Healthy competition between states is the need of the hour: PM Modi

PM Modi said that while the Centre and the states may have different schemes, or a different style of working, dreams for a nation will still remain the same

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the need of the hour is a spirit of healthy competition among state governments, paving the way for India to reach new heights of development.

Referring to the concept of federalism, Modi said while the Centre and states may have different schemes, or different styles of working, dreams for a nation will remain identical. He also lauded states for playing a significant role in India’s growth.

“There are many states that have played a great role in taking the country forward, and have done exemplary work in many fields. They give strength to our federalism. But the need of the hour is competitive, cooperative federalism. We need competition in development,” Modi said in his Independence Day speech. “An environment of competition is needed to take us to new heights of development,” he said.

This is not the first time he emphasised the need for forging a model of competitive, cooperative federalism. The government’s public policy think tank NITI Aayog — set up as an institution with the mandate of cooperative federalism — has played a significant role in promoting healthy competition among states and Union Territories to rank them on various parameters. Some indices launched by the Aayog include the School Education Quality Index, State Health Index, Composite Water Management Index, Sustainable Development Goals Index, India Innovation Index, and Export Competitiveness Index.

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The Aayog also releases rankings on the performance of aspirational districts every month. The Aspirational Districts Programme was launched four years ago to effectively transform 112 most underdeveloped districts in the country.

According to the think tank, the ranking of states in various social sectors based on quantitative objective criteria encourages them to improve their performance. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has also been ranking states on start-ups since 2018. The exercise facilitates states on the basis of ease of building a start-up and doing business. The Centre also releases a Business Reform Action Plan, under which states are categorised and ranked as ‘top achievers’, ‘achievers’, or ‘aspirers’. The idea is to foster a culture of learning from best practices from each state and improve the business climate and emerge as the most favoured investment destination across the globe.

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, along with Mukul Wasnik, Tariq Anwar and other party leaders, takes part in the party’s ‘Azadi Gaurav Yatra’ in New Delhi on Monday