NITI Aayog on June 3 released the third edition of the SDG India Index and Dashboard 2020–21. Since its inception in 2018, the index has been comprehensively documenting and ranking the progress made by States and Union Territories towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this third edition, the SDG India index has become the primary tool for monitoring progress on the SDGs in the country and has simultaneously fostered competition among the States and the Union Territories.
Dr Rajiv Kumar, Vice-Chairperson of NITI Aayog launched the report titled – SDG India Index and Dashboard 2020–21: Partnerships in the Decade of Action. Dr Vinod Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, and Sanyukta Samaddar, Advisor (SDGs), NITI Aayog, were also present at the launch. Designed and developed by NITI Aayog, the preparation of the index followed extensive consultations with the primary stakeholders including the States and Union Territories; the United Nations (UN) agencies led by United Nations in India; Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI); and the key Union Ministries.
While launching the Index, Dr Rajiv Kumar said, “Our effort of monitoring SDGs through the SDG India Index & Dashboard continues to be widely noticed and applauded around the world. It remains a rare data-driven initiative to rank our States and Union Territories by computing a composite index on the SDGs. We are confident that it will remain a matter of aspiration and emulation and help propel monitoring efforts at the international level.”
The third edition of the index report focuses on the significance of partnerships as its theme. Amitabh Kant said, “The report reflects on the partnerships we have built and strengthened during our SDG efforts. The narrative throws light on how collaborative initiatives can result in better outcomes and greater impacts.”
Addressing the partnership theme which is also a significant aspect of SDG 17, Dr Vinod Paul said that by working together, it is clear that a more resilient and sustainable future can be shaped where no one is left behind.
NITI Aayog has the twin mandate to oversee the adoption and monitoring of the SDGs in the country, and also promote competitive and cooperative federalism among States and UTs. The index represents the articulation of the comprehensive nature of the Global Goals under the 2030 Agenda while being attuned to the national priorities.
The index has become a policy tool and a ready reckoner for gauging the progress of States and UTs on the expansive nature of the SDGs.
SDG India Index and Dashboard 2020–21
The SDG India Index 2020–21 tracks the progress of all States and UTs on 115 indicators that are aligned to MoSPI’s National Indicator Framework (NIF). The process of selecting these 115 indicators included multipleconsultations with Union Ministries. Feedback was sought from all States and UTs and as the essential stakeholder and audience of this localisation tool, they played a crucial role in shaping the index by enriching the feedback process with localised insights and experience from the ground.
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The latest edition of the index is more robust than the previous editions on account of wider coverage of targets and indicators with greater alignment with the NIF. The 115 indicators incorporaten16 out of 17 SDGs with a qualitative assessment on the 17th Goal and cover 70 SDG targets. This is an improvement over the 2018–19 and 2019–20 editions of the index, which had utilised 62 indicators across 39 targets and 13 Goals, and 100 indicators across 54 targets and 16 Goals, respectively.
The SDG India Index computes goal-wise scores on the 16 SDGs for each States and UTs. Overall State and UT scores are generated from goal-wise scores to measure an aggregate performance of the sub-national unit based on its performance across the 16 SDGs. These scores range between 0–100. If a State/UT achieves a score of 100 it signifies it has achieved the 2030 targets.
As per the scoring format, the States and UTs are classified as below based on their SDG India Index score:
- Aspirant: 0–49
- Performer: 50–64
- Front-Runner: 65–99
- Achiever: 100
Overall Findings
The country’s overall SDG score improved by six points—from 60 in 2019 to 66 in 2020–21. This positive stride towards achieving the targets is largely driven by exemplary country-wide performance in Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and Goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), where the composite Goal scores are 83 and 92, respectively.
(With inputs from PIB)