NITI Aayog on Friday released an index which revealed that Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu have been ranked highest in terms of achieving United Nations‘ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
The index was based on the progress made by various states in social, economic and environmental terms.
According to the first-of-its-kind index, the states of Assam, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were the worst performers.
NITI Aayog has developed SDG India Index which comprehensively measures the progress of all the states and union territories through a single measurable index. The index considered 13 out of the 17 goals specified by the United Nations as SDGs. Four goals were left out because of lack of data regarding them. The states were monitored on a real-time basis over 62 out of the 306 national indicators of the United Nations.
Under the United Nations’ SDG, there are 17 goals, 169 targets and 306 national indicators.
The First Baseline Report for 2018 was prepared by NITI Aayog with the support of the United Nations in India.
Kerala
Kerala was ranked on the top for its top-notch performance in healthcare, reduction of hunger, achieving gender equality and providing quality education.
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh was ranked high for providing clean water and sanitation, reducing inequalities and preserving the mountain ecosystem.
Chandigarh
Among the Union Territories, Chandigarh stood first for its extraordinary performance in providing clean water and sanitation to the citizens.
The states which have done well in poverty reduction are Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tamil Nadu.
On the SDG parameter of ‘zero hunger’, Goa, Kerala, Manipur, Mizoram, and Nagaland were the top rankers.
NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar said that “SDG India Index: Baseline report 2018” highlights the progress being made by states and UTs in moving towards the SDGs, in the true spirit of cooperative and competitive federalism.
Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said that the index has been developed to provide a holistic view on the social, economic and environmental status of the country.
The document says that India played a prominent role in the formulation of UN’s SDGs and much of India’s National Development Agenda is mirrored in the SDGs. It also says that the progress of the world to meet the SDGs largely depends on India’s progress.