Guwahati – Districts across Mizoram, Tripura, and Nagaland have emerged as beacons of progress in the second edition of NITI Aayog’s North Eastern Region (NER) District SDG Index 2023-24, showcasing impressive strides towards sustainable development. However, the report also underscored persistent intra-state disparities and the perennial challenge of data availability.
Hnahthial district in Mizoram secured the top spot with a commendable score of 81.43, leading the pack of high-achieving districts. Following closely were Champhai (Mizoram), Gomati and West Tripura (Tripura), and Mokokchung (Nagaland), completing the top five performers in the region. This comprehensive index, a collaborative effort between NITI Aayog, the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MoDoNER), and technical support from UNDP, meticulously assessed 131 districts, encompassing a significant 92 percent of the North East’s geographical spread. The evaluation spanned 15 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 84 indicators, with SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 17 (Partnerships) consciously excluded due to their limited relevance at the district level.
Districts were scored on a scale of 0 to 100 based on their overall achievement of SDG targets and categorised into four groups: Achievers (100), Front Runners (65–99), Performers (50–64), and Aspirants (below 50). A heartening development from the previous 2021 edition saw 85 percent of districts now classified as Front Runners, a significant leap from the 62 percent recorded earlier. Mizoram, Sikkim, and Tripura demonstrated exceptional consistency, with all their districts proudly attaining Front Runner status. In contrast, Longding district in Arunachal Pradesh registered the lowest score in the region at 58.71. The report also highlighted Nagaland’s notable intra-state disparity, exhibiting a 15.07-point difference between its highest and lowest performing districts. Conversely, Sikkim showcased remarkable uniformity with a mere 5.5-point range, while Tripura also performed robustly with high-scoring districts and a minimal 6.5-point variation.
Despite the widespread improvements, the NITI Aayog report brought to light critical challenges that demand attention. These include lingering development gaps within states and the unfortunate absence of reliable data for 10 districts, leading to their exclusion from the overall computation. This second edition, released after a two-year hiatus, builds upon the foundational work of the 2021 report, re-establishing its crucial role as a vital instrument for evidence-based planning, meticulous monitoring, and ensuring that no district is left behind in the North East’s ongoing development journey.
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