Union Minister Kapil Moreshwar Patil Releases Report on Panchayat Development Index

Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj, Shri Kapil Moreshwar Patil, released the Report on Panchayat Development Index (PDI) at a National Workshop on PDI. The workshop saw the participation of over 250 stakeholders, including senior government officials, ministry representatives, and key stakeholders in the field.

Strategic Plan and Roadmap:

• The main focus of the workshop was to develop a strategic plan and roadmap for integrating the Ministry’s portal/dashboard to build a data ecosystem.
• The aim was to assess the progress of schemes aligned with the Localized Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs) at the Panchayat level.
• The workshop aimed to establish institutional mechanisms for implementing the Panchayat Development Index, with support from different ministries, departments, and knowledge partners.

Localization of Sustainable Development Goals:

• India is committed to achieving the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• The NITI Aayog is responsible for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in India.
• The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is leading the localization process of SDGs in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).
• The aim is to involve Gram Panchayats and other stakeholders in rural areas to localize and implement the SDGs effectively.

Thematic Approach for Localization:

• The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has adopted a thematic approach by grouping the 17 SDGs into 9 broad themes for localization.
• This approach aims to facilitate better understanding, acceptance, and implementation of the SDGs by Panchayats with community involvement.

Capacity Building and Training:

• Capacity building and training of PRIs are crucial for delivering good governance and achieving SDGs in rural areas.
• The Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan focuses on equipping elected representatives and functionaries of PRIs with knowledge and skills for effective SDG delivery.
• Central ministries and state line departments collaborate with a “Whole of Government” approach to strengthen institutional capacity at all levels.

National Panchayat Awards:

• The Ministry of Panchayati Raj incentivizes the best-performing Panchayats through the National Panchayat Awards.
• The awards, aligned with the 9 localization themes of SDGs, aim to assess Panchayats’ performance in achieving SDGs.
• The competition promotes a competitive spirit among Panchayats and catalyzes the localization process for attaining LSDGs by 2030.

Ministry of Panchayati Raj’s Efforts towards Gram Panchayat Development

• The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is organizing the People’s Plan Campaign (PPC) nationwide for the preparation of Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDP) as part of the “Sabki Yojana Sabka Vikas” (Development for All) approach.
• The PPC-2022 emphasizes the preparation of thematic Panchayat Development Plans that converge flagship schemes and resources to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
• Gram Panchayats are directed to prepare comprehensive GPDPs aligned with nine thematic areas.

Committee on Panchayat Development Index:

• The Ministry has formed the Committee on Panchayat Development Index, chaired by Smt. Jayashree Raghunandan, Former ACS to the Government of Tamil Nadu.
• The committee’s objective is to develop mechanisms for computing the Panchayat Development Index (PDI).
• The framework includes establishing a baseline for PDI computation, identifying data sources for the Local Indicator Framework, and devising a mechanism to measure incremental progress and grade Panchayats based on their performance towards achieving LSDGs.

Role of Panchayat Development Index (PDI):

• PDI will play a crucial role in quantitatively evaluating Panchayats’ performance and computing composite scores across the nine thematic areas of LSDGs.
• PDI will facilitate outcome-oriented development goals at the Panchayat level.
• It is a computation score based on local indicators that encourage Panchayats to strive towards achieving SDGs.

PDI Report Highlights:

• The PDI Report includes 144 local targets, 577 local indicators, and 688 data points across the nine thematic areas of LSDGs.
• PDI will serve as a baseline for Panchayats to set local targets and develop action plans with measurable indicators as part of their thematic GPDPs.
• PDI will also help assess the current status of Panchayats, enabling them to take concerted actions and establish institutional mechanisms to achieve development goals.

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