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NITI AAYOG RELEASED 3RD SDG INDIA INDEX

The NITI Aayog released the third edition of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) India Index and Dashboard 2020-21. Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog launched in the report titled SDG India Index and Dashboard 2020-21: Partnerships in the Decade of Action. Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, Dr. Vinod Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, and Sanyukta Samaddar, Advisor (SGDs), NITI Aayog were present at the launch.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) India Index, constructed by NITI Aayog is an aggregate measure that provides a holistic view of the performance of the States and Union Territories to the government, policymakers, businesses, and public. The Index measures the performance of states and UTs on the basis of economic, social, and environmental parameters. The first edition of the SDG India Index was launched in 2018 that covered 13 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with 62 indicators. The SDG India Index report ranks the States and Union Territories on a score of 0 to 100. There are four categories to group states on the basis of their score: Aspirant (0-49), Performer (50-64), Front-Runner (65-99), and Achiever (100).

SIGNIFICANCE OF SDG INDIA INDEX 2020-21

The SDG India Index is designed and developed by NITI Aayog with extensive consultations with the States and Union Territories, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), UN agencies led by the United Nations in India, and the key Union Ministries. SDG India Index continues to be a rare data-driven initiative to rank our States and Union Territories by computing a composite index on the SDGs.

KERALA RANKS TOP, BIHAR AT LAST SPOT

Kerala ranked as the top-performing state with a score of 75 while Bihar was the worst performing state with a score of 52 in the NITI Aayog’s SDG India Index 2020-21. The top-performing states in the NITI Aayog’s SDG India Index 2020-21 are Kerala at the first rank followed by Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu at second, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Uttarakhand at third, Sikkim at fourth, and Maharashtra at fifth rank. The worst performing states in the NITI Aayog’s SDG India Index 2020-21 are Chhattisgarh, Nagaland, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand, and Bihar at the bottom.

The SDG India Index 2020-21 report tracked the progress of all Indian states and UTs on 115 indicators in alignment with the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI)’s National Indicator Framework (NIF). The first edition of the SDG India Index was launched in December 2018. SDG India Index 2020-21 evaluated the States and Union Territories on 16 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on a scale of 0 to 100. The SDG 2020-21 report mentioned that India’s overall SDG score has improved by 6 points, from 60 in 2019 to 66 in 2020-21. The SDG India Index 2020-21 ranked 15 states/UTs in the Performer category and 22 states/UTs in the Front-Runner category while no state or UT made it to the aspirant or achiever category. 12 more states and UTs - Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Haryana, Punjab, Mizoram, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Lakshadweep, Maharashtra, Tripura, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, and Ladakh found themselves in the Front-runners category in the third edition of SDG India Index 2020-21.

WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT?

‘Development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’. This most widely accepted definition of Sustainable Development was given by the Brundtland Commission in its report Our Common Future (1987). Sustainable development (SD) calls for concerted efforts towards building an inclusive, sustainable and resilient future for people and planet.

CORE ELEMENTS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

• Three core elements of sustainable development are economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection. It is crucial to harmonize them. Sustainable economic growth, achieving sustainable livelihood, living in harmony with nature and appropriate technology are important for sustainable development.
• Environmental Sustainability: It prevents nature from being used as an inexhaustible source of resources and ensures its protection and rational use. Aspects such as environmental conservation, investment in renewable energy, saving water, supporting sustainable mobility, and innovation in sustainable construction and architecture, contribute to achieving environmental sustainability on several fronts.
• Social Sustainability: It can foster gender equality, development of people, communities and cultures to help achieve a reasonable and fairly-distributed quality of life, healthcare and education across the Globe.
• Economic Sustainability: Focuses on equal economic growth that generates wealth for all, without harming the environment. Investment and equal distribution of economic resources. Eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions.

TEST YOURSELF

Q.1 Which of the following Organizations/institutions have released the 3rd Edition of the SDG India Index 2020-2021?

1. National Institute for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog: ANSWER
2. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
3. International Organization for Sustainable Development (IOSD)
4. None of the above

Q.2 ‘Development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’ is most widely accepted definition of Sustainable Development was given by the ___________?

1. Bondevik Commission
2. Gerhardsen Commission
3. Brundtland Commission: ANSWER
4. None of the above

Q.3 Consider the following statements & state which of the following is/are incorrect in the reference to the above mentioned passage?

1. The first edition of the SDG India Index was launched in 2015 that covered 13 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
2. The top-performing states in the SDG India Index 2020-21 are Karnataka at the first rank followed by Himachal Pradesh & Tamil Nadu.
3. The worst performing states in the NITI Aayog’s SDG India Index 2020-21 are Chhattisgarh, Nagaland, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand, and Bihar at the bottom.

1. Only II follows
2. I & II follows: ANSWER
3. II & III follows
4. None of the following

Q.4 Consider the following statements and state which of the following is/are correct in the context of World Sustainable Development Summit?

1. World Sustainable Development Summit, the annual flagship event was organized by TRAI.
2. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, and the Ministry of Earth Sciences are the key partners of the Sustainable Development Summit: ANSWER
3. World Sustainable Development Summit was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Science and Technology, Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Minister of Earth Sciences, Dr. Harsh Vardhan.
4. None of the above

Q.5 Which of the following National Missions on climate change was outlined by the Government of India launched National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)?

1. National Solar Mission
2. National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency
3. National Mission on Sustainable Habitat
4. All of the above: ANSWER