According to the annual report released by the Public Affairs Centre (PAC), among the seven UTs, Jammu and Kashmir ranked sixth in governance, thus making it one of the worst governed UTs in India. PAI reports the conditions of the state on the basis of the calibre of the respective governments.
The Bengaluru-based not-for-profit organisation, in its annual report released on Friday, headed by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman K Kasturirangan, said the states were ranked on governance performance based on a composite index in the context of sustainable development.
The analysis is based on the government’s performance on conditions of sustainable development established on equity, growth and sustainability.
Chandigarh emerged as the best governed in the category of UTs with 1.05 PAI points, followed by Puducherry (0.52) and Lakshadweep (0.004). With negative markings, Dadar and Nagar Haveli (-0.69), Andaman, Jammu and Kashmir (-0.50) and Nicobar (-0.30) were the least performers. This, however, needs to be stressed upon, that the change in the status of J&K is a year old.
Speaking on the occasion, Kasturirangan said: “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.”
In the scene of equity, Jammu and Kashmir are in third place with 0.59 points with Chandigarh tops the ranking with a score of 1.348 followed by Puducherry with 0.098. The PAC has used 23 component indicators to assess performance on equity along three dimensions: economic, social and gender.
Under the Growth, Jammu and Kashmir are at the bottom of the table with a negative score of -1.34 on the index chart.
As defined by the POC, the growth pillar dwells on India’s growth challenge and the concerns that need attention for sustainable development. The pillar subsumes two themes and uses 20 component indicators to rank the performance of states and UTs.
In sustainability, Jammu and Kashmir feature at number 5 with -0.74 points. The sustainability pillar analyses the access to and usage of resources that has an impact on environment, economy and humankind. The pillar subsumes two themes and uses seven indicators to measure the effectiveness of government efforts with regards to sustainability.
The Centre abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on Aug 5, 2019, and divided the state into two UT’s- Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh. PM Modi’s statements were of promise that the move will bring development in the region.
