30-Oct-2020: Public Affairs Index - 2020
Kerala was adjudged the best governed State in the large States category, while Uttar Pradesh ended at the bottom, in the Public Affairs Index-2020 released by the Public Affairs Centre.
The city-based not-for-profit organisation, headed by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman K. Kasturirangan, said in its annual report 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.
Uttar Pradesh(-1.461), Odisha (-1.201) and Bihar (-1.158 ) were at the bottom of the ranking.
In the small State category, Goa ranked first with 1.745 points, followed by Meghalaya (0.797) and Himachal Pradesh (0.725). The worst performers with negative points were Manipur (-0.363), Delhi (-0.289) and Uttarakhand (-0.277).
Chandigarh emerged at the top in the category of Union Territories 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 worst performers.
According to the PAC, the governance performance is analysed in the context of sustainable development defined by the three pillars of equity, growth and sustainability.
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 under way in India.
23-Jul-2018: Public Affairs Index 2018
Kerala stands the best governed state in the country and Karnataka is on the fourth position, according to the Public Affairs Index 2018, released by the think tank Public Affairs Centre (PAC).
Kerala has topped the Public Affairs Index (PAI) for 2018 as the best governed state for the third consecutive year since 2016 among large states.
Released annually since 2016, the index examines governance performance in the states through a data-based framework, ranking them on social and economic development they are able to provide.
Founded in 1994 by renowned Indian economist and scholar Late Samuel Paul, the think tank works to mobilise a demand for better governance in the country.
Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka and Gujarat followed Kerala among the top five states delivering good governance, according to the report.
Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar ranked the lowest on the PAI, indicating higher social and economic inequalities in the states.
Among smaller states (with population less than two crore), Himachal Pradesh topped the list, followed by Goa, Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura, which figured among the top five states with good governance.
Nagaland, Manipur and Meghalaya were ranked at the bottom of the index among small states.
As a young country with growing population, India needs to assess and address its developmental challenges, said the chairman of PAC, K Kasturirangan, on the occasion.
The think tank has undertaken the study across all the Indian states considering them across ten themes, such as, essential infrastructure, support to human development, social protection, women and children as well as law and order. The index provides a multi-dimensional and comprehensive matrix that attempts to capture the complexities of governing the plural and diverse people of this sub-continent.
The states were divided into two categories - large and small - on the basis of their population. States with more than two crore population were considered large. A total of 30 focus subjects and 100 indicators were measured to derive the PAI, relying solely upon government data.
The PAC said it was not keen to access private data sources that may be interpreted as 'biased'.
This year's PAI also included a separate index on the children of India, giving a measure of how child-friendly each of the states are.
Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Mizoram topped the index on being the states to provide better living conditions for all children.
Public Affairs Index (PAI) is a data driven platform to rank the 30 States of India from the lens of governance. While it is a complex task to rank the Indian states which are economically, culturally and socially so diverse, Public Affairs Centre (PAC) has developed PAI as a unique statistical tool to evaluate the performance of governance in the States. PAI is largely based on secondary data and has been extracted from Union Government Ministries and Departments.
PAI 2016 ranked the states of India on the basis of 10 broad themes, spread across 25 focus subjects and focusing on 68 individual indicators. The report also incorporates a study on Sentiment Analysis.
PAI 2017 was similar to PAI 2016 and had 10 themes, 26 focus subjects and 82 indicators. It also included a new study on Inequality, which focuses on the extent of the gap existing between the various strata of society from an economic, social and gender perspectives.
12-May-2017: Kerala tops Public Affairs Index (PAI) 2017
For the second year, Kerala and Tamil Nadu have maintained their positions as the states with the best governance in the country. They are followed by Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka.
Among 12 small States (population less than two crore), Himachal has wrested the first rank, followed by Goa and Mizoram. Delhi slipped from third position in 2016 to 9th position in 2017. Meghalaya (12th), Arunachal Pradesh (11th) and Jammu Kashmir (10th) are at the bottom of the table. Punjab is the best performer among all States in the category of essential infrastructure. Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat secured second, third and fourth positions, respectively.
In human development, Kerala, Maharashtra, and Punjab are top of the table while Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Assam are the worst performers. Kerala, Assam and Madhya Pradesh secured top three ranks in implementation of social protection policies, while Telangana, Haryana and Punjab are lagging in execution of various State and Central government schemes.
