Key Takeaways
- Good Governance Day (December 25) commemorates the birth anniversary of the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It is celebrated to promote accountability, transparency and citizen-centric public service.
- The Good Governance Index (GGI) is a diagnostic tool developed by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances to measure governance across States and Union Territories.
- It measures governance across ten sectors using multiple indicators, supporting evidence-based reforms and state/UTs benchmarking.
Introduction
Good Governance Day is observed annually on December 25, the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, whose leadership emphasised accountability, transparency, and inclusive growth.The day reminds us that governance is not just about administration, but about making life better for every citizen.
To commemorate his values, the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions publishes the Good Governance Index—a composite assessment of governance performance across states and union territories, translating policy intent into measurable, citizen-centric outcomes.[ Week-long celebrations spread the concept of good governance from districts to villages. India has recorded progress across sectors, driven by the implementation of multiple national-level schemes, as per the data.
Man of the Masses: Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1924–2018) served as Prime Minister of India on three occasions. He had a distinguished four-decade parliamentary career, was elected nine times to the Lok Sabha and twice to the Rajya Sabha. Rising from humble beginnings in Gwalior to India’s highest office, he received the Padma Vibhushan in 1992 for his selfless dedication to the nation and was conferred with Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, in 2015.
Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee championed democratic ideals, women’s empowerment, and social equality. As Prime Minister, he prioritised good governance and economic development—building national highways, rural roads, expanding telecom, and improving infrastructure. His legacy continues to guide India’s vision and focus on transparency, accountability, and efficient, citizen-centric service delivery. Named “Best Parliamentarian” in 1994, the citation praised him as “a multi-faceted personality” whose work consistently reflected an unwavering commitment to nationalism. Building on this vision, the Government of India measures and promotes good governance systematically across the nation.
Good governance is participatory, consensus oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive, and follows the rule of law, according to the United Nations.
Measuring Good Governance
Good Governance Index
The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) introduced the Good Governance Index on December 25, 2019, to evaluate governance performance across states and union territories and encourage improvements. Good governance is crucial for the welfare of citizens, inclusive development and the country’s economic transformation. The Index identifies 10 key sectors. Governance performance across these sectors is measured in terms of 58 indicators designed keeping citizen-centricity in mind.
Categorisation of States and Union Territories
Given wide disparities in geography, population, and development levels, DARPG categorised states and union territories into four groups for fair comparison. As per the 2020-21 Index, these are:
| Group A States | Group B States | North-East & Hill States | Union Territories |
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Top Performers in Good Governance Index 2020-21
Group A States Group B States
| Rank | State/UT | Position |
| 1 | Gujarat | 1st |
| 2 | Maharashtra | 2nd |
| 3 | Goa | 3rd |
| Rank | State/UT | Position |
| 1 | Madhya Pradesh | 1st |
| 2 | Rajasthan | 2nd |
| 3 | Chhattisgarh | 3rd |
North-East & Hill States Union Territories
| Rank | State/UT | Position |
| 1 | Himachal Pradesh | 1st |
| 2 | Mizoram | 2nd |
| Rank | UT | Position |
| 1 | Delhi | 1st |
Good Governance Index 2019 – Top Performers
| State/UT |
| Tamil Nadu |
| Maharashtra |
| Himachal Pradesh |
| Puducherry
|
National Sector-Wise Progress On Select Indices
India’s progress across every sector of the Good Governance Index reflects a sustained commitment to transparent, accountable, and citizen-centric administration. Here is an overview of national achievements on some of the 58 identified indices across these sectors:
1. Agriculture and Allied Sector
Progress in the Agriculture and Allied sector is reflected through the following key indices:
- Growth of Agriculture and Allied Sector
- Growth of Food Grains Production
- Growth of Horticulture Produce
- Growth of Milk Production
- Growth of Meat Production
- Growth of Egg/Poultry production
