Ease of Living Index 2020 – UPSC Prelims

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About Ease of Living Index,2020:
  • Developed by: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in 2018.
  • It is an assessment tool. By this tool, quality of life and the impact of various initiatives on urban development are assessed.
  • Parameters: The index evaluates cities based on the following parameters:
    • Quality of Life (35%): It looks at the indicators for decent urban life. These indicators include affordable housing, access to clean water, basic education, healthcare facilities, safety and security and recreation avenues.
    • Economic Ability (15%): It captures the economic well-being of citizens. It is done by evaluating the level of economic development and inequalities in a particular city.
    • Sustainability (20%): It evaluates the availability of green spaces, green buildings, level of energy consumption. Moreover, the quality of natural resources such as air, water, and the city’s ability to withstand natural disasters are also assessed.
    • Citizen Perception Survey (30%): It provides a perception of the city residents. Thus, it allows citizens to evaluate the level and quality of development in their respective cities.
  • Coverage: The index assessed 111 cities by bifurcating them into two categories:
    • Million+ populated cities (those with a population of more than a million) and
    • Less than A Million populated cities (those with a population of less than a million) along with all the cities under the Smart Cities Program.
Key Findings:
  • Million+ category: Bengaluru has emerged as the top performer. It is followed by Pune, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Surat, Navi Mumbai, Coimbatore, Vadodara, Indore, and Greater Mumbai.
  • Less than Million category: Shimla is at the top in this category. It is followed by Bhubaneswar, Silvassa, Kakinada, Salem, Vellore, Gandhinagar, Gurugram, Davangere, and Tiruchirappalli.
Significance of the index:
  • The findings from the index can help guide evidence-based policymaking.
  • It also promotes healthy competition among cities. It encourages cities to learn from each other and advance their development trajectory.
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