AMARAVATI: The SKOCH Group today released the SKOCH Governance Report Card for 2021, ranking the states according to their performance in various projects at state, district, and municipal levels, and the State of Andhra Pradesh bagged the number 1 spot for the second consecutive year.

Andhra Pradesh ministers met Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and expressed happiness over the State receiving the award. Ministers Kurasala Kannababu, Vellampalli Srinivas, P Anil Kumar Yadav, MLAs and MLCS, and other public representatives met the Chief Minister at the Assembly premises before the third day of the AP Budget Sessions for 2022-23 and presented him a bouquet for the recognition conferred on the state for the second time.

The SKOCH State of Governance report is an annual report that studies project-level outcomes across various states of India. For 2021, West Bengal, Odisha, Gujarat and Maharashtra, with Andhra completed the top 5 "Star States" in India. Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Himachal Pradesh were deemed the "Performers" and completed the Top 10. states. The state of Telangana moved from the 9th rank to the 6th in 2021.

Speaking about the release of the report, Sameer Kochar, Chairman SKOCH Group, said, "Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha are doing remarkable work in a number of verticals like Agriculture, Transport, eGovernance and Ease of Doing Business and that is why these states are constantly doing well in our yearly State of Governance Report Card. Assam, Himachal Pradesh, J&K (UT) and Chattisgarh have made the biggest jumps. The competition between the states is growing fiercer with each passing year and we are seeing a lot of very good projects being initiated and completed in record times."

The SKOCH State of Governance report also maps the shifting interests of different state governments and provides valuable insights into governance trends and opportunities. In 2021, eGovernance, Health, and Agriculture saw increased focus while the focus on Urban Development, Transport, and Education decreased. In 2022, we might see a renewed focus on education, owing to the opening of educational institutes after a substantial period.SKOCH Award, independently instituted in 2003, is India's honest civilian honour conferred by an independent organisation as a third-party assessment. It is the only award in the country that is based on felt-needs assessment and outcome evaluation based on evidence. It, therefore, recognises people, projects, and institutions that go the extra mile to make India a better nation. SKOCH Award is conferred for having made a definitive impact on governance improvement and growth of India.

The full report is available at stateofgovernance. inclusion .in website.

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