Every Monday , we bring you UPSC Current Affairs Pointers—a concise, exam-focused guide to help you stay ahead in your Prelims and Mains preparation. ( FYI: The data provided in these reports can be used to substantiate your Mains answer and create a broad understanding of the topic.) — The Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj released the second edition of the PAI. It assessed 2,59,867 rural local bodies based on their performance and progress on nine themes covering sustainable development goals (SDGs). — It assesses panchayats based on their performance across 150 indicators covering nine SDGs during the 2023-24 financial year. — The Gram Panchayats have been ranked under five categories based on their score on a scale of 0-100: ‘Achiever’ (90-100), ‘Front Runner’ (75-90), ‘Performer’ (60-75), ‘Aspirant’ (40-60) and ‘Beginner’ (below 40). — Of the 2,59,867 Gram Panchayats, 3,635 have been ranked as ‘Front Runner’, 1,18,824 as ‘Performer’, 1,23,719 as ‘Aspirant’, and 13,689 as ‘Beginner’.…