Karnataka tops the innovation ranking of the states: Niti Aayog
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New Delhi, Oct 17: Karnataka topped the state's first innovation ranking, followed by Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, a report sponsored by Niti Aayog said Thursday.
Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, on the other hand, followed the list.
The India Innovation Index 2019, developed along the lines of the Global Innovation Index (GII), analyzes the innovation ecosystem of the states of India and the territories of the Union to help policymakers design policies to boost innovation in All regions
The report was published by Niti Aayog's vice president, Rajiv Kumar, and the executive director, Amitabh Kant, here.
The classification was carried out in three categories: 'Main States', 'Northeast and Hill States' and 'Union Territories (UT)/City and small states'. Sikkim led in the Northeast category, while Delhi was at the top in the UT segment.
Telangana, Haryana, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh were among the other states that led the innovation index.
The report, which has captured trends and conducted in-depth analyzes of several factors that drive innovation at the country, state and pillar level, aims to help policy makers and businesses identify some of the problems at a sustainable level in India
The index has been grouped into two main heads, enablers, factors that will drive innovation in the states and the UT, and performance, which will measure the actual results in the competitiveness of state innovation.
In terms of attracting investments, Karnataka again ranked first among the main states, followed by Maharashtra, Haryana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Telangana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Bihar, Jharkhand and Punjab were the least attractive states for investment.
Between the northeastern states and the hills, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura were the three main states; while among the UT, Lakshadweep, Delhi and Goa were the three main regions.
For a country as large as India, the state of innovation must be understood at the regional level for effective policy formulation. A policy only at the national level is not enough. Each state needs to formulate its own policy, based on its resources and strengths and that addresses specific needs, the report said.
Kumar said that innovation has always been an engine of change and progress in any economy, as it disrupts traditional practices and businesses.
India's first Innovation Index will help create an enabling ecosystem for innovation to flourish throughout the country. This index will not only help design its own strategy to foster a climate of innovation, but will also allow them to compare their performance with other states, Kumar said.
Amitabh Kant said that India Innovation Index is another initiative launched by Niti Aayog to analyze and improve the innovation environment at the state level in India. The index will be useful for the states and territories of the union when comparing their performance with their peers to understand the reasons for differential performance and design better strategies to create an environment that fosters innovation, Kant said.
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Uttarakhand Assembly passes censure motion against opposition over women's reservation bill
Dehradun (PTI): The Uttarakhand Assembly passed a censure motion against the Congress and other opposition parties on Tuesday for allegedly blocking the passage of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, in Parliament.
The motion, which expressed the House's formal disapproval of the opposition's conduct, triggered a massive uproar by Congress members, leading to the adjournment of the House sine die.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Subodh Uniyal moved the censure motion, citing the "uncooperative attitude" of opposition parties toward the bill seeking 33 per cent reservation for women in legislative bodies.
Addressing a special daylong session convened specifically to discuss "Nari Samman -- Rights in Democracy", Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the bill's passage would have benefitted every political party.
Dhami noted that after delimitation, the number of Assembly seats in the hill state would have gone up to 105, with 35 reserved for women. He added that the number of Lok Sabha seats from Uttarakhand would have risen from five to seven or eight.
"The opposition fears that if women from ordinary households enter politics, the shops of dynastic politics run by certain parties will shut down," the chief minister claimed.
He compared the opposition's conduct in Parliament to the assembly in Mahabharat where Draupadi was insulted. Dhami further likened the opposition's behaviour to the "arrogance of Ravan".
The chief minister highlighted his government's initiatives, asserting that Uttarakhand was the first state to implement a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) to protect women's rights. He said the UCC freed Muslim women from practices like "halala", "iddat", polygamy and child marriage.
Leader of Opposition Yashpal Arya questioned the technical feasibility of the bill, calling the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) claims of providing reservation by 2029 "misleading".
He argued that the bill is linked to census and delimitation processes. The Congress leader said the 2026 census would conclude by 2027 and the final data publication would take two more years.
"The delimitation process will take another six years. The actual implementation of this bill is not possible before 2034," Arya said, describing the move as a strategy to protect the BJP's "political ground".
The session also saw high drama outside the Assembly gates, where Congress MLA Virendra Jati staged a protest, demanding the payment of "outstanding" dues to farmers by sugar mills.
Jati arrived at the Assembly's main gate with a tractor-trolley loaded with sugarcane and dumped it on the road. The move brought the traffic to a halt, prompting traffic and security personnel to intervene and clear the area.
Women Congress workers also staged a demonstration against the "anti-people policies" of the state government.
