<p style=”margin-bottom: 13px; text-align: center;”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><b><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”>SOURCE – THE HINDU</span></span></span></span></b></span></span></span></p>
<p style=”margin-bottom: 13px; text-align: center;”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><b><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”>GS PAPER – 3</span></span></span></span></b></span></span></span></p>
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<h1><span style=”font-size:24pt”><span style=”font-family:"Times New Roman",serif”><span style=”font-weight:bold”><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”>CONTEXT – </span></span></span><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”><span style=”font-weight:normal”>India announces the states' startup ranking list; Gujarat emerges as best performer in DPIIT’s rankings</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h1>
<p style=”margin-bottom:13px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><b><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”>ABOUT –</span></span></span></span></b></span></span></span></p>
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<li style=”margin-left:8px”><span style=”font-size:13pt”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Cambria,serif”><span style=”color:#4f81bd”><span style=”font-weight:bold”><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”color:black”><span style=”font-weight:normal”>The DPIIT conducted the second edition of the exercise with the key objective to foster competitiveness and propel states and union territories to work proactively towards uplifting the startup ecosystem</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li style=”margin-bottom:13px; margin-left:8px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”>Gujarat retained its best performer tag in the competition which saw a participation of 22 states and three union territories.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li style=”margin-left:8px”><span style=”font-size:12pt”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Times New Roman",serif”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”>The Start-up India initiative of the Government of India envisages to build a robust Start-up ecosystem in the country for nurturing innovation and providing opportunities to budding entrepreneurs</span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li style=”margin-left:8px”><span style=”font-size:12pt”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Times New Roman",serif”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”>The active support of State/UT Governments is crucial for achieving the overall objectives of the program.</span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li style=”margin-left:8px”><span style=”font-size:12pt”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Times New Roman",serif”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”> The core functioning of an enabling ecosystem in a State/UT is a function of the framework and policy put in place along with effective implementation of the same.</span></span></span></span></span></li>
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<p style=”margin-left:48px”> </p>
<p><strong><span style=”font-size:11.0pt”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”>Best Performer:</span></span></span></span></span></strong><span style=”font-size:11.0pt”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”> Gujarat (State), Andaman & Nicobar Islands (UT)</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style=”font-size:11.0pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”><strong><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>Top Performers:</span></span></strong><span style=”background:white”> Karnataka and Kerala</span><br />
<strong><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>Leaders</span></span></strong><span style=”background:white”>: Bihar, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Chandigarh</span><br />
<strong><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>Aspiring Leaders:</span></span></strong><span style=”background:white”> Haryana, Jharkhand, Punjab, Telangana, Uttrakhand</span><br />
<strong><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>Emerging Startup Ecosystem:</span></span></strong><span style=”background:white”> Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Sikki</span></span></span></span></span></p>