Uttarakhand First in the Country in SDG 2023-24 | 16 Jul 2024

Why in News?

Uttarakhand secured the top position in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG INDEX) 2023-2024 report released by NITI Aayog.

Key Points

  • According to the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand , the state government is committed to advancing towards a 'Developed Uttarakhand' by balancing ecology and economy.
  • The SDG India Index is a tool developed by NITI Aayog to measure and track India’s progress towards the SDGs set by the United Nations.
    • The Index supports the localization of SDGs, encouraging states to integrate these goals into their development plans.
    • It serves as a benchmark for policymakers to identify gaps and prioritise actions towards achieving sustainable development by 2030.
  • India's overall SDG score improved to 71 in 2023-24 from 66 in 2020-21 and 57 in 2018. All states have shown improvement in overall scores.
    • Progress has been largely driven by targeted government interventions in poverty reduction, economic growth, and climate action.
    • Top Performers: Kerala and Uttarakhand emerged as the best-performing states, each scoring 79 points.
    • Lowest Performer: Bihar lagged behind with a score of 57 points, followed by Jharkhand at 62 points.
    • Front-Runner States: 32 states and union territories (UTs) are in the front-runner category, with 10 new entrants including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, and Uttar Pradesh.

NITI Aayog

  • The Planning Commission in India was replaced by NITI Aayog in 2015, with a shift towards a 'Bottom-Up' approach and emphasis on cooperative federalism.
    • The composition of NITI Aayog includes the Prime Minister as Chairperson, Chief Ministers of all states and Lt. Governors of Union Territories in the Governing Council, and experts nominated by the Prime Minister as Special Invitees.
    • Chief Executive Officer appointed by the Prime Minister for a specific term, holding the rank of Secretary to the Government of India.
  • The key objectives are to promote cooperative federalism with states, develop plans at the village level, incorporate national security into economic strategy, focus on marginalised sections of society, encourage partnerships with stakeholders and think tanks, create a support system for knowledge and innovation, resolve inter-sectoral issues, and maintain a resource centre for good governance and sustainable development practices.