Star Of The South

At the 2017 state of the state conclave in Bengaluru, speakers agreed that Karnataka can emerge as a leader among states.

- Kaushik Deka

Karnataka has long been a pioneer in harnessing technology and transforming governance,” said state chief minister Siddaramaiah at the India today State of the State Conclave in Bengaluru on September 26. He was speaking with reference to the State of the State report on Karnataka, an in-depth study conducted by INDIA TODAY, in association with Nielsen. The report measures the progress of the state’s 30 districts (see accompanying report) over the past decade in categories like infrastructure, education, health, agriculture and industry.

With assembly elections scheduled for next year, it was natural for the CM to put some political colour to the numbers in the report. The veteran Congress leader took pains to explain how his policies for development were guided by the principles espoused by Mahatma Gandhi and B.R. Ambedkar. He substantiated his statement with statistics—for example, that 24.1 per cent of all development resources in Karnataka are earmarked for scheduled castes and tribes. Indicating the state’s record in attracting investment (proposals worth Rs 1,54,173 crore have been received in the past 18 months) and generating employment (Karnataka’s 2 per cent unemployment rate is less than the national average of 3.7 per cent), the CM said the key to his development policy was balancing investment in human capital with investment in infrastructure. “The true meaning of development is empowerment,” he said.