- Crop Insurance
- Agri. Mandis Enrolled in e-Market
2. Commerce and Industry
Progress in the Commerce and Industry sector is reflected through the following key indices:
1. Ease-of-Doing Business (EoDB)
2. Growth of Industries
3. Change in No. of MSME Units Registered under Online Udyog Aadhar Registration
4. Increase in No. of Establishments Registered under GST
5. Start-up Environment
3. Human Resource Development
Progress in the Human Resource Development sector is reflected through the following key indices:
- Quality of Education
- Retention Rate at Elementary School Level
- Gender Parity
- Enrolment Ratio of SC & ST
- Schools with Access to Computers for Pedagogical Purposes / Working Computers
- Skill Trainings Imparted
- Placement Ratio Including Self-employment
4. Public Health
Progress in the Public Health sector is reflected through the following key indices:
- Operationalisation of Health and Wellness Centres
- Availability of Doctors at PHCs
- Public Health
- Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR)
- Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)
- Immunisation Achievement
- No. of Hospital Beds per 1000 Population
5. Public Infrastructure and Utilities
Progress in the Public Infrastructure and Utilities sector is reflected through the following key indices:
- Access to Potable Water
- Connectivity to Rural Habitation
- Increase in Access to Clean Cooking Fuel (LPG)
- Energy Availability against the Requirement
- Growth of Per Capita Power Consumption
- Wards (Urban) covered by D-t-D waste Collection
6. Economic Governance
Progress in the Economic Governance sector is reflected through the following key indices:
- Growth in Per capita GSDP
- Fiscal Deficit as a Percentage of GSDP
- State’s Own Tax Revenue Receipts to Total Revenue Receipts
- Debt (Total Outstanding Liabilities) to GSDP
7. Social Welfare and Development
Progress in the Social Welfare and Development sector is reflected through the following key indices:
1. Sex Ratio at Birth
2. Health Insurance Coverage
3. Rural Employment Guarantee
4. Unemployment Rate
5. Housing for All
6. Economic Empowerment of Women
7. Empowerment of SCs, STs, OBCs and Minorities
8. Disposal of SC/ST Atrocity Cases by Courts
9. Banking outlets per 100,000 population
10. Aadhaar seeded Ration Cards
8. Judiciary and Public Safety
Progress in the Judiciary and Public Safety sector is reflected through the following key indices:
1. Conviction Rate
2. Availability of Police Personnel
3. Proportion of Women Police Personnel
4. Disposal of Court Cases
5. Disposal of Cases by Consumer Courts
9. Environment
Progress in the Environment sector is reflected through the following key indices:
- Change in Forest Cover
- Proportion of Waste Recycle v/s Waste Generated
- Percentage of Degraded Land
- Growth in Installed Capacity of Grid Interactive Renewable Power
Judiciary and
10. Citizen-Centric Governance
Progress in the Citizen-Centric Governance sector is reflected through the following key indices:
1. Enactment of Right to Services Act by the States
2. Grievance Redressal Status
3. Government Services Provided Online to Citizens
Conferences and Sessions on Good Governance in 2025
In 2025, the DARPG conducted various conferences, webinars and sessions on Good Governance and related topics:
The 28th National Conference on e-Governance (NCeG), September 22-23, 2025, Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh: Themed ‘Viksit Bharat: Civil Service and Digital Transformation,’ the conference hosted 1,000+ delegates and conferred National Awards for e-Governance. The Visakhapatnam Declaration was adopted to advance digital governance aligned with Viksit Bharat 2047.
International Institute of Administrative Sciences-DARPG Conference, February 10–14, 2025 New Delhi: Featured 66 breakout sessions, 7 plenary sessions, and 750+ delegates from 58 countries. Released a 710-page volume: Viksit Bharat@2047 – Governance Transformed. Secretary DARPG V. Srinivas became India’s first IIAS President (2025-2028), winning with 62% of votes.
State Collaborative Initiative Scheme (SCI), 2025: Two national outreach sessions with state/UT governments generated 80+ project proposals for AI-enabled platforms, online service portals, and real-time dashboards. A dedicated SCI portal tracks progress and outcomes.
Conclusion
Good Governance Day 2025 honours Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s vision of accountable, citizen-centric governance. The Good Governance Index serves as a robust benchmark to assess the performance of states and UTs across ten sectors, driving evidence-based reforms. India’s progress demonstrates that systematic measurement and focused governance yield results. As the nation advances towards Viksit Bharat 2047, strengthening good governance through innovation and inclusive policies remains key to achieving equitable, sustainable growth.
