Union Minister S.P. Singh Baghel Releases Devolution Index Report

New Delhi, February 13
Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj, Professor S.P. Singh Baghel, launched a devolution index report titled ‘Status of Devolution to Panchayats in States – An Indicative Evidence-Based Ranking, 2024’ in New Delhi on Thursday.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister underlined that the report evaluates six critical dimensions of the Panchayats: Framework, Functions, Finances, Functionaries, Capacity Building, and Accountability. He also hailed the Index and called Panchayats the strongest institutions of democracy.
The Index report provides insights into the progress of decentralization across States and Union Territories of the country. It also examines how autonomous panchayats are in making and implementing independent decisions.
Further, the Devolution Index report serves as a tool for strengthening cooperative federalism and local self-governance, enabling States to identify areas for improvement and adopt best practices for more empowered and effective Panchayats