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Narendra Modi-led Gujarat continues to remain
the top-ranked Indian state in terms of “economic
freedom” - an index that measures
governance, growth, citizens’ rights and labour
and business regulation among the country’s 20
largest states.
“Gujarat has widened its lead at the top of the
economic freedom table, with an index score of
0.65 (on a scale from 0 to 1.0). Tamil Nadu
remains in second position, but some distance
behind, with a score of 0.54,” said the latest
“Economic Freedom of the States of India” report
2013.
Bihar, which continues to remain at the bottom of
table, however, has progressed by leaps and
bounds after Nitish Kumar assumed charge as the
state’s chief minister, the report said.
The report, published annually, estimates
economic freedom based on data for 2013, using
a methodology adapted from the Fraser Institute’s
Economic Freedom of the World (EFW) annual
reports. The report is published through a joint
effort of the Friedrich-Naumann- Stiftung für die
Freiheit, the Cato Institute and the Academic
Foundation, New Delhi.
A reading of the index closer to 1 indicates
greater economic freedom and shows the
correlation between economic freedom and the
well-being of citizens.
The latest findings come amid a raging debate
over the “Gujarat model” of development with
Modi’s critics pointing out that the BJP-prime
ministerial candidate’s poll pitch showcasing the
state’s progress over the last decade was based
on faulty premises.
The three states recording the fastest
improvement in economic freedom have been
among the fastest-growing states. Growth has
averaged 12% in Gujarat, 10.6 % in Chhattisgarh
and 10.4% in Andhra Pradesh between 2005 and
2011.
“Gujarat is not only the freest state, but it has
also registered the fastest rate of improvement in
the index (from 0.46 in 2005 to 0.65 in 2013),”
the report said.
“States in India which are economically more free
are also doing better in terms of a higher per
capita growth for its citizens, unemployment
levels are lower in these states, sanitary
conditions are better and the states also attract
more investments,” said the report, co-authored
by economists Bibek Debroy and Laveesh
Bhandari and Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar.
Bihar with an index score of (0.31) remains that
bottom of the table, behind Assam (0.32) and
Jharkhand (0.33), the report said even as it
underlined the rapid strides in Bihar’s economic
development after Nitish Kumar assumed charge
as chief minister in 2005.
“Under chief minister Nitish Kumar, its GDP
growth rate averaged 11.8% between 2004-05
and 2010-11,” it said.
It used to be the poorest state but slashed its
poverty headcount ratio from 56% in 2009-2011
to just 33.74% in 2011-12, and is no longer the
poorest. Its overall literacy rate improved by 16.8
percentage points and its female literacy rate by
20 percentage points in the decade 2001-2011
(the highest among states in both cases).
“The main pillars of Nitish Kumar’s strategy were
the improved provision of two essential
government services (technically called public
goods) needed for the proper functioning of the
state—public order and good road connectivity,” it
said.
Gujarat tops list of economically-free states - Hindustan Times
the top-ranked Indian state in terms of “economic
freedom” - an index that measures
governance, growth, citizens’ rights and labour
and business regulation among the country’s 20
largest states.
“Gujarat has widened its lead at the top of the
economic freedom table, with an index score of
0.65 (on a scale from 0 to 1.0). Tamil Nadu
remains in second position, but some distance
behind, with a score of 0.54,” said the latest
“Economic Freedom of the States of India” report
2013.
Bihar, which continues to remain at the bottom of
table, however, has progressed by leaps and
bounds after Nitish Kumar assumed charge as the
state’s chief minister, the report said.
The report, published annually, estimates
economic freedom based on data for 2013, using
a methodology adapted from the Fraser Institute’s
Economic Freedom of the World (EFW) annual
reports. The report is published through a joint
effort of the Friedrich-Naumann- Stiftung für die
Freiheit, the Cato Institute and the Academic
Foundation, New Delhi.
A reading of the index closer to 1 indicates
greater economic freedom and shows the
correlation between economic freedom and the
well-being of citizens.
The latest findings come amid a raging debate
over the “Gujarat model” of development with
Modi’s critics pointing out that the BJP-prime
ministerial candidate’s poll pitch showcasing the
state’s progress over the last decade was based
on faulty premises.
The three states recording the fastest
improvement in economic freedom have been
among the fastest-growing states. Growth has
averaged 12% in Gujarat, 10.6 % in Chhattisgarh
and 10.4% in Andhra Pradesh between 2005 and
2011.
“Gujarat is not only the freest state, but it has
also registered the fastest rate of improvement in
the index (from 0.46 in 2005 to 0.65 in 2013),”
the report said.
“States in India which are economically more free
are also doing better in terms of a higher per
capita growth for its citizens, unemployment
levels are lower in these states, sanitary
conditions are better and the states also attract
more investments,” said the report, co-authored
by economists Bibek Debroy and Laveesh
Bhandari and Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar.
Bihar with an index score of (0.31) remains that
bottom of the table, behind Assam (0.32) and
Jharkhand (0.33), the report said even as it
underlined the rapid strides in Bihar’s economic
development after Nitish Kumar assumed charge
as chief minister in 2005.
“Under chief minister Nitish Kumar, its GDP
growth rate averaged 11.8% between 2004-05
and 2010-11,” it said.
It used to be the poorest state but slashed its
poverty headcount ratio from 56% in 2009-2011
to just 33.74% in 2011-12, and is no longer the
poorest. Its overall literacy rate improved by 16.8
percentage points and its female literacy rate by
20 percentage points in the decade 2001-2011
(the highest among states in both cases).
“The main pillars of Nitish Kumar’s strategy were
the improved provision of two essential
government services (technically called public
goods) needed for the proper functioning of the
state—public order and good road connectivity,” it
said.
Gujarat tops list of economically-free states - Hindustan Times
