India, Oct. 2 -- India's push for Atmanirbhar Gram Panchayats increasingly relies on indicators, rankings and digital reporting, but these may not reflect what villages themselves consider priorities.

The Panchayat Advancement Index uses about 150 indicators across nine themes, while Gram Panchayat Development Plans are intended to guide local development.

Digital tools could be more useful if they helped Gram Sabhas address local needs such as water security, agricultural storage, women's safety, healthcare access and local livelihoods.

Own Source Revenue is important for panchayat self-reliance, but measuring reported revenue without assessing actual resource mobilisation risks rewarding compliance rather than capacity.

Genuine Gram...