THE WINNING SET
THE AWARD CEREMONY SAW CHIEF MINISTERS OUTLINING THEIR VISIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT AND STATE MINISTERS ELABORATING ON THEIR SUCCESS MANTRAS
The SOS awards ceremony saw leaders spell out their visions for development and success mantras
Lauding the ample display of the spirit of cooperative federalism between the states, the Union minister for information & broadcasting, environment & forests and heavy industries, Prakash Javadekar, while delivering the keynote address at the 17th edition of the India Today Group’s annual State of the States award ceremony, said that healthy competition between the states was a hallmark of democracy. “The State of the States awards represent what ‘cooperative federalism’ is all about. While the states assist each other, they also compete with each other,” he said at the award ceremony, held at the ITC Maurya hotel in New Delhi on November 23.
Highlighting the many perspectives that make up the reality of our country, he said that as long as media houses remain
“The State of the States awards represent what cooperative federalism is all about. While states assist each other, they also compete with each other”
objective, they would continue to enjoy the public trust. Reiterating this point— that the media should try to cover events from all angles to ensure the truth of what they publish, he said: “All sides of the story should be covered. I trust the India Today Group to do that.”
Before his address, India Today Group Editorial Director (Publishing) Raj Chengappa, in his welcome address, expanded on the methodology of the state of the states survey. This year’s survey—which, as in past editions, ranks India’s states on a range of parameters—has over 200 attributes on which the states are judged. Among the big states, Tamil Nadu emerged as the best-performing, while Assam topped the most-improved list. Goa was the best-performing small state, while Tripura took the award for most-improved.
Before the awards were distributed, five chief ministers—Rajasthan’s Ashok Gehlot, Himachal Pradesh’s Jai Ram Thakur, Arunachal Pradesh’s Pema Khandu, Puducherry’s V. Narayanasamy and Manipur’s N. Biren Singh—laid out their roadmaps for inclusive development in their states. Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot— whose state won the award for best governance—listed the achievements of his administration, but also spoke of the uncertainty that bedevils the country and the economy. “The present situation in India is worrisome,” he said. “People are living in fear of uncertainty. This is not conducive for democracy.”
His counterpart from Himachal Pradesh—the best-performing big state in education and healthcare—Jai Ram Thakur said that India’s image on the global stage had changed for good under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Ever since 1947, when the country became independent, there had been a state with two flags,” he said, referring to the August 5 abrogation of Article 370 in the
“Our efforts have led to strong governance and accountability, which India Today has recognised as the best in the country” ASHOK GEHLOT
Chief Minister, Rajasthan
“Every effort is being made to provide quality health services—like the HimCare scheme we have launched” JAI RAM THAKUR
Chief Minister, Himachal Pradesh
“All villages in [the state] are being connected by roads, and the rail network will soon reach strategic and tourist destinations such as Tawang” PEMA KHANDU
Chief Minister, Arunachal Pradesh
“The country cannot progress if only some states are developed and others are under-developed. We need to find asolution for this” V. NARAYANASAMY
Chief Minister, Puducherry
“Two and a half years ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modiji challenged us to achieve in 15 months what the Congress could not achieve in 15 years” N. BIREN SINGH
Chief Minister, Manipur
erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir and its division into two Union territories. “Now, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, there is only one flag—the tricolour.”
The chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh—whose state won the most-improved awards among small states for infrastructure, education and law & order—Pema Khandu said that the country’s north east had changed fundamentally in the past five years thanks to the strengthening of its road network. “Connectivity, a major issue in our state, is now being taken care of. All villages are being connected with roads and places like Tawang are being connected to the rail network,” he said, adding that the country’s smaller states, instead of asking the central government for funds, should attempt to rely on their own resources.
However, Puducherry’s V. Narayanasamy—whose state was the best performing among small states in healthcare and entrepreneurship—urged the central government not to ignore the smaller states when it came to the allocation of grants that support territorial budgets. “The country cannot progress if you have some states developed and others underdeveloped. This is a core issue that we need to find a solution for,” he said.
Manipur’s chief minister N. Biren Singh—whose state won the mostimproved award for inclusive development among small states—said that his administration had been successful in addressing the insurgency and drug problem that had bedevilled his state in the past. “Prime Minister Modiji had set a challenge before me during the election campaign two and a half years ago,” he said. “The prime minister said that our BJP government had to achieve in 15 months what the previous Congress government could not achieve in 15 years.”
After the awards were distributed, a panel comprising nine ministers from winning states and a member of Parliament spoke of their priorities when it came to the development of their respective states. ■