Context:
- Public Affairs Index (PAI) 2018 has been released by the think tank Public Affairs Centre (PAC)
About Public Affairs Index:
- The index is released since in 2016 by Bengaluru base Public Affairs Centre (PAC), a not for profit think tank which aims to improve governance in India.
- It is based on 10 themes, 30 focus subjects and 100 indicators, relying solely upon government data.
- It covers wide range of themes such as support to human development, social protection, essential infrastructure, women and children, crime, law and order, delivery of justice, transparency and accountability, environment, fiscal management and economic freedom.
- 2018 PAI also included separate index on children of India, giving measure of how child-friendly each of the states are.
Performances of States
Larger states:
- Kerala tops the list as best-governed state in the country. Kerala has topped PAI as the best-governed state for the third consecutive year.
- Kerala is followed by Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka and Gujarat.
- Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar ranked the lowest, indicating higher social and economic inequalities in the states.
Smaller states (with population less than two crore):
- Himachal Pradesh topped the list followed by Goa, Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura. Nagaland, Manipur and Meghalaya were ranked at bottom of the index among small states.
Index on children of India:
- In the index on children of India, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Mizoram topped the index.
Source:TH