Kerala was ranked the best governed state in India according to the Public Affairs Index-2020 released by the Public Affairs Centre in Bengaluru on Friday, while Uttar Pradesh ended at the bottom in the group of large states.
The not-for-profit think tank, led by K Kasturirangan, former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization ( ISRO), reported in the annual report that states were rated on the basis of a composite index in terms of their governance performance in the sense of sustainable development.
Four southern states, including Kerala (1.388 PAI Index Point), Tamil Nadu (0.912), Andhra Pradesh (0.531) and Karnataka (0.468) were in the first four ranks in the broad governance category of states.
In the 'small states' with 1.745 points, Chandigarh ranked first, followed by Meghalaya (0.797) and Himachal Pradesh (0.725), while Chandigarh ranked first with 1.05 PAI points in the 'Union Territories' group, followed by Puducherry (0.52) and Lakshadweep.
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."