GOVERNMENT OF INDIA HAS LAUNCHED GOOD GOVERNANCE INDEX IN 2019

The Minister of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Department of India, Dr Jitendra Singh, has recently launched a ‘Good Governance Index’ dated 25-12-2019 (Index) on the occasion of birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Late Shri. Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The Index would enable the Government to compare the governance of various states and Union Territories (UTs) based on quantifiable data and also help them to formulate strategies to improve the governance.  

The said Index has been designed on different parameters of governance in ten sectors, namely, Agriculture and Allied Sectors, Commerce and Industries, Human Resource Development, Public Health, Public Infrastructure and Utilities, Economic Governance, Social Welfare and Development, Judicial and Public Security, Environment, and Citizen-Centric Governance (Governance Sectors). The Ministry has had conducted several consultations with nationwide sector groups and experts before finalising on the Governance Sectors and parameters, etc.

Each of the Governance Sectors would be measured on 50 indicators and each such indicator would have a different weightage/value. Based on the total value of each indicator, the states and UTs would be ranked on all indicators separately under each Governance Sector. At the same time, based on the total value of all such indicators, a composite ranking would be calculated for these states and UTs under each Governance Sector. The states and UTs are further divided into three groups, 18 Big States, 11 North-East and Hill States, and 7 UTs.

For instance, under the Agriculture and Allied Sector, there are 6 indicators with different weightage, namely:

• Growth Rate of Agriculture and Allied Sector- 0.4 Weightage,
• Growth Rate of Food Grains Production- 0.1 Weightage,
• Growth Rate of Horticulture Produce- 0.1 Weightage,
• Growth Rate of Milk Production- 0.1 Weightage,
• Growth Rate of Meat Production- 0.1 Weightage, and
• Crop Insurance- 0.2 Weightage.

So far, the following States and UTs have been placed on the top ranking of the 9 Governance Sectors:

1. Agriculture and Allied Sectors- Madhya Pradesh (Big State), Mizoram (North-East and Hill State), Daman and Diu (UT)
2. Commerce and Industries- Jharkhand (Big State), Uttarakhand (North-East and Hill State), Delhi (UT)
3. Human Resource Development- Goa (Big State), Himachal Pradesh (North-East and Hill State), Pondicherry (UT)
4. Public Health- Kerala (Big State), Manipur (North-East and Hill State), Pondicherry (UT)
5. Public Infrastructure and Utilities- Tamil Nadu (Big State), Himachal Pradesh (North-East and Hill State), Chandigarh (UT)
6. Economic Governance- Karnataka (Big State), Uttarakhand (North-East and Hill State), Delhi (UT)
7. Social Welfare and Development- Chhattisgarh (Big State), Meghalaya (North-East and Hill State), Daman and Diu (UT)
8. Judicial and Public Security- Tamil Nadu (Big State), Himachal Pradesh (North-East and Hill State), Pondicherry (UT)
9. Environment- West Bengal (Big State), Himachal Pradesh (North-East and Hill State), Chandigarh (UT)

A composite ranking based on the Index indicators have revealed that Tamil Nadu (Big State), Himachal Pradesh (North-East and Hill State), and Pondicherry (UT) have been placed in the top rankings of Good Governance.

The results produced by the Index reflect the efforts made by the State Governments and UTs to make a shift towards better governance, digitization, cashless economy, and a result-oriented administration in India.

Harini Daliparthy

Senior Legal Associate

The Indian Lawyer