Agartala (Tripura), July 8: Gomati District and West Tripura district found places in the top 10 list of NITI Aayog NER SDG Index report and along with the remaining six districts in the State, emerged as ‘Front Runner’.
According to the second edition of the North Eastern Region (NER) District Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index Report (2023-24), all districts in Tripura, Mizoram, and Sikkim have attained ‘Front Runner’ status on Monday. The report highlights significant progress in sustainable development across the Northeast.
Among the top-performing districts, Tripura’s Gomati and West Tripura have secured notable positions—third and fifth, respectively. Gomati earned a composite score of 78.79, while West Tripura followed closely with 77.64. Mizoram’s Hnahthial topped the index with 81.43, followed by Champhai with 79.86. Mizoram’s Kolasib also made it to the top 10, securing the ninth position, while three districts from Nagaland joined the elite group.
The report notes that no district in the Northeast fell into the ‘Aspirant’ (score below 50) or ‘Achiever’ (score of 100) categories. The scores across 121 districts in the region range from 58.71 in Longding (Arunachal Pradesh) to 81.43 in Hnahthial (Mizoram).
Tripura stands out for its high-performing districts with minimal intra-state variation, just 6.5 points between the highest and lowest scores. Gomati topped the state, whereas Dhalai district, with a score of 72.29, recorded the lowest in Tripura. Sikkim, meanwhile, showed the most balanced performance across districts, with only a 5.5-point range, indicating consistent development.
On the other hand, Mizoram and Nagaland, despite having several high-scoring districts, reflected higher variability—13.72 and 15.07 points, respectively.
The NER District SDG Index 2023-24, developed by NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MoDoNER) and supported technically by the UNDP, plays a pivotal role in guiding development policy. It aids in evidence-based planning, targeted interventions, and effective resource allocation. The report underscores the positive outcomes of national flagship programmes and localised efforts under initiatives like the Aspirational Districts Programme.
The report categorises districts into four groups:
- Achiever (score of 100),
- Front Runner (score 65–99),
- Performer (score 50–64), and
- Aspirant (score below 50).
All districts in Assam have shown improvement, particularly in indicators such as Zero Hunger, Quality Education, Clean Water and Sanitation, and Decent Work and Economic Growth.
NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery stressed the importance of achieving intermediate goals like the SDGs en route to the national vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047. CEO B.V.R. Subrahmanyam reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of the Northeast as ‘Ashta Lakshmi’, signifying its vital role in national development.
Chanchal Kumar, Secretary of DoNER, called the index a strategic tool to pinpoint developmental gaps and ensure focused interventions. Dr Angela Lusigi, UNDP’s Resident Representative, emphasized that data-driven governance must ultimately translate into tangible human development outcomes.
The index serves as a vital benchmark for tracking progress and ensuring that no district is left behind in the Northeast’s developmental journey.
