The 4th edition of the NITI Aayog published SDG India index was released recently for year 2023-24. The index, measures and tracks nation’s improvement of all States and UTs on 113 indicators associated to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation’s (MoSPI’s) National Indicator Framework (NIF). The index is the primary tool for measuring national and regional (state-wise) progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). A total of 32 states & UT’s have been analysed & scored based of 4 rank categories viz. Aspirant (0-49.99), Performer (50-64.99), Front Runner (65-99.99) & Achiever (100). The overall SDG score of the country stands at 71 for 2023-24 which is a significant improvement from 66 in 2020-21 and 57 in 2018 (Baseline report). Significant progress was seen in SDG Goals; 1 (No Poverty), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 13 (Climate Action) and 15 (Life on Land). In Front-runner category32 States and UT’s with 10 new debutants; which are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. Between the period of 2018 and 2023, there are a few states who have shown extraordinary performance by progressing at a faster pace in the SDG indices; these are Uttar Pradesh (increase in score by 25), followed by Jammu & Kashmir (21), Uttarakhand (19), Sikkim (18), Haryana (17), Assam, Tripura and Punjab (16 each), Madhya Pradesh and Odisha (15 each).
Methodology of NITI Aayog:
The methodology of the Index includes a series of steps. The 1st step consists of accumulating raw data for the designated indicators and finding data gaps. Subsequently for each indicator, projected target values are established for year 2030, that would provide a clear pedestal for estimating progress. The raw data is then normalised, transforming it into scores ranging from 0 to 100. The Goal score for each SDG is computed by taking the arithmetic mean of the normalized scores of its relevant indicators. The composite SDG India Index score is derived as an average of all Goal scores. The index and indicators are updated incorporating the latest developments in data availability. Goal 14 has not been included in the calculation of the Composite Score for the Index as it solely pertains to the nine coastal States.
Goal-wise result:
| SDG | Key Highlights |
| Goal 1: No Poverty | Improved score from 60 in 2020-21 to 72 in 2023-24, 99.7% people were offered employment under MGNREGA in 2023–2024. |
| Goal 2: Zero Hunger | Improvement in overall composite score from Aspirant to Performer category. 99.01% beneficiaries covered under National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013. |
| Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being | Overall score improved from 52 in 2018 to 77 in 2023-24. 93.23% children aged 9-11 months are fully immunised, and the Maternal Mortality Rate per 1,00,000 live births stands at 97. |
| Goal 4: Quality Education | Adjusted Net Enrolment Rate (ANER) for elementary education is 96.5% for 2021-22. 88.65% of schools have access to both electricity and drinking water. 100% parity between females and males in Higher Education (18-23 years). |
| Goal 5: Gender Equality | Overall score improved from 36 in 2018 to 49 in 2023-24. Sex ratio at birth (females per 1,000 males) stands at 929. |
| Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation | Significant improvement in score from 63 in 2018 to 89 in 2023-24. 99.29% of rural households have improved their source of drinking water. 94.7% of schools have functional toilets for girls. |
| Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy | Highest score amongst all SDGs also significant improvement from 51 in 2018 to 96 in 2023-24.100% households have access to electricity under the Saubhagya Scheme.Significant improvement in households have clean cooking fuel (LPG + PNG) connections from 92.02% (2020) to 96.35% (2024) |
| Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth | 5.88% annual growth rate of India’s GDP per capita at constant prices in 2022-23. Reduction in unemployment rate from 6.2% in 2018-19 to 3.40% in 2022-23. |
| Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure | Improvement in score from 41 in 2018 to 61 in 2023-24. 99.70% of targeted habitations connected with all-weather roads under PM Gram Sadak Yojana. |
| Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities | Decrease in points from 67 in 2020-21 to 65 in 2023-24.45.61% seats of Panchayati Raj Institutions held by women. 28.57% representation of SC/ST persons in state legislative assemblies. |
| Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities | Significant improvement in score from 39 in 2018 to 83 in 2023-24. The percentage of municipal solid waste processed has increased from 68% in 2020 to 78.46% in 2024.97% of wards have 100% door to door waste collection. |
| Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production | 91.5% of biomedical waste generated is treated in 2022. 54.99% hazardous waste recycled/utilized in 2022-23. |
| Goal 13: Climate Action | Drastic improvement from 54 (Performer category) in 2020-21 to 67 (Front Runner category) in the SDG India Index 4 (2023-24). Disaster preparedness score as per Disaster Resilience Index stands at 19.20.Improvement in electricity generation from renewable energy from 36.37% in 2020 to 43.28% in 2024.94.86% of industries comply with environmental standards. |
| Goal 14: Life Below Water | Goal 14 has not been included in the calculation of the Composite Score for the Index as it solely pertains to the nine coastal States |
| Goal 15: Life on Land | Score improved from 66 in 2020-21 to 75 in 2023-24. Nearly 25% of geographical area under forests and tree cover. |
| Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions | 95.5% of the population is under Aadhaar coverage as of March 2024.71.3% charge sheeting rate of IPC crimes as per NCRB 2022. |
Major Takeaways of the index 2023-24:
- Top Performers: Uttarakhand and Kerala secured the top spots with a score of 79 out of 100, showcasing strong performance across Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as poverty eradication, health, education, and environmental sustainability.
