India’s Progress Measured in SDG Index 2.0 By NITI Aayog

NITI Aayog has published its 2019 report on Sustainable Development Goals. These are a list of 17 global goals that are designed to achieve a better and sustainable future for all. The UN set them in 2015, as a part of the UN Resolution 70/1, to be achieved by the year 2030.

What is SDG Index 2.0?

The SDG Index 2.0 monitors progress made by Indian States and Union Territories towards achieving 2030 SDG Goals as set by the UN. This is India’s second edition of this index. This version covers 16 out of 17 of the SDGs, which is an improvement from last year, which only marked 13 of them. This is developed through a collaboration between the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), the United Nations, and the Global Green Growth Institute.

How has India fared?

India’s composite score has risen 3 points to 60 this year. We have had major successes in water and sanitation, power and industry. But we are severely lagging in nutrition and gender equality. 14 states have dropped points. Delhi is the only Union Territory with a score of 65, whereas Chandigarh scored the highest of 70 among UTs. Among the states, Kerala has topped with a score of 70, followed by Himachal Pradesh with 69 points. Bihar has been the worst performer with a score of 50.
States such as Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Andhra Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Sikkim have made tremendous progress in poverty reduction. Goa, Mizoram, Kerala, Nagaland, and Manipur are the frontrunners in the ‘zero hunger’ index. Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim have shown maximum improvement overall.

Way Forward

Although India is struggling with issues such as nutrition and gender gap, all is not lost. We can take heart in knowing that there have been large scale improvements across most states. Policies are being put in place every day to ensure standards are met. One of the main issues India faces today is the stark regional divide when it comes to even basic goals like eradication of poverty or good health and well-being. Some states are doing far better than the others. It will be wise to further investigate what these states did to ensure they maintain the right standards in these quarters and try and implement it suited to the needs of the states which are lagging. Overall, India is off to a good start.