SDG India Index 2023-24 by NITI Aayog

1. In July 2024, the 4^th edition of SDG India Index 2023-24, was released by NITI Aayog.
2. This index is the country’s principal tool for measuring national and subnational progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) released by United nation organisation.

About SDG index

 

1. The SDG India Index, launched by NITI Aayog in 2018, tracks how well Indian States and Union Territories (UTs) are doing on 16 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
2. It uses 113 indicators to measure progress, with scores ranging from 0 to 100—where 100 means all targets have been met.
3. This index not only shows how much progress has been made but also encourages States and UTs to learn from each other and improve.
4. By aligning with national priorities, the SDG India Index helps integrate sustainable development goals into the broader plans and policies of the country, ensuring that everyone works together towards these goals.

Key Findings

1. A. Countrywide performance: The composite score for India improved from 57 in 2018 to 66 in 2020-21 to further to 71 in 2023-24
   1.  Noteworthy advancements have been observed in Goals 1 (No Poverty), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 13 (Climate Action). These are now in the 'Front Runner' category (a score between 65–99).
   2. Goal 13 (Climate Action) has shown the most substantial improvement, with its score increasing from 54 to 67.
   3. Goal 1 (No Poverty) follows closely, with its score rising significantly from 60 to 72. The progress underscores the effects of the focused programmatic interventions and schemes of the Union and State Governments in improving the lives of citizens.
2. B. State and UT performance
   1. The SDG India Index 2023-24 shows a positive trend in the SDG performance of States and Union Territories (UTs). Scores for States now range from 57 to 79, while UTs score between 65 and 77, reflecting improvement from the 2020-21 edition.
   2. Following 4 category of state/UT’s has been identified for performance evolution-

Category	Rank
Aspirant	0–49
Performer	50–64
Front-Runner	65–99
Achiever	100

1. 3. Top Performers: Kerala and Uttarakhand emerged as the best-performing states, each scoring 79 points.
   4. Lowest Performers: Bihar scored the lowest with 57 points, followed by Jharkhand with 62 points.
   5. The number of Front Runner States and UTs has grown, with 32 now in this category, compared to 22 in 2020-21. This year, 10 new States and UTs, like Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, and Uttar Pradesh, joined the Front Runner group.
   6. Overall, all States have improved their scores, with Assam, Manipur, Punjab, West Bengal, and Jammu and Kashmir seeing the biggest jumps, each increasing by 8 points since 2020-21.

Key interventions driving SDG achievements in India

1. 1. PM Awas Yojana (PMAY): Over 4 crore houses built.
   2. PM Ujjwala Yojana: 10 crore LPG connections provided.
   3. Jal Jeevan Mission: Tap water connections for over 14.9 crore households.
   4. Ayushman Bharat: Over 30 crore beneficiaries under the health scheme.
   5. National Food Security Act (NFSA): Coverage for over 80 crore people.
   6. Ayushman Arogya Mandirs: Access to primary medical care and affordable generic medicines.
   7. Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT): ₹34 lakh crore distributed via PM-Jan Dhan accounts.
   8. Skill India Mission: 1.4 crore youth trained, 54 lakh reskilled.
   9. PM Mudra Yojana: 43 crore loans totaling ₹22.5 lakh crore.
   10. Renewable Energy: Solar power capacity increased from 2.82 GW to 73.32 GW.
   11. Digital Infrastructure: 97% reduction in internet data costs, boosting financial inclusion.
   12.  Sanitation: 11 crore toilets and 2.23 lakh Community Sanitary Complexes in rural areas.

Goal-Wise Results

Goal	Key Results
Goal 1 – No Poverty	- Multidimensional poverty halved from 24.8% to 14.96% between 2015-16 and 2019-21. - 99.7% employment under MGNREGA - 95.4% of households in pucca/semi-pucca houses - 41% covered under health insurance (up from 28.7%)
Goal 2 – Zero Hunger	-  99.01% coverage under National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 - Increased rice and wheat productivity - GVA in agriculture per worker up from ₹0.71 lakhs to ₹0.86 lakhs
Goal 3 – Good Health	- Maternal Mortality Rate: 97 per 100,000 - Under-5 mortality rate reduced to 32 - 93.23% children fully immunized - 97.18% deliveries in health institutions
Goal 4 – Quality Education	- Adjusted Net Enrolment Rate: 96.5% (up from 87.26%) - Pupil Teacher Ratio is 18 (Target – 30) - 88.65% schools with electricity and drinking water - 100% parity in Higher Education
Goal 5 – Gender Equality	- Sex ratio at birth: 929 females per 1,000 males - Female to male Labour Force Participation Rate: 0.48 - 74.1% of family planning needs met - 53.90% of women own and use a mobile phone
Goal 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation	- All districts verified as ODF - 99.29% of rural households with improved drinking water sources - 94.7% of schools with functional toilets for girls - Reduced water overexploitation from 17.24% to 11.23%
Goal 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy	- Highest score among all SDGs, from 51 to 96 - 100% households with electricity - Clean cooking fuel connections up from 92.02% to 96.35%
Goal 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth	- 5.88% annual GDP per capita growth (2022-2023) - Unemployment rate reduced from 6.2% (2018-19) to 3.40% (2022-23) - Labour Force Participation Rate increased from 53.6% (2018-19) to 61.60% (2022-23) - 95.70% of households with a bank/post office account - 55.63% of PMJDY accounts held by women
Goal 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure	- 99.70% of habitations connected with all-weather roads under PMGSY (up from 47.38% in 2017-18) - 93.3% of households own at least one mobile phone - 95.08% of villages have 3G/4G mobile internet coverage
Goal 10 – Reduced Inequalities	- 45.61% of Panchayati Raj Institution seats held by women - 28.57% representation of SC/ST in state legislative assemblies
Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities	- Sewage treatment capacity increased from 38.86% (2018) to 51% (2020-21) - Municipal solid waste processed increased from 68% (2020) to 78.46% (2024) - 97% of wards with 100% door-to-door waste collection - 90% of wards with 100% source segregation under SBM (U)
Goal 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production	- 91.5% of biomedical waste treated (2022) - 54.99% of hazardous waste recycled/utilized (up from 44.89% in 2018-19)
Goal 13 – Climate Action	- Score improved by 13 points, from 54 (Performer) to 67 (Front Runner) - Disaster preparedness score: 19.20 - Renewable energy generation increased from 36.37% (2020) to 43.28% (2024) - 94.86% of industries comply with environmental standards
Goal 15 – Life on Land	- Score increased from 66 (2020-21) to 75 (2023-24) - 25% of geographical area under forests and tree cover - 1.11% increase in carbon stock in forest cover
Goal 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions	- 95.5% Aadhaar coverage (as of March 2024) - 89% of births registered for children under five (NFHS-5) - 71.3% charge sheeting rate for IPC crimes (NCRB 2022)

Key concern

1. Goal 10 – Reduced Inequalities: This goal saw a decline in points from 67 in 2020-21 to 65 in 2023-24. This reduction highlights ongoing wealth disparities and suggests that inequality remains a significant issue in India, particularly in employment opportunities for lower socioeconomic groups. It also addresses gender inequality in workforce participation.
2. Goal 5 – Gender Equality: Gender Equality received the lowest score among all goals, with only a slight improvement from the previous year. Key concerns include the sex ratio at birth, women's ownership of land and assets, and labor force participation. States with a sex ratio below 900 at birth are particularly affected.
3. Goal 4 – Quality Education: The Quality Education goal increased by 4 points to 61. Despite this improvement, challenges persist, especially in central India. The primary issue is not access to education but the quality, which impacts employment opportunities.

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