Study OAS · 01 January 2025

Good Governance Index 2023

The Good Governance Index (GGI) was launched on December 25, 2019, to mark the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, observed as Good Governance Day.
The GGI provides a biennial ranking of states and Union territories (UTs) based on various governance indicators.

Key Features of the Good Governance Index

Indicators: Evaluates over 50 indicators across sectors like agriculture, public health, economic governance, and citizen-focused services.
Ranking: Tamil Nadu topped the rankings for big states in 2019, while Gujarat secured the top spot in 2021.
Biennial Release: The GGI is released every two years, with the next edition slated for December 2025.

The central government decided not to release the Good Governance Index 2023 and will publish the next edition in 2025.
The decision was based on concerns that the 2023 data would appear outdated if launched at the end of 2024.
The government plans to carry out the GGI exercise again and collect fresh data.

The 2021 GGI evaluated 58 indicators across 10 sectors and was launched by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on December 25, 2021.
Gujarat topped the ranking in 2021, and 20 states showed improvement compared to 2019.
District-level governance indices have been issued for Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Arunachal Pradesh between 2021 and 2024.

The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) is a department under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Government of India. It plays a key role in improving governance and public service delivery.
Mandate: DARPG is the nodal agency for administrative reforms and public grievance redressal in India. Its mandate includes:
- Promoting citizen-centric governance.
- Improving efficiency and effectiveness in government functioning.
- Formulating policies and strategies for administrative reforms.
- Developing mechanisms for effective and timely redressal of public grievances.
  Key Functions:
Administrative Reforms: This involves initiatives like process simplification, e-governance, promoting transparency and accountability, and improving service delivery mechanisms.
Public Grievance Redressal: DARPG oversees the Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS), an online platform for citizens to lodge their grievances with government organizations. It also sets guidelines and monitors the grievance redressal process.
Research and Publications: The department conducts research studies, publishes reports, and disseminates best practices on administrative reforms and public grievance redressal.
International Cooperation: DARPG engages in international collaborations to share knowledge and experiences in administrative reforms.

Good Governance Day is observed annually in India on December 25th.
Commemoration: It is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Establishment: The day was established in 2014 by the Government of India to honor Vajpayee and raise awareness about the importance of good governance.
Focus: It emphasizes the government's commitment to providing accountable and transparent governance to the citizens of India.
Objectives:
To promote awareness among citizens about government accountability.
To encourage active participation of citizens in governance processes.
To improve efficiency and effectiveness in government functioning.
Activities:

Various initiatives and programs are organized on this day to promote good governance principles, such as:
- Organizing awareness campaigns and workshops.
- Launching new government initiatives and schemes.
- Recognizing and rewarding good governance practices.