NEW DELHI, SEPT 23 — Goa has won the IBN7 Diamond State Awards for the best small State in India. Kerala has been named the best big State. While Goa was cited for the best infrastructure and womens’ empowerment, Kerala won the award for its infrastructure, womens’ empowerment, health services and education system. 
Gujarat has been named the best big State for employment. Delhi won the small State award for the best water and sanitation; the same award for big States was bagged by Punjab. Sikkim walked off with the best small State award for citizen security and justice.
However, no awards were announced for small States with the best healthcare and employment due to lack of data. The awards ceremony, at the Taj Palace in New Delhi, was attended by the chief ministers of various States.
Price Waterhouse Coopers managed the process, methodology and data. The jury comprised former Reserve Bank of India Governor and Rajya Sabha parliamentarian Bimal Jalan, former Director of Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Dr Bakul Dholakia, author and consultant Gurcharan Das, senior fellow of the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy Ila Patnaik, President and Chief Executive of the Centre for Policy Research Pratap Bhanu Mehta, and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Secretary General Dr Amit Mitra.