The NITI Aayog has released its latest Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) India Index for 2023-24, showing significant progress in sustainable development across states and union territory of India.
SDG India Index
- The SDG India Index is a tool developed by NITI Aayog to measure and track India’s progress towards the SDGs set by the United Nations.
- The Index supports the localization of SDGs, encouraging states to integrate these goals into their development plans.
- It serves as a benchmark for policymakers to identify gaps and prioritise actions towards achieving sustainable development by 2030.
- Methodology: The Index assesses the performance of states and union territories (UTs) across 16 SDGs using a set of indicators aligned with national priorities.
- The SDG India Index measures national progress using 113 indicators aligned to the National Indicator Framework.
- Goal-wise scores are computed for the 16 SDGs, and overall composite scores are derived for each State/UT. Goal 14 (Life Below Water) has not been included in the calculation of the Composite Score for the Index as it solely pertains to the nine coastal States.
- Scores range from 0-100, with higher scores indicating greater progress toward SDG targets.
- State/UTs are categorised based on their SDG India Index score as follows: Aspirant: 0–49, Performer: 50–64, Front-Runner: 65–99, and Achiever: 100.
- Impact on Development: The Index promotes competitive and cooperative federalism, encouraging States and UTs to learn from each other and close outcome-based gaps.
- It provides a comprehensive analysis of progress, highlighting achievements and areas needing improvement.
- India fully integrated the SDGs into its national development strategies and is proud of its SDG localisation model based on institutional ownership, collaborative competition, capacity building, and a whole-of-society approach.
- The Index serves as a barometer for measuring progress towards Viksit Bharat @ 2047 and informs national and subnational development strategies.
Key Highlights of the SDG India Index for 2023-24
- Overall Progress: India’s overall SDG score improved to 71 in 2023-24 from 66 in 2020-21 and 57 in 2018. All states have shown improvement in overall scores. Progress has been largely driven by targeted government interventions in poverty reduction, economic growth, and climate action.
- Top Performers: Kerala and Uttarakhand emerged as the best-performing states, each scoring 79 points.
- Lowest Performer: Bihar lagged behind with a score of 57 points, followed by Jharkhand at 62 points.
- Front-Runner States: 32 states and union territories (UTs) are in the front-runner category, with 10 new entrants including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, and Uttar Pradesh.
Government Interventions Contributions to SDG Progress
- Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana: Over 4 crore houses built.
- Swachh Bharat Mission: 11 crore toilets and 2.23 lakh community sanitary complexes constructed.
- Ujjwala Yojana: 10 crore LPG connections provided.
- Jal Jeevan Mission: Tap water connections in over 14.9 crore households.
- Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY: Over 30 crore beneficiaries. Access to 150,000 Ayushman Arogya Mandir which offer primary medical care and provide affordable generic medicines.
- PM Mudra Yojana: 43 crore loans sanctioned.
- Saubhagya Scheme: 100% household electrification.
- Renewable Energy: Solar power capacity increased from 2.82 GW to 73.32 GW in a decade.
- National Food Security Act (NFSA): Coverage of over 80 crore people.
- Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT): Rs. 34 lakh crore made through PM-Jan Dhan accounts.
- Skill India Mission: Over 1.4 crore youth being trained and upskilled and has reskilled 54 lakh youth.