Why in News?
NITI Aayog has launched the second edition of the NER District Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index (2023–24) to assess district-level progress across the eight Northeastern states, improving upon its 2021 version.
What is the NER District SDG Index?
- A composite index tracking district-level SDG progress.
- Developed by NITI Aayog, MoDoNER, with support from UNDP.
- Covers 121 out of 131 districts (~92%) across the region.
- Based on the national SDG Index methodology.
- Districts are categorized as:
- Achiever: Score = 100
- Front Runner: 65–99
- Performer: 50–64
- Aspirant: <50
Key Findings (2023–24 Edition):
- 85% of districts are now Front Runners, up from 62% in the previous edition.
- No district has scored in the Achiever or Aspirant categories.
- Mizoram, Sikkim, and Tripura: All districts are Front Runners.
- Top-performing district: Hnahthial (Mizoram) – Score 81.43
- Lowest-performing district: Longding (Arunachal Pradesh) – Score 58.71
- Most consistent state: Sikkim (score range: only 5.5 points between highest and lowest districts)