According to Public Affairs Index (PAI) 2018, Kerala tops the list as a best-governed state for the third consecutive year since 2016 in the country followed by Tamil Nadu.
While Telangana, Karnataka, and Gujarat are ranked third, fourth and fifth among the top five states delivering good governance.
Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Bihar ranked the lowest on the PAI, indicating higher social and economic inequalities in the states.
Among smaller states (with a population less than two crores), Himachal Pradesh topped the list, followed by Goa, Mizoram, Sikkim, and Tripura.
Nagaland, Manipur, and Meghalaya were ranked at the bottom of the index among small states.
The Centre added a new chapter in the index this year, Children of India, giving a measure of how child-friendly each of the states is.
Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, and Mizoram topped the index on being the states to provide better living conditions for all children.
The index is released since in 2016 by Bengaluru base Public Affairs Centre (PAC), a not for profit think tank which aims to improve governance in India.
It was Founded in 1994 by renowned Indian economist and scholar late Samuel Paul.