THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala has improved its ranking in the Niti Aayog’s second Innovation Index released on Wednesday. The state is ranked fifth in the index developed on the lines of the Global Innovation Index. Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Telangana are the states ahead of Kerala which was in the sixth position last year. Haryana, ahead by a slot last year, is now ranked behind Kerala while Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Bihar are at the bottom of the index.
Kerala would continue to excel in innovation index by making its industrial policies more liberal and by attracting investment in key sectors, said Industries Minister E P Jayarajan. The India Innovation Index 2020 ranks states and union territories based on their relative performance in supporting innovation. It also aims to empower states to improve their innovation policies by highlighting the strengths and weaknesses. The index is expected to encourage healthy competition among the states and union territories, thereby fostering competitive federalism.
The ranking is designed in such a way that states are able to draw lessons in innovation. The states and union territories were divided into 17 ‘major states’, 10 ‘North-East and hill states’ and 9 ‘city states and union territories’, for comparing their performances effectively. Overall, the framework of the India Innovation Index 2020 consists of 36 indicators.