NEW DELHI: Kerala topped the list in terms of performance of various states in the country in terms of equity, growth and sustainability. Kerala achieved this feat in the Public Affairs Index released by the Public Affairs Center (PAC). Chandigarh came first among the union territories. K Kasturirangan, former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization and head of PAC, opined that the states were included in the rankings on the basis of the integrated index in the context of sustainable development.

The study was conducted by the Public Affairs Center using data from reports received from various agencies of the central government. Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka topped the list of 18 largest states with a population of more than two crore. Kerala came first with 1.618 points while Tamil Nadu came second with 0.897 points.

Meantime, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Bihar are lowest in the rankings. Of these, UP last on the list is minus 1.418.

Goa tops the list of small states with a population of less than two crore, followed by Meghalaya and Himachal Pradesh. Manipur, Delhi and Uttarakhand performed poorly.