includes the,

• A Trophy
• A Citation
• Cash Incentive of ₹10 lakh

About the National e-Governance Awards 2026

The National Awards for e-Governance are among the India’s most prestigious recognitions for excellence in the digital governance and public administration.

These awards are conferred every year to encourage the innovative use of technology in delivering citizen-centric services and improving a governance outcomes.

In 2026,

• Total 17 projects and initiatives were selected for the recognition.
• Awards were distributed across the seven different categories.

The conference is jointly organized by the DARPG and MeitY in association with the Government of Rajasthan.

Theme of the 29th National Conference on e-Governance

The theme of the 2026 conference is the ‘Viksit Bharat 2047: AI-Enabled, Data-Driven and Secure Digital Governance’

The theme highlights the India’s commitment to towards the,

• Artificial Intelligence-driven governance
• Data-based policy formulation
• Digital public service delivery
• Cybersecurity and secure digital infrastructure
• Citizen-centric governance systems

What is the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI)?

The Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) is the flagship initiative of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj which aimed at to measuring and evaluating the performance of Gram Panchayats across India.

It is the India’s first comprehensive framework that uses the data and analytics to assess local governance performance.

The index helps also identify the development gaps, improve accountability and encourage healthy competition among the Panchayats to achieve better governance outcomes.