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Context:

• Recently, the Union Home Minister has released the composite ranking of the first ever District Good Governance Index (DGGI) in Jammu and Kashmir.

Highlights of the index:

• The Jammu district topped the list, followed by the UT districts of Doda, Samba, Pulwama, and Srinagar.
• Ganderbal is ranked sixth, Anantnag is ranked seventh, Baramulla district is eighth, Kathua is ninth, and Kupwara is tenth.
• Individually, Kishtwar has been ranked first in the Agriculture sector, Jammu has been ranked first in two sectors of Commerce and Industry and Citizen Centric Governance, Pulwama has been ranked first in HRD, Reasi has been ranked first in Public Health, Srinagar has been ranked first in Public Infrastructure, and Ramban has been ranked first in Social Welfare.

About District Good Governance Index:

• Launched throughout Jammu and Kashmir's 20 districts.
• It's a framework document with 58 indicators and 116 data points that track performance across ten governance sectors.
• Each of the Districts went through a rigorous and thorough data collection, screening, and validation procedure before adopting the criteria.
• Based on the 'Behtar e-Hukumat - Kashmir Aelamia' resolution adopted in July 2021, the index was created by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances in partnership with the government.
• The index will have a significant impact on inhabitants of Jammu and Kashmir since it will strive to enhance district machinery, make districts more result-oriented, and strengthen their delivery mechanisms.

About Governance:

All governing processes – whether by a state's government, a market, or a network – take place over a social system (family, tribe, formal or informal organisation, a territory, or across territories) and are governed by the laws, conventions, power, or language of an organised society. Good governance is a way of serving the people by achieving their objectives within the boundaries of the constitution.

Good Governance according to 2^nd ARC:

• Responsive, accountable, sustainable and efficient administration at all levels.
• Further, transparency, accountability, rule of law, principle of subsidiarity and citizen first form basics of good governance.
• For ex.- delivery of services like PDS shall be quick, devoid of middlemen, reach even the most marginalised at minimum cost.

Components of good governance:

• Capacity and efficiency in public sector management
• Accountability
• Legal framework for development
• Information and transparency

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