Measuring governance is a challenge is a normal statement. Thinking of
measuring governance parameters in Jammu Kashmir is not only
challenging but remotely possible and that too with misleading
analysis and interpretations.
This issue becomes increasingly complex especially in a diverse
country like India, where each state is socially, culturally,
economically and politically different. To be at bottom line
understanding, just three broad pillars namely Growth, Equity and
Sustainability simply to be gauged that encapsulate governance.
From a development perspective, it is axiomatic that there must be
synergies between all the three pillars. It is impossible to believe
that two of the three pillars are enough, growth and sustainability
without equity; growth and equity without sustainability; equity and
sustainability without growth. Public Affairs Index PAI 2020 is an
amalgamation of 3 Pillars, 5 Themes, 13 SDGs and 50 indicators. PAI is
a conscious effort to present a scientifically sound, methodologically
rigorous, and practically useful data-based framework to measure the
quality of governance in the states of India, and rank them. The state
of Jammu and Kashmir has been ranked among the worst performers in
various centrally sponsored schemes.
The schemes include Integrated Child Development Services scheme
(ICDS), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
(MGNREGS), Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SmSA) and Mid Day Meal Scheme
(MDMS).
The data was stated in a report of Public Affair Index (PAI)-2021,
revealed by a Bangalore based think tank Public Affair Centre (PAC).
In the report, the scheme analysis with an exception for the ICDS, has
adopted a time-series based model using four years’ data in case of
MDMS and five years’ data in case of MGNREGS and SmSA.
As per the report, in ICDS of Small states index as per the
population, Jammu and Kashmir ranks at the bottom with -1.230 points,
this is followed by Uttarakhand with -0.643 points and Himachal
Pradesh with -0.433 points. While as the top three performers, small
states in this index are Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.
In the MGNREGS index, Jammu and Kashmir is ranked at the second last
in the list of small states with -0.661 points followed by Assam with
-1.384 points. The top three performers in this index are Mizoram,
Sikkim and Nagaland.
The report further reveals that Jammu and Kashmir again featured at
the last rank in the SmSA index with -0.650 which is followed by
Nagaland (-0.609) and Uttarakhand (-0.404). In this index, Mizoram,
Assam and Tripura were the top three rankings.
In the index of MDMS also, Jammu and Kashmir has been featured at the
last rank with -1.155 points in the index followed by Nagaland
(-0.451) and Arunachal Pradesh (-0.346). The top three small states in
this index are Mizoram, Himachal Pradesh and Tripura.
