UP is the most heavily populated state of India. In the post-reform period its growth rate has been the lowest, well behind, the high growth rate of the Indian economy. The state is termed as 'laggard' in the current literature, prompting us to ask if other large states of India are in a comparable position. This paper, using a multi-indicator approach, seeks to answer this question and also, the effect of its low growth rate on the overall economy at large. The study finds that some more dynamic states of India are in a comparable position.