Punjab Proud of IAS Officer Vipul Ujwal; Panchayat Advancement Index Wins National Gold Award
Babushahi Network Bureau
New Delhi/ Chandigarh , July 4: Bringing laurels to Punjab, Punjab Cadre IAS officer Vipul Ujwal has played a pivotal role in the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI), India's largest rural governance data platform, which has won the Gold Award at the National Awards for e-Governance (NAeG) 2026. The award recognises excellence in digital governance and data-driven public administration.
The prestigious award was presented during the 29th National Conference on e-Governance, held on July 1–2, 2026 at the Rajasthan International Centre, Jaipur. The Panchayat Advancement Index, a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, received the honour under Category VII – Digital Transformation through the Use of Data Analytics in Digital Platforms. Vipul Ujwal, a 2009-batch IAS officer of the Punjab cadre and currently Director, Capacity Building Division in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, played a key role in conceptualising, operationalising and scaling the initiative across the country.
The award was presented during the 29th National Conference on e-Governance, held on July 1–2, 2026 at the Rajasthan International Centre, Jaipur. The project received the honour under Category VII – Digital Transformation through the Use of Data Analytics in Digital Platforms.
A significant contribution to the success of the project came from Punjab Cadre IAS officer Vipul Ujwal (2009 batch), who is presently serving as Director, Capacity Building Division, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, on deputation. He played a pivotal role in operationalising the Panchayat Advancement Index from its initial design stage to its nationwide implementation.
Punjab Cadre IAS officer Vipul Ujwal,Director, Capacity Building Division in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj
The second edition, PAI 2.0, has achieved national coverage with 2,59,867 Gram Panchayats, representing 97.3 per cent of India's 2,66,999 Gram Panchayats, being assessed. This marks a substantial increase over the 80.79 per cent participation recorded in the first edition. The exercise covered 33 States and Union Territories.
The index evaluates Gram Panchayats using 150 indicators and 230 data points across nine thematic pillars, aligned with the Localisation of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs). To simplify reporting, 59 data points are automatically integrated from 11 schemes across six Union Ministries, including eGramSwaraj, Jal Jeevan Mission, MGNREGS, POSHAN Tracker and UDISE+.
The initiative has also undertaken one of the country's largest rural governance capacity-building programmes, training over 4.71 lakh Panchayati Raj Institution functionaries and stakeholders. Its implementation network extends to nearly 37 lakh elected representatives, 7,135 Block Development Officers, and 741 District Officers.
According to the Ministry, PAI scores are now being used for the National Panchayat Awards, Gram Panchayat Development Plans, and state-specific incentive schemes already operational in Punjab, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.
The Ministry said Vipul Ujwal played a central role in finalising the indicator framework, strengthening the digital portal, coordinating with States and Union Territories, integrating inter-ministerial data, and conducting large-scale training programmes. The successful implementation of PAI 2.0 reflects coordinated efforts by the Ministry, State Governments, district administrations and Panchayati Raj Institutions.
The Panchayat Advancement Index is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India, providing a standardised, evidence-based framework to evaluate the performance of Gram Panchayats and promote transparent, accountable and outcome-oriented governance at the grassroots.
Notably, Vipul Ujwal's wife, Sonali Giri, is also a 2009-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Punjab cadre. She is currently serving as the Administrative Secretary, School Education, Punjab. Together, the officer couple has earned recognition for their contributions to public administration.
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Read in Hindi :
Punjab के लिए गौरव की बात: पंजाब कैडर के IAS अधिकारी विपुल उज्ज्वल की अहम भूमिका, पंचायती एडवांसमेंट इंडेक्स को राष्ट्रीय गोल्ड अवॉर्ड