India, Feb. 14 -- The Ministry of Panchayati Raj on Thursday released a report on the "Status of Devolution to Panchayats in States" in Delhi. The Panchayat Devolution Index report is an evidence-based ranking of states and UTs based on six frameworks.

The study ranked states and UTs based on their performance, as measured by a devolution index.

The states and UTs were ranked by each of the following six dimensions- framework, functions, finances, functionaries, capacity enhancement and accountability- and the first five states in the ranking were, Karnataka, followed by Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh.

The report was prepared by Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) and the study covered 34 states and UTs in ...