~ by Trinanjan Chakraborty
The NITI Aayog has announced the results of the 3rd edition of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) India Index for 2020/21. The SDG India Index is tabulated annually by NITI Aayog in order to evaluate the progress of states and union territories on the basis of social, economic and environmental criteria. It evaluated all states & UTs on the following sustainable development goals:
- Goal 1: No Poverty
- Goal 2: Zero Hunger
- Goal 3: Good Health & Well-being
- Goal 4: Quality Education
- Goal 5: Gender Equality
- Goal 6: Clean Water & Sanitation
- Goal 7: Affordable & Clean Energy
- Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- Goal 10: Reduced Inequality
- Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
- Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- Goal 13: Climate Action
- Goal 14: Life Below Water
- Goal 15: Life on Land
- Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Now let us look at the 2020-21 results. At an overall level, India’s SDG index has improved from 60 in 2019 to 66 in 2020/21. Maximum improvement has been registered on SDG11 (Sustainable Cities & Communities) – going up to 79 from 53 in 2019, SDG7 (Affordable & Clean Energy) – up to 92 from 70 in 2019 and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption & Production) – up to 74 from 55 in 2019. The two big areas of concern remain SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) with index at 47 (up from 35 in 2019) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality) with index at 48 (up from 42 in 2019).
Now looking at the performance of the states, Kerala emerges as the no. 1 performer in 2020-21 with an index score of 75, holding on to its no. 1 position from 2019. It is closely followed by Himachal Pradesh (74) and Tamil Nadu (74). Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka and Uttarakhand follow – all with index score of 72 – follow. At the other of the spectrum, Bihar takes the bottom slot with an SDG index score of 52, with Jharkhand (56) and Assam (57) rounding off the bottom 3. India’s largest state Rajasthan and most populous state Uttar Pradesh are among the bottom 5 with index score of 60.
Among UTs, Chandigarh tops with an index score of 79 while Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu is at bottom (index 62). Here is the full ranking of all states and UTs:
Now let us look at the individual goals:
SDG1 (No Poverty) : India index –> 60
No. of states below national index score: 9
No. of UTs below national index score: 0
Top 3 states: Tamil Nadu (86), Goa (83), Kerala (83)
Bottom 3 states: Odisha (41), Uttar Pradesh (44), Madhya Pradesh (44)
Top UT: Delhi (81) | Bottom UT: Lakshwadeep (61)
SDG2 (Zero Hunger): India index –> 47
No. of states below national index score: 11
No. of UTs below national index score: 2
Top 3 states: Kerala (80), Goa (78), Punjab (73)
Bottom 3 states: Jharkhand (19), Bihar (31), Meghalaya / Chhattisgarh (37)
Top UT: Chandigarh (97) | Bottom UT: Dadra & N. Haveli and Daman & Diu (27)
SDG3 (Good Health & Well-being): India index –> 74
No. of states below national index score: 17
No. of UTs below national index score: 4
Top 3 states: Gujarat (86), Maharashtra (83), Tamil Nadu (81)
Bottom 3 states: Assam (59), Uttar Pradesh (60), Chhattisgarh (60)
Top UT: Delhi (90) | Bottom UT: A & N Islands (68)
SDG4 (Quality Education): India index –> 57
No. of states below national index score: 14
No. of UTs below national index score: 3
Top 3 states: Kerala (80), Himachal Pradesh (74), Goa (71)
Bottom 3 states: Bihar (29), Nagaland (39), Arunchal Pradesh (41)
Top UT: Chandigarh (79) | Bottom UT: Ladakh / Jammu & Kashmir (49)
SDG5 (Gender Equality): India index –> 48
No. of states below national index score: 11
No. of UTs below national index score: 3
