In News:

NITI Aayog, in collaboration with the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MoDoNER) and with technical support from UNDP, released the second edition of the North Eastern Region District SDG Index (2023–24).

About the NER District SDG Index

• First Edition: Released in August 2021
• Current Edition: Covers 121 districts across the 8 North Eastern States
• Developed By: NITI Aayog, MoDoNER, and UNDP
• Purpose:
  • Monitor district-wise progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
  • Provide evidence-based planning, resource allocation, and intervention strategies
  • Ensure localisation of SDGs and leave no one behind

Scoring Categories

Districts are classified into four categories:

1. Achiever: Score = 100
2. Front Runner: Score 65–99
3. Performer: Score 50–64
4. Aspirant: Score < 50

Composite Score Range:

• Highest: Hnahthial, Mizoram – 81.43
• Lowest: Longding, Arunachal Pradesh – 58.71

Key Highlights

• 85% of districts showed an increase in composite scores.
• All districts of Mizoram, Sikkim, and Tripura attained Front Runner status.
• Hnahthial (Mizoram) emerged as the best-performing district.
• Nagaland entered the Top 10 with 3 districts.
• Sikkim showed the most consistent intra-state performance with a score range of just 5.5 points.
• Assam saw notable improvements in Zero Hunger, Quality Education, Clean Water & Sanitation, and Decent Work & Economic Growth.

Top Performing Districts

Significance

• Supports the Viksit Bharat @2047 vision by targeting SDG achievement by 2030.
• Enhances cooperative federalism by aligning state and district efforts with national goals.
• Acts as a diagnostic and planning tool for identifying gaps and prioritising interventions.