Shift In Priorities Of Catching Up States In 2021

CATCHING UP

The states that are ranked from the 11^th to the 15^th position are categorised as the CATCHING UP states.

Bihar, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir (UT), Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan are ranked in the CATCHING UP category for 2021.

Bihar: Bihar maintained its position as the best performer in CATCHING-UP category. Bihar was placed at the 11^th position in 2020 and it maintained that position in 2021 as well. Bihar has consistently improved its rank. In 2018, Bihar was placed at the 19^th position. It improved its standing to the 15^th position in 2019 and further to the 11^th position in 2020.

Haryana: Haryana climbed two places to secure the 12^th position in SKOCH State of Governance 2021 from the 14^th position in 2020. There has been consistent improvement in Haryana’s ranking in the past four year. Haryana was ranked at the 20^th position in 2018. It rose to the 17^th position in 2019 and further to the 14^th position in 2020.

Jammu & Kashmir (UT): Jammu & Kashmir (UT) registered massive improvement in its ranking. It rose to the 13^th position in 2021 from the 25^th position in 2020, climbing up 12 positions during the year.

Chhattisgarh: Chhattisgarh climbed seven spots to reach the 14^th position in 2021 from the 21^st position secured in 2020. In 2019, Chhattisgarh was placed at the 23^rd position. So there has been a continuous improvement in Chhattisgarh raking over the past three years.

Rajasthan: Rajasthan climbed to the 15^th position in 2021 from the 18^th position in 2020, making a gain of three positions during the year. Rajasthan was among the top performing states in 2018 when it was placed at the 6^th position. However, in 2019 it slipped to the 18^th position and continued in the same position in 2020. In 2021, Rajasthan recorded a gain of three positions.

Shift in Priorities of CATCHING UP States

e-Governance, Health, Agriculture, Finance & Revenue, Police & Safety, Power & Energy, Municipal Governance and Social Justice & Security gained primacy in CATCHING-UP states during 2021.

The sectors that witnessed declined focus include: District Governance, General Administration, Education, Sanitation, Transport, Urban Development, Water and Women & Child Development.

Sectors with Increased Focus

e-Governance: CATCHING-UP category states put increased focus on electronic governance during 2021. The percentage of e-Governance in total good governance initiatives in CATCHING-UP category states rose to 7.8 per cent in 2021 from 3.9 per cent in 2020. However, it remained lower than the pre-COVID year. In 2019, e-Governance accounted for 9.6 per cent of the total good governance initiatives.

Health: Out of the last three years, the best focus on the health sector was in 2021. Health accounted for 4.8 per cent of the total good governance initiatives in 2019. It fell to 2.6 per cent in 2020. However, in 2021, it rose to 6.3 per cent.

Agriculture: Despite huge disruptions in the economy due to the COVID lockdowns and restrictions, the agriculture sector maintained positive growth. The growth of the farm sector was aided by innovative governance measures. 3.1 per cent of the total good governance initiatives in 2021 in the CATCHING-UP category states were related to agriculture. In 2020, it was just 1.3 per cent. In 2019, no agriculture related governance initiative was selected for SKOCH State of Governance study.

Finance & Revenue: A substantial number of good governance initiatives taken in the CATCHING-UP category states during 2021 were related to finance and revenue. 4.7 per cent of the total good governance initiatives in 2021 were related to finance and revenue. No finance and revenue related governance initiatives were recorded in the CATCHING-UP category states in 2020 and 2019.

Police & Safety: The share of Police & Safety in total good governance initiatives taken in the CATCHING-UP category states rose to 4.7 per cent in 2021 as against 3.9 per cent in 2020 and 3.6 per cent in 2019.

Power & Energy: Power & Energy accounted for 6.3 per cent of the total good governance initiatives taken in the CATCHING-UP category states during 2021. In 2019, 3.6 per cent of the total good governance initiatives were related to power and energy. In 2020, no initiative was selected from this category.

Municipal Governance: COVID pandemic has led to significant decline in municipal governance related initiatives. In 2019, the pre-COVID year, one in every three good governance initiatives taken in the CATCHING-UP category states were related to Municipal Governance. It fell drastically in 2020, the first year of COVID pandemic. In 2020, only 5.3 per cent of the total good governance initiatives in the CATCHING-UP category states were related to municipal governance. However, it rose to 6.3 per cent in 2021.

Social Justice & Security: The CATCHING-UP category states gave good attention to social justice and security. In 2021, 1.6 per cent of the total good governance initiatives taken in the CATCHING –UP category states were related to social justice and security. In the previous two years no social justice and security related projects were selected for State of Governance ranking.

Sectors with Less Focus

District Governance: The biggest focus of good governance initiatives during the COVID pandemic has been related to district governance. In 2019, only 8.4 per cent of the total good governance initiatives taken in the CATCHING-UP category states were related to district governance. This surged to 60.5 per cent in 2020. However, in 2021 it fell to 32.8 per cent. Though, the proportion of district governance initiatives in 2021 was sharply lower when compared with 2020, in comparison with 2019 it is substantially higher.

General Administration: The initiatives related to the general administration fell to 1.6 per cent of the total good governance initiatives taken in 2021 from 3.9 per cent in 2020. In the pre-COVID year of 2019, 4.8 per cent of the total good governance initiatives in the CATCHING-UP category states were related to the general administration.

Education: Education has been among the worst affected sectors during the COVID pandemic. No education related good governance initiatives were recorded for SKOCH State of Governance ranking from the CATCHING-UP category states in 2021. In 2020, it fell to 2.6 per cent from 4.8 per cent recorded in 2019.

Sanitation: Sanitation related good governance initiatives have declined gradually over the past three years. In 2019, 4.8 per cent of the total good governance initiatives in the CATCHING-UP category states were related to sanitation. It fell to 2.6 per cent in 2020 and declined further to 1.6 per cent in 2021.

Transport: Transport related good governance initiatives in the CATCHING-UP category states declined from 3.6 per cent in 2019 to 2.6 per cent in 2020 and it declined further to 1.6 per cent in 2021.

Urban Development: Urban Development related good governance initiatives in the CATCHING-UP category states fell to 2.6 per cent in 2020 from 4.8 per cent in 2019. In 2021, no urban development related good governance initiative was recorded.

Water: Water related good governance initiatives accounted for 2.6 per cent of the total good governance initiatives taken in the CATCHING-UP category states in 2020. It fell to 1.6 per cent in 2021.

Women & Child Development: Women and child development related initiatives accounted for 3.6 per cent of the total good governance initiatives taken in CATCHING-UP category states in 2019. It fell to 1.3 per cent in 2020. No women and child development related initiative was recorded in 2021.