Kerala retains top rank in NITI Aayog's SDG India Index 2023-24; Bihar worst performer
New Delhi, Jul 12: Uttarakhand and Kerala have emerged as the top performer states in NITI Aayog's SDG India Index 2023-24, which evaluates progress of states and union territories on social, economic and environmental parameters, while Bihar has been adjudged as the worst performer.
According to the NITI Aayog's SDG India Index 2023-24, India's overall Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) score increased to 71 in 2023-24, compared to 66 in 2020-21, supported by significant progress on eliminating poverty, providing decent work, economic growth, climate action and life on land.
Among states, Uttarakhand and Kerala have emerged as joint top performing states with a score of 79, followed by Tamil Nadu (78) and Goa (77).
On the contrary, Bihar (57), Jharkhand (62) and Nagaland (63) were the worst performing states in this year's index.
Among the union territories, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Delhi were the top five performers.
"Targetted intervention by the government has helped India achieve significant improvements across 16 goals set under the SDGs," NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam said after releasing the report.
"India is not only on track and ahead of others in achieving most of the targets under SDGs," he said, adding the government hopes to achieve targets before 2030 across some of these goals.
The index shows that out of the 16 goals, India's overall score is below 50 only on the 'Goal 5' (gender equality).
According to the report, all states have shown an improvement in overall score.
Scores for states ranged from 57 to 79 in 2023-24, significant improvement from 66 in 2020-21 and 57 in 2018 (baseline report).
Between 2018 and 2023-24, Uttar Pradesh was the fastest moving state as it increased its score by 25, followed by Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Sikkim.
The fourth edition of SDG India Index measured and tracked national progress of all states and UTs on 113 indicators.
The SDGs, constituted through an unprecedented consultative process, have 17 goals and 169 related targets to be achieved by 2030.
"Among these, goal 13 (climate action) has shown the most substantial improvement with its score increasing from 54 to 67, goal 1 (no poverty) follows closely, with its score rising significantly from 60 to 72." the report said.
The report added that progress underscores the effects of the focused programmatic interventions and schemes of the Union and state governments in improving the lives of citizens.
It said this year, 32 states/UTs have scored between 65 and 99, up from 22 in the 2020-21 edition.
The report said key interventions by the government that helped India improve SDGs include construction of over 4 crore houses under the PM Awas Yojana (PMAY), 11 crore toilets and 2.23 lakh community sanitary complexes in rural areas, giving 10 crore LPG connections under PM Ujjwala Yojana and providing tap water connections in over 14.9 crore households under Jal Jeevan Mission.
Besides, the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana benefitted over 30 crore people, while 80 crore people benefitted under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and direct benefit transfer of Rs 34 lakh crore was made through PM-Jan Dhan accounts.
First launched in December 2018, the index has become the primary tool for monitoring progress on the SDGs in the country and has simultaneously fostered competition among the states and union territories by ranking them on the global goals.
The index, developed in collaboration with the United Nations in India, measures the progress at the national and sub-national level in the country's journey towards meeting the global goals and targets. It has been successful as an advocacy tool to propagate the messages of sustainability, resilience and partnerships as well.
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
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Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
