In a report released by the nonprofit organisation, Public Affairs Centre, Kerala has been called the best governed state in the country. Uttar Pradesh ended in the last place in the category of large states, and Goa ranked first in the small state category. Chandigarh was named the best governed union territory.
The list of states and union territories came in the Public Affairs Index-2020 released by the Public Affairs Centre, headed by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman K Kasturirangan, in Bengaluru on Friday. The report said that the states were ranked on governance performance based on a composite index in the context of sustainable development.
Four southern states, Kerala (1.388 PAI Index point), Tamil Nadu (0.912), Andhra Pradesh (0.531) and Karnataka (0.468) stood in the first four ranks in the large state category in terms of governance, it said.
Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Bihar were at the bottom of the ranking, scoring negative points in the category. They got - 1.461, -1.201 and -1.158 points respectively.
In the small state category, Goa ranked first with 1.745 points, followed by Meghalaya (0.797) and Himachal Pradesh (0.725).
Worst performers who scored negative points are Manipur (-0.363), Delhi (-0.289) and Uttarakhand (-0.277), according to the PAC report.
Chandigarh emerged the best governed union territory in the category of UTs with 1.05 PAI points, followed by Puducherry (0.52) and Lakshadweep (0.003). Dadar and Nagar Haveli (-0.69), Andaman, Jammu and Kashmir (-0.50) and Nicobar (-0.30) were the least performers.
According to the PAC, the governance performance is analysed in the context of sustainable development defined by three pillars of equity, growth and sustainability.
Kasturirangan said on the occasion, "The evidence that PAI 2020 generates and the insights that it provides must compel us to reflect on the economic and social transition that is underway in India."
(With PTI input)