Bengaluru, Shimla ranked `most livable` cities in government`s `Ease of Living Index 2020`

Bengaluru topped the list of 111 cities in the government`sEase of Living Index` on Thursday, followed by Pune, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Surat, Navi Mumbai, Coimbatore and Vadodra. According to the index released by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Shimla was ranked top in the category of cities with a `population less than million`.

New Delhi: Bengaluru, which is known as the tech city of India, has topped the list of 111 cities in the government's latest 'Ease of Living Index' on Thursday, followed by Pune, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Surat, Navi Mumbai, Coimbatore and Vadodra.

According to the index released by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Shimla was ranked top in the category of cities with a 'population less than million'.

New Delhi Municipal Council topped the 'Municipal Performance Index' list in the 'less than million population' category. Indore was ranked top on the 'Municipal Performance Index' list in the million-plus population category. It was followed by Tirupati, Gandhinagar, Karnal, Salem, Tiruppur, Bilaspur, Udaipur, Jhansi, Tirunelveli.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been stressing on the ease of living, along with the ease of doing business, as a key policy priority of his government. In view of the PM's call, the rankings of cities have assumed significance in shaping government policies and determining expenditure priorities. 

A total of 111 cities participated in the assessment exercise that was conducted in 2020. The first edition of the index was launched in 2018. 

In the Ease of Living Index, the cities are ranked on the basis of 15 evaluation criteria, including governance, identity and culture, education, health, safety and security, economy, affordable housing, land use planning, public open spaces, transportation and mobility, assured water supply, waste-water management, solid waste management, power, and quality of the environment.