Top 3 states: Chhattisgarh (64), Kerala (63), Himachal Pradesh (62)
Bottom 3 states: Assam (25), Arunachal Pradesh (37), Tripura / Rajasthan (39)
Top UT: A & N Islands (68) | Bottom UT: Delhi (33)
SDG6 (Clean water & Sanitation): India index –> 83
No. of states below national index score: 8
No. of UTs below national index score: 1
Top 3 states: Goa (100), Telangana (96), Gujarat (93)
Bottom 3 states: Rajasthan (54), Assam (64), Punjab (66)
Top UT: Lakshwadeep (100) | Bottom UT: Delhi (61)
SDG7 (Affordable & Clean Energy): India index –> 92
No. of states below national index score: 9
No. of UTs below national index score: 2
Top 3 states: Andhra, Goa, Haryana, Himachal, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Punjab, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand – all 100
Bottom 3 states: Meghalaya (50), Nagaland (69), Jharkhand (77)
Top UT: A & N Islands, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh – all 100
Bottom UT: Dadra & N. Haveli and Daman & Diu: 71
SDG8 (Decent Work & Economic Growth): India index –> 61
No. of states below national index score: 15
No. of UTs below national index score: 4
Top 3 states: Himachal Pradesh (78), Goa (76), Telangana (73)
Bottom 3 states: Manipur (36), Odisha (48), Nagaland (48)
Top UT: Chandigarh (70) | Bottom UT: Jammu & Kashmir (47)
SDG9 (Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure): India index –> 55
No. of states below national index score: 17
No. of UTs below national index score: 6
Top 3 states: Gujarat (72), Tamil Nadu (71), Punjab (69)
Bottom 3 states: Bihar (24), Meghalaya (25), Nagaland (30)
Top UT: Delhi (66) | Bottom UT: A & N Islands (23)
SDG10 (Reduced Inequalities): India index –> 67
No. of states below national index score: 11
No. of UTs below national index score: 4
Top 3 states: Meghalya (88), Tripura (85), Himachal Pradesh (78)
Bottom 3 states: Uttar Pradesh (41), Rajasthan (45), Nagaland (46)
Top UT: Chandigarh (100) | Bottom UT: Puducherry (62)
SDG11 (Sustainable Cities & Communities): India index –> 79
No. of states below national index score: 18
No. of UTs below national index score: 5
Top 3 states: Punjab (91), Goa (89), Gujarat (87)
Bottom 3 states: Arunachal Pradesh (39), West Bengal (45), Nagaland (48)
Top UT: Chandigarh (98) | Bottom UT: Lakshwadeep (56)
SDG12 (Responsible Consumption & Production): India index –> 74
No. of states below national index score: 11
No. of UTs below national index score: 5
Top 3 states: Tripura (99), Nagaland (91), Karnataka (89)
Bottom 3 states: Goa (47), Gujarat (50), Jharkhand (55)
Top UT: Chandigarh (98) | Bottom UT: Lakshwadeep (56)
SDG13 (Climate Action): India index –> 54
No. of states below national index score: 13
No. of UTs below national index score: 2
Top 3 states: Odisha (70), Kerala (69), Nagaland (69)
Bottom 3 states: Bihar (16), Jharkhand (25), Chhattisgarh (38)
Top UT: A & N Islands (77) | Bottom UT: Dadra & N. Haveli and Daman & Diu (18)
SDG14 (Life Below Water): Only for coastal states (9 nos.)
Top 2 states: Odisha (82), Andhra Pradesh (79)
Bottom 2 states: Tamil Nadu (11), West Bengal / Goa (50)
SDG15 (Life On Land): India index –> 66
No. of states below national index score: 16
No. of UTs below national index score: 4
Top 3 states: Arunachal Pradesh (93), Madhya Pradesh (84), Odisha (83)
Bottom 3 states: Rajasthan (43), Punjab / Mizoram / Haryana (48)
Top UT: Chandigarh (85) | Bottom UT: Ladakh (27)
SDG16 (Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions): India index –> 74
No. of states below national index score: 17
No. of UTs below national index score: 3
Top 3 states: Uttarakhand (86), Gujarat (82), Mizoram / West Bengal (81)
Bottom 3 states: Odisha (59), Assam (62), Goa (63)
Top UT: Puducherry (86) | Bottom UT: A & N Islands (45)
Indian Political Debate 
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