NITI Aayog on Monday released the second edition of the North Eastern Region (NER) District Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index Report (2023-24). Developed by NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MoDoNER), with technical support from UNDP, the Index assesses the performance of 121 districts across the eight North Eastern states on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The index, which builds upon the first edition released in August 2021, is a vital tool for tracking progress on development goals across social, economic, and environmental indicators. It enables data-driven planning and monitoring at the district level.
The report was released by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery, CEO B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, MoDoNER Secretary Chanchal Kumar, and UNDP Resident Representative Dr. Angela Lusigi.
Hnahthial in Mizoram emerged as the top-performing district with a composite score of 81.43, while Longding in Arunachal Pradesh ranked lowest at 58.71. All districts in Mizoram, Sikkim, and Tripura achieved the Front Runner status (scores between 65–99), with none in the Achiever (score of 100) or Aspirant (score below 50) categories.
Sikkim showed the most consistent performance across districts, with only a 5.5-point difference between the highest and lowest scoring districts. Tripura also performed strongly with minimal intra-state variation.
Speaking at the launch, Suman Bery emphasized the importance of achieving SDG targets by 2030 as a milestone toward the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047. CEO Subrahmanyam reiterated the central role of the Northeast, calling it the “Ashta Lakshmi” of India. MoDoNER Secretary Chanchal Kumar highlighted the index’s utility in identifying gaps and guiding interventions, while Dr. Lusigi stressed the need to translate data into meaningful action.
The NER District SDG Index 2023–24 serves as a key policy tool for evidence-based governance, resource allocation, and accelerating sustainable and inclusive development in the region.