NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar on Friday indicated that there has been progress in the efforts to empower States to compete and improve on the basis of governance.

“If States have to derive democratic dividends, the only way is to facilitate them to compete with each on the basis of good governance. There is good news that States in the country are beginning to take NITI Aayog’s rankings on social and economic parameters seriously,” he said while addressing a meeting at the Chennai International Centre here.

Ranking of States based on parameters such as water, health, nutrition and school quality education, among others, has paid dividends. District hospitals will also be included in the parameters list soon.

NITI Aayog SDG India Index rankings have been accepted by all the States. “This is a huge change,” he said.

In the next two months, NITI Aayog will come up with School Education Quality Index, which is being finalised. “We will get the States to compete with each other and see what they do at the school levels for quality education,” said Kumar.

NITI Aayog is also doing a National School Assessment Survey, based on much bigger and wider samples. “We are getting the States involved for a third party administration of sample tests. Third party people will do the tests and not the schools,” he added.

Earlier, presenting a macro view, he said India was shifting to an era of a progressing economy and highlighted the three necessary conditions to shift gears and move into the path of progress.

He felt that ‘development agenda’ should be turned into a mass movement where the common person should also be a part of that process. He pointed out that there should be a ‘Indianised thinking’. “It doesn’t matter where you live and where you were born. What matters is how you approach a problem in different situations,” he added.

Kumar said the timing was also a critical part in carrying out bigger reforms and measures.

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