In the category of women and children, Kerala topped the list followed by Odisha and Karnataka while Jharkhand, Haryana and Maharashtra are poor performers. Tamil Nadu secured first rank in maintaining law and order, delivery of justice and environment categories and secured last rank in transparency and accountability in the administration. Telangana is the best performer in fiscal management while its neighbour Andhra Pradesh is the poor performer and secured last rank. In the category of economic freedom, Gujarat secured top rank while Bihar secured the last rank.
28-Aug-2020: Secretary, Food & Public Distribution chairs meeting of Empowered Committee on schemes for PDS Reforms
Secretary, Food & Public Distribution today chaired the meeting of Empowered Committee of the Department on schemes for PDS Reforms with CEO (UIDAI), DG (NIC), Food Secretaries of 4 States as members and representatives of MeitY and FCI, to review and approve extension of Integrated Management of Public Distribution Scheme (IM-PDS) under which the ‘One Nation One Ration Card’ (ONORC) plan is being implemented all over India. With a view to ensuring that work done under the IMPDS is continued and further strengthened, it is being considered for extension beyond March 2021.
The Empowered Committee also reviewed the progress of FPS Automation, ONORC plan, Aadhaar generation/seeding and development of mobile application aimed to help migrant NFSA beneficiaries to register themselves and take the full benefit of ONORC. The Department is also planning to implement national help line number in various States/UT to help the migrant NFSA beneficiaries availing portability under ONORC.
During the proposed extended period of IMPDS, funding requirements of States/UTs would also be met.
2-Jul-2019: After Assam, Nagaland to set up a register of indigenous inhabitants
Four years after Assam started revising the National Register of Citizens (NRC), the Nagaland government has initiated a move to implement its own version of citizenship register, albeit only for indigenous communities of the state.
The Government of Nagaland has decided to set up a Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN) with the aim of preventing fake indigenous inhabitants certificates. The RIIN will be the master list of all indigenous inhabitants of the state.
The RIIN list will be based on “an extensive survey”. It will involve official records of indigenous residents from rural and (urban) wards and would be prepared under the supervision of the district administration. The preparation of the list will start from July 10, 2019, and the whole process will be completed within 60 days from the start. Designated teams of surveyors will be formed within seven days from the date of publication of the notification, and thereafter these teams will be sent across each village and ward.
The designated teams comprising Sub-Divisional Officers (SDO), Block Development Officers (BDO), Headmasters and other nominated members, will make a list of indigenous inhabitants in the state. The database will note each family’s original residence, current residence as well as the concerned Aadhaar numbers. This provisional list will then be published in all villages, wards and on government websites by September 11, 2019. Over the next 30 days, that is by October 30, 2019, claims and objections will be entertained.
Respondents will be given an opportunity to make their case before the authorities. Eventually, respective Deputy Commissioners will adjudicate on the claims and objections based on official records and the evidence produced. This process will be completed before December 10, 2019.
Based on the adjudication and verification, a list of indigenous inhabitants will be finalised and each person will be given a unique ID. The final list or the RIIN will be created and its copies will be placed in all villages and ward. Electronic copies of the list will also be stored in the State Data Centre. A mechanism or electronic and SMS-based authentication will be put in place. All indigenous inhabitants of the state would be issued a barcoded and numbered Indigenous Inhabitant Certificate. The process will be conducted across Nagaland and will be done as part of the online system of Inner Line Permit (ILP), which is already in force in Nagaland.
Inner Line Permit (ILP) is an official travel document required by Indian citizens residing outside certain “protected” states while entering them. The ILP is issued by the Government of India and is obligatory for all those who reside outside the protected states. With the ILP, the government aims to regulate movement to certain areas located near the international border of India.
ILP’s origin dates back to the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations, 1873, which protected the British Crown’s interest in tea, oil and elephant trade. It prohibited “British subjects” or Indians from entering into these protected areas. After Independence, in 1950, the word “British subjects” was replaced by Citizens of India and the focus of the ban on free movement was explained as a bid to protect tribal cultures in northeastern India.
The entire exercise will be monitored by the Commissioner of Nagaland. In addition, the state government will designate nodal officers of the rank of a Secretary to the state government. Their role will be to monitor the implementation. However, they will have no say in the adjudication process. The nodal officers will submit monthly reports of their visits and their assessments to a permanent committee set up under the Home Department to monitor the whole exercise.
Once the RIIN is finalised, no fresh indigenous inhabitant certificates will be issued except to newborn babies born to the indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland.
In case anyone who is left out of the RIIN, he/she will need to file an application before Home Commissioner who will get the matter verified and take necessary action for updating the RIIN if needed.