NITI Aayog Releases 2nd Edition of NER District SDG Index 2023–24 and Mizoram’s Hnahthial