Access (In)Equality Index 2026: Goa Ranks First, Andhra Pradesh Secures Second Position

Access (In)Equality Index 2026: Goa Ranks First, Andhra Pradesh Secures Second Position

Introduction

• Latest Report: The Access (In)Equality Index 2026 has shown how well different Indian states provide basic facilities and services to their people. The report was prepared by the Centre for New Economics Studies (CNES) at O.P. Jindal Global University.
• Main Objective: The index checks whether people can easily get basic facilities such as clean drinking water, healthcare, education, jobs, banking services and legal help.
• Importance: It looks at the facilities people actually receive instead of judging a state’s development only by its income or money.
• Assessment: The 2026 index covered 28 Indian states. It studied five major areas, 23 categories and 60 different points to compare the states.

Top-Ranking States

• First Position: Goa secured the first position among Indian states with an overall score of 0.68.
• Second Position: Andhra Pradesh secured second position with a score of 0.66. It also became the highest-ranking major state in the country.
• Third Position: Sikkim secured third position with a score of 0.63.
• Other States: Kerala ranked fourth with 0.60 points. Tamil Nadu and Telangana jointly secured fifth position with 0.57 points each.
• Major Achievement: Andhra Pradesh performed better than many other states in providing basic facilities and opportunities to its people. Its second position showed that a state’s development is not decided by its income alone.

Five Major Parameters

The index checks the performance of states on five major areas:

• Basic Amenities: It checks whether people have basic facilities such as clean drinking water, toilets, proper houses and clean cooking fuel.
• Healthcare: It checks whether people can easily get medical treatment, visit hospitals and use other health services.
• Education: It looks at people’s access to schools, colleges and other educational facilities.
• Socio-Economic Security: It checks whether people have jobs, banking facilities, insurance, pensions and financial support.
• Legal Services: It checks whether people can get help from the police, courts and legal service centres when they need justice.

Equal Weightage: All five areas are given equal importance while preparing the index. This means that a state cannot get a high overall position only by performing well in one area while ignoring the others.

Andhra Pradesh’s Performance

• Overall Ranking: Andhra Pradesh secured second position in the country with an overall score of 0.66.
• Major State: It became the highest-ranking major state in India in the Access (In)Equality Index 2026.
• Economic Position: Andhra Pradesh ranked 13th in the country in terms of per capita income. However, it secured second position in the Access (In)Equality Index.
• Top Performance: Andhra Pradesh ranked first in the country in socio-economic security with a score of 0.69. Goa ranked second in this category with 0.50 points.
• Income Difference: According to the report, Andhra Pradesh was expected to get an access score of 0.51 based on its income level. However, its actual score was much higher at 0.66.
• Positive Difference: The difference between its actual score and expected score was +0.15. This was the highest positive difference among Indian states.
• Government Response: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu welcomed the report. He connected the state’s performance with welfare schemes, development work and steps taken by his government to improve people’s lives.

Important Findings

• Income Factor: The report found that the income of people in a state explains around three-fourths of the differences in access to basic facilities between states.
• Bihar’s Position: Bihar was among the lowest-ranking states in the overall index. However, its performance was better than what was expected from its income level.
• Gujarat’s Performance: Gujarat recorded the biggest gap between its actual access score and the score expected on the basis of its income.
• Geographical Difference: The report found that geographical location explains around 54% of the differences in access scores among Indian states.
• Southern States: Southern Indian states generally performed better in providing basic facilities and services to their people.
• Unequal Development: Many states still face problems in providing proper healthcare, education, social security and legal services. These problems often exist together and make development more difficult.

Importance of the Index

• Better Planning: The index helps governments find out which areas need more attention and where basic facilities should be improved.
• Equal Opportunities: It reminds governments that people from every social and economic background should get equal chances to grow and succeed.
• Public Welfare: It encourages governments to improve facilities related to healthcare, education, housing and financial support.
• Balanced Growth: It shows that earning more money or having a stronger economy is not enough. Development is meaningful only when ordinary people also receive its benefits.
• Policy Improvement: The information provided by the index can help governments make better plans, improve public services and reduce differences between states.

Important Questions

1. Which state secured the first position in the Access (In)Equality Index 2026, and what was its overall score?
2. What was Andhra Pradesh’s rank and overall score in the Access (In)Equality Index 2026?
3. Which state ranked first in the socio-economic security category of the Access (In)Equality Index 2026, and what score did it receive?
4. What are the five major areas used to measure the performance of Indian states in the Access (In)Equality Index 2026?
5. Which organisation prepared the Access (In)Equality Index 2026, and how many Indian states were covered in the report?

Conclusion

The Access (In)Equality Index 2026 shows that development is not only about earning more money or having a strong economy. It is also about making sure that people receive basic facilities such as clean drinking water, proper healthcare, education, jobs and legal help. The report also shows that some states are doing better than others in providing these services. It can help governments understand their weak areas and take steps to improve people’s lives. The main aim should be to make sure that the benefits of development reach everyone and no one is left behind.