- National Improvement: India’s overall SDG score improved from 66 points in 2020-21 to 71 points in 2023-24, indicating significant progress in achieving the SDGs nationwide. This improvement reflects efforts in poverty reduction, economic growth, and environmental conservation.
- State-wise Variations: Bihar ranked lowest with 57 points, indicating areas needing more attention and development. States like Punjab, Manipur, West Bengal, and Assam showed notable improvements, with Punjab leading the pack with an increase of 8 points to reach 76 points.
- Goal-specific Insights: Goals such as “No Poverty,” “Decent Work and Economic Growth,” and “Life on Land” saw the highest increases in scores, reflecting advancements in income equality, employment opportunities, and biodiversity conservation efforts.
- Challenges and Focus Areas: Gender Equality received the lowest score at 49 points, highlighting persistent challenges in achieving parity in workforce participation, education access, and political representation. Addressing issues related to hunger and nutrition remains a priority, with the “Zero Hunger” goal scoring 52 points, emphasizing the need for nutritious food access and combating malnutrition.
Criticism:
- Climate performance: India’s climate action performance by Climate Action Tracker (CAT) says vice-versa. According to CAT, India’s overall rating as of December 4, 2023, is rated as “Highly Insufficient” indicating that India’s climate policies and commitments are not consistent with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C temperature limit,” the Tracker says. “India’s second NDC strengthened its targets on paper, but will not drive real world emission reductions beyond its current level of climate action. Its emissions intensity target is “Insufficient” when compared to India’s fair share contribution.”
- Cherry-picking of schemes for SDG’s: e.g. NITI Aayog report under Goal 1 (No Poverty) is the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) which ensures employment of at least 100 days a year for a person from a single rural household which also accounts for water conservation, forest cover & climate change. But it is ailing due to poor fund allocation by the centre & discrepancies in payments for MGNREGS’s workers. The Union government allocated only Rs 60,000 crore for 2023-24, which is 18% lower than the budget estimates for 2022-23 (Rs. 73,000 crore), and 33% lower than the Rs. 89,000-crore revised estimates for the year.
- Failing at Global level: India may claim to be doing well, but the annual SDG report card published by the United Nations on June 28, paints a grim picture. It warned that the world is failing to deliver on its promise of the Sustainable Development Goals. Only 17 percent of the SDG targets are currently on track, and only nearly half show minimal or moderate progress. Over one-third of them are stalled or regressing. Among the factors that have hindered progress are the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions. Another of the urgent priorities that the report lists is peace and security. As per the report, the number of forcibly displaced people has reached an unprecedented level: nearly 120 million, by May 2024. Civilian casualties spiked by 72 percent between 2022 and 2023 amid escalating violence, highlighting the urgent need for peace.
There is a need to implement customized, data-driven interventions in States with lower scores, such as Bihar, in order to address specific challenges in poverty, health, and education. Also there is a need for strengthening of government policies and programs aimed at improving gender equality and combating malnutrition, particularly by increasing female workforce participation and ensuring access to nutritious food. An area where the government lacks the most is sensitizing their policy execution especially in the vulnerable regions. E.g. Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Manipur etc. The government must address demands of the locals pertaining to the region & thus moulding & adapting their state policy accordingly.
Source: PIB, Indian Express. Reference: https://sdgindiaindex.niti.gov.in/#/ranking