Social Progress Index 2022 | 24 Dec 2022

Why in News?

Recently, the Social Progress Index (SPI) for States and Districts of India was released by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM).

  • The SPI was compiled by the Institute for Competitiveness and Social Progress Imperative.
  • The report also dwells on India's performance (ranked 110 out of 169 nations) based on the global SPI 2022 that is brought out by Social Progress Imperative since 2013.

What is EAC-PM?

  • It is an independent body constituted to give advice on economic and related issues to the Prime Minister.
  • EAC-PM is responsible for analysing and advising the Prime Minister on any issue of macroeconomic importance that the Prime Minister refers to.
  • These could be either suo-motu or on reference from the Prime Minister or anyone else.
  • They also include attending to any other task as may be desired by the Prime Minister from time to time.

What is SPI all about?

  • About: 
    • SPI is a comprehensive tool that can serve as a holistic measure of a country's social progress at the national and sub-national levels.
    • The report aims to provide a systematic account of the social progress made at all levels in the country.
    • The index uses an extensive framework comprising 89 indicators at the state level and 49 at the district level.
  • Assessment Components:
    • The index assesses states and districts based on 12 components across three critical dimensions of social progress:
      • Basic Human Needs: It assesses the performance of states and districts in terms of Nutrition and Basic Medical Care, Water and Sanitation, Personal Safety and Shelter.
      • Foundations of Wellbeing: It evaluates the progress made by the country across the components of Access to Basic Knowledge, Access to Information and Communication, Health and Wellness, and Environmental Quality
      • Opportunity: It focuses on Personal Rights, Personal Freedom and Choice, Inclusiveness, and Access to Advanced Education.

What are the Findings of the Index?

  • Highest SPI Score: Puducherry
  • Lowest SPI Score: Jharkhand and Bihar
  • Basic Human Needs: Goa, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, and Chandigarh are the top four states with the best performance in water, sanitation and shelter.
  • Foundations of Wellbeing: Mizoram, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, and Goa have emerged as the best-performing states for the Foundations of Wellbeing.
    • For Environmental Quality, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Meghalaya are the top three states.
  • Opportunity: Tamil Nadu has achieved the highest component score for Opportunity dimension.
  • Top Best Performing Districts: Aizawl (Mizoram), Solan (Himachal Pradesh) and Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) have emerged as the top three best-performing districts.

Source: PIB