NITI Aayog's SDG India Index 2023-24: Kerala and Uttarakhand Lead the Way

In the latest NITI Aayog's SDG India Index 2023-24, Kerala and Uttarakhand have emerged as the top-performing states, reflecting significant strides in social, economic, and environmental parameters. In contrast, Bihar has been ranked as the worst performer in this comprehensive assessment of states and union territories.

Overview of the SDG India Index 2023-24

The SDG India Index 2023-24, developed by NITI Aayog, evaluates the progress of states and union territories across 16 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). India's overall SDG score increased to 71 in 2023-24, up from 66 in 2020-21, highlighting substantial progress in areas such as poverty eradication, decent work, economic growth, climate action, and life on land.

Top Performers and Laggards

SDG India Index 2023-24 Top-Performing States 

• Kerala and Uttarakhand: Both states achieved the highest score of 79, demonstrating remarkable progress across various SDGs.

• Tamil Nadu: With a score of 78, Tamil Nadu closely followed Kerala and Uttarakhand.

• Goa: Goa secured a score of 77, placing it among the top performers.

SDG India Index 2023-24 Worst-Performing States

• Bihar: Bihar ranked lowest with a score of 57.

• Jharkhand: Jharkhand's score of 62 placed it among the bottom performers.

• Nagaland: Nagaland scored 63, making it one of the worst-performing states in this year's index.

SDG India Index 2023-24 Union Territories Performance

Among the union territories, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and Delhi were the top performers, showcasing significant progress in achieving SDG targets.

Government Interventions and Achievements

NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam emphasized the impact of targeted government interventions in achieving substantial improvements across 16 SDGs. "India is not only on track but ahead of others in achieving most of the targets under SDGs," he stated, adding that the government aims to achieve these targets before 2030 in several areas.

Key Improvements and Areas of Focus of SDG India Index 2023-24

The index highlighted significant improvements across various goals:

• Goal 13 (Climate Action): The score for climate action improved from 54 to 67.

• Goal 1 (No Poverty): The score rose significantly from 60 to 72.

Despite overall progress, India's score remains below 50 for Goal 5 (Gender Equality), indicating a need for focused efforts in this area.

SDG India Index 2023-24 Fastest Moving States

Between 2018 and 2023-24, Uttar Pradesh emerged as the fastest-moving state, increasing its score by 25 points. Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Sikkim also showed substantial improvements.

Measuring Progress and Impact

The fourth edition of the SDG India Index tracked national progress across 113 indicators, covering various dimensions of sustainable development. The SDGs, formed through an unprecedented consultative process, include 17 goals and 169 related targets to be achieved by 2030.

Government Initiatives Driving Progress

The report credited several key government interventions for the improvement in SDG scores:

• Housing: Construction of over 4 crore houses under PM Awas Yojana (PMAY).

• Sanitation: Building 11 crore toilets and 2.23 lakh community sanitary complexes in rural areas.

• LPG Connections: Provision of 10 crore LPG connections under PM Ujjwala Yojana.

• Water Supply: Tap water connections in over 14.9 crore households under the Jal Jeevan Mission.

• Healthcare: Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana benefitted over 30 crore people.

• Food Security: 80 crore people benefitted under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

• Financial Inclusion: Direct benefit transfer of Rs 34 lakh crore through PM-Jan Dhan accounts.

Conclusion

First launched in December 2018, the SDG India Index has become the primary tool for monitoring progress on the SDGs in India. It has fostered competition among states and union territories by ranking them on global goals. Developed in collaboration with the United Nations in India, the index measures progress at national and sub-national levels, advocating for sustainability, resilience, and partnerships.