STATE TIMES NEWS
NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir has bagged the ‘Big State of the States’ (SoS) award in environment sector. The award was conferred to the State by the India Today Group at a function here.
Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Arun Jaitley and Editor-in-Chief, India Today, Arun Purie, presented the award to the Chief Ministers and Ministers from various states at an impressive function of India Today Conclave-2016 held at ITC Maurya in New Delhi.
Minister for Forest, Environment and Ecology received the award for the most improved big ‘State of States’ in environment sector for Jammu and Kashmir State, while as Meghalaya and Manipur were adjudged for the improved small States award in environment category. In overall ranking, the Jammu and Kashmir has jumped from number 4 in 2015 to rank 3 this year.
While presenting the awards, the Union Finance Minister said that the annual India Today “The State of The States” award is the country’s most extensive and thorough study to ascertain which Indian states are leading in terms of governance, education, agriculture, healthcare, infrastructure, investment scenario, economy, environment, cleanliness and inclusive development. The Union Finance Minster congratulated all the winners and the ‘most improved’ states of the India in all such sectors.
Earlier in his speech Editor-in-chief, India Today Group, Arun Purie said for the last over one decade, India Today’s annual State of the State’s Survey has emerged as the gold survey for analyzing and recognizing the primary units of the governance that keep India ticking over. “For India to achieve a sustainable growth rate of over 9 per cent, most states need to grow at 12-13 per cent. I am confident enough if politics doesn’t derail us, it is entirely possible,” Purie said. “We should all have faith in our democracy and above all in our people. We are an amazing country with such diverse, talented and smart people. Our country is bursting with youthful energy with 65 per cent of our population being below the age of 35. My hope comes from watching ordinary Indians doing extraordinary things all around us,” Purie said.