NITI Aayog releases “SDG India Index 2020-21”

What is the News?

NITI Aayog has released the SDG India Index 2020-21. It is the 3rd edition of SDG India Index.

Key Findings of the SDG India Index 2020-21:

• India’s overall SDG score improved by 6 points — from 60 in 2019 to 66 in 2020-21.
  • This is due to improvement in providing facilities including clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy among others.
• Categories: Currently, there are no states in the aspirant and achiever category. Around 15 states/UTs are in the performer category and 22 states/UTs in the front runner category.
• States:
  • Kerala has topped the index with a score of 75.
  • It was followed by Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu with a score of 74.
  • Bihar, Jharkhand and Assam were the worst-performing states in the SDG India index.
• UTs: Chandigarh maintained its top spot among the UTs with a score of 79, followed by Delhi (68).
• Top Gainers: Mizoram, Haryana and Uttarakhand are the top gainers in 2020-21 in terms of improvement in score from 2019.

About SDG India Index:

• The SDG India Index was launched in 2018 by NITI Aayog. It was developed in collaboration with the United Nations.
• Aim: As the States, progress will determine India’s progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The index aims to instil competition among States to improve their performance across social indices.
• Indicators Covered: The third edition of the index covered 16 SDG Goals on 115 quantitative indicators.
  • In 2018, around 13 SDG goals with 62 indicators were covered.

How are states ranked & classified?

• Scoring: A composite score for SDG Index is computed in the range of 0–100 for each State/UT based on its aggregate performance across 16 SDGs.
  • The higher the score of a State/UT, the closer it is towards achieving the 2030 national targets.
• Classification: States/UTs are classified based on the SDG India Index Score as follows:
  • Aspirant: 0–49
  • Performer: 50–64
  • Front Runner: 65–99
  • Achiever: 100

Significance of the index:

• The index tracks the progress of all states and UTs on 115 indicators aligned with the National Indicator Framework (NIF) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
• It evaluates the progress of states and Union Territories(UTs) on various parameters including health, education, gender, economic growth, institutions, climate change and environment.
• The index helps in identifying crucial gaps related to tracking the SDGs and the need for India to develop its statistical systems.

Source: Indian Express