SDG India Index Report

Source- This post on the SDG India Index Report has been created based on the article “India shows good progress on SDGs: NITI Aayog report” published in “The Hindu” on 13 July 2024.

Recently, NITI Aayog released its fourth evaluation report of India’s progress on the 16 sustainable development goals (SDGs) adopted in 2015 by all United Nations member countries.

About SDG India Index Report

1. It is released by NITI aayog.

2. The SDG India Index evaluates progress made across 16 goals on a scale of 1 to 100.

Performance of the states in SDG India Index

1.  India’s SDG score improved to 71 points in 2023-24 from 66 points in 2020-21.

2. Key Drivers: Progress in poverty reduction, economic growth, and climate action contributed to the improvement.

3. Top Performers: 

i) Kerala and Uttarakhand: Both states topped the SDG India Index with a score of 79 points each.

ii) Lowest Performers: Bihar was the worst performer with 57 points, followed by Jharkhand with 62 points.

iii) Highest Gains: Punjab, Manipur, West Bengal, and Assam recorded the highest increases, each gaining 8 points to scores of 76, 72, 70, and 65 respectively.

4. Achievements:

i) The goal of reducing poverty saw a significant increase in points.

ii)  There was notable progress in achieving decent work and fostering economic growth.

iii) Efforts to protect and manage life on land also showed a substantial improvement.

iv)  The goal of achieving gender equality recorded the smallest increase in points.

v)  Similarly, the goal related to peace, justice, and strong institutions saw minimal progress.

vi) The goal of reducing inequalities experienced a decline, dropping to 65 points in 2022-23 from 67 points in 2020-21.

vii) Inequality Trends: Despite a marginal drop in the Reduced Inequalities goal, overall inequality in India has decreased. The gap in consumption between the richest 10% and the bottom 10% has contracted.

viii) Taxpayer Increase: The number of taxpayers has increased, indicating economic progress.

ix) Zero Poverty: Increased by 8 points to 72, reflecting reduced extreme poverty and improved livelihoods across India.

x) Zero Hunger: Increased by 5 points to 52, but further focus is needed on providing nutritious food to address malnourishment, stunting, and low BMI scores.

5. Areas of Concern:

i) Gender Equality: Received the lowest score of 49 points, with only a 1-point increase from 2020-21.

ii) Issues: Low sex ratio at birth, women’s ownership of land and assets, and low participation of women in the labor force.

UPSC Syllabus: Indices and reports