On June 03,2021, NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) released the 3rd edition of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) India Index and dashboard for 2020–21 in New Delhi.
- Report Title: ‘SDG India Index and Dashboard 2020–21: Partnerships in the Decade of Action’.
- The index was launched by NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar along with other members.
- State-Wise Top Rank: Kerala has retained its rank as the top state with a score of 75 and Bihar has been adjudged as the worst performer.
- Union Territories (UTs) Top Rank: Chandigarh topped among the UTs, followed by Delhi, Puducherry. Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu has been adjudged as the worst performer.
The top-5 and bottom-5 States in SDG India Index 2020–21:
| Rank | Best Performers | Worst Performers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kerala | Bihar |
| 2 | Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh | Jharkhand |
| 3 | Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Uttarakhand | Assam |
| 4 | Sikkim | Arunachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Meghalaya, Uttar Pradesh |
| 5 | Maharashtra | Chhattisgarh, Nagaland, Odisha |
Goal wise top states:
SDG 1-No poverty – Tamil Nadu topped among States, Delhi topped among UTs;
SDG2-Zero Hunger – Kerala topped among States, Chandigarh topped among UTs;
SDG3-Good health & Well Being – Gujarat topped among States, Delhi topped among UTs;
SDG4-Quality Education – Kerala topped among States, Chandigarh topped among UTs;
SDG5-Gender Equality – Chhattisgarh topped among States, Andaman & Nicobar Islands topped among UTs;
SDG6-Clean Water & Sanitation – Goa topped among States, Lakshadweep topped among UTs;
SDG7-Affordable & Clean Energy – Andhra Pradesh topped among States, Andaman & Nicobar Islands topped among UTs;
SDG8-Decent work & Economic Growth – Himachal Pradesh topped among States, Chandigarh topped among UTs;
SDG9-Industry,Innovation & Infrastructure – Gujarat topped among States, Delhi topped among UTs;
SDG10-Reduced Inequalities – Meghalaya topped among States, Chandigarh topped among UTs;
SDG11-Sustainable Cities & Communities – Punjab topped among States, Chandigarh topped among UTs;
SDG12-Responsible Consumption & Production – Tripura topped among States, Jammu & Kashmir topped among UTs;
SDG13-Climate Action – Odisha topped among States, Andaman & Nicobar Islands topped among UTs;
Top Fast-Moving States:
i.Front-Runner (65–99): 12 more States/UTs joined in the Front-Runner category in 2020–21. (2018- only 10 states were under Front-Runner) Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Punjab, Haryana, Tripura, Delhi, Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
ii.In terms of improvement in score from 2019, Mizoram, Haryana, and Uttarakhand became the top gainers in 2020–21, with an increase of 12, 10 and 8 points.
3rd Edition of SDG India Index 2020-21:
Other Members Present: Vinod Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, and Sanyukta Samaddar, Adviser (SDGs), NITI Aayog.
SDG improvement in India:
i.India’s overall SDG score improved by 6 points from 60 in 2019 to 66 in 2020–21(57 in 2018).
ii.Improvements in country-wide performance were driven by performance in Goals 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), Goal 7(Affordable and Clean Energy), and composite Goal scores of 83 and 92.
Index development:
The index was designed and developed by NITI Aayog in consultations with the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), the UN agencies led by United Nations in India, the States and Union Territories, and the key Union Ministries.
Indicators:
The 3rd edition covers 16 Goals out of 17 SDGs with 115 quantitative indicators, with a qualitative assessment on Goal 17 and cover 70 SDG targets. (2018 index – utilised 62 indicators across 39 targets and 13 Goals; 2019 index – utilised 100 indicators across 54 targets and 16 Goals). The indicators were aligned with MoSPI’s National Indicator Framework (NIF).
Performance and Ranking of States and UTs on SDGs 2020–21:
SDG scoring:
The SDG India Index computes goal-wise scores on the 16 SDGs for each State and UT based on their performance across the 16 SDGs. These scores range between 0–100, and if a State/UT achieves a score of 100, it signifies it has achieved the 2030 targets.
Different Criteria of SDG score:
- Aspirant: 0–49
- Performer: 50–64
- Front-Runner: 65–99
- Achiever: 100
About SDG:
i.Sustainable development has been defined as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
ii.The 193 Member States of the United Nations(UN) officially adopted a new sustainable development agenda entitled, “Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” at the Sustainable Development Summit in September 2015. This agenda contains 17 Goals and 169 targets.
iii.SDGs starts on 1 January 2016 and are expected to be achieved by 31 December 2030 and they are not legally binding.
Recent Related News:
Asian Development Bank(ADB)’s report titled “ADB’s Support for the SDGs: Enabling the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through Strategy 2030” states that, a renewed focus on achieving SDGs will be essential as countries seek to rebuild from the Covid-19 pandemic.
On February 9, 2021 The Indian Economic Trade Organization (IETO) and the Government of Karnataka signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) at Bengaluru, Karnataka to work closely to implement the SDGs more effectively in the state and to expand the scope of the sustainable future.
About NITI Aayog:
NITI Aayog was established on 1 January 2015 to replace the Planning Commission, which was instituted in 1950.
Headquarters – New Delhi
Chairperson – Narendra Modi
Vice Chairperson – Rajiv Kumar
CEO – Amitabh Kant
