The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) India Index, released by the NITI Aayog, provides a comprehensive understanding of India’s social, economic and environmental condition across the country. This national index, a first of its kind, was developed in collaboration with multiple prominent agencies such as the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI), United Nations in India, Global Green Growth Institute, and NITI Aayog itself.
Creation and Functioning of the SDG India Index
In September 2016, MoSPI developed a National Indicator Framework (NIF), a unified list of potential national indicators, which included 306 statistical markers serving as the primary structure for SDGs monitoring. The SDG India Index crafted by NITI Aayog encompasses 13 out of 17 SDGs, excluding goals 12, 13, 14, and 17 due to different reasons. Being a baseline report, no time series data comparison is considered in this index. Instead, it indicates the current standing of each State/Union Territory (UT) on every evaluated indicator.
Classification and Scoring System
The SDG India Index Score’s classification criteria are set as follows: Aspirant: 0-49; Performer: 50-64; Front Runner: 65-99; Achiever: 100. These categories help represent where each State or UT stands in relation to the set SDG targets.
Key Findings from the SDG India Index
In the race to achieve key SDGs, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu have emerged as front runners. Kerala’s leading rank is attributed to its excellent performance in health services, hunger reduction, gender equality and quality education. Himachal Pradesh’s high ranking is due to its success in providing clean water and sanitation, reducing inequalities and preserving the mountain ecosystem.
Index Limitations
Despite its broad coverage, the SDG India Index does have limitations. It does not currently cover Goals 12, 13, and 14, primarily due to the lack of comparable data across States and UTs. Also, SDG 17 was excluded because it focuses on international partnerships. There is also a limitation of equally weighted indicators across all Goals that may lead to skewed results. Note that some indicators are less relevant to certain states, which can cause their progress to seem insignificant when compared to other states. Lastly, missing data for some States/UTs for certain indicators is another limitation.
Table: SDG India Index Key Findings
| State | Index Score | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Kerala | 75 | 1 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 72 | 2 |
| Tamil Nadu | 70 | 3 |
Background of the SDG India Index
The Sustainable Development goals were adopted at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in September 2015. They came into force from January 1st, 2016 with a deadline set for 2030. The success of achieving these goals globally will largely depend on India’s progress since it represents about 17% of the world’s population. Besides its sheer population size, India’s unique convergence of extraordinary economic growth, sustainability commitment, and social and technological innovations make it central to the SDGs.
Role of the SDG India Index in Sustainable Development
The SDG India Index is a key tool for tracking progress and benchmarking SDGs for both central and State governments across the country. It aids every State and UT in identifying their strengths and opportunities. Furthermore, there is an urgent need for improving statistical systems for effective real-time monitoring of SDGs at the national and State level. As data availability and quality improve, the index will become even more robust and critical for realizing sustainable development by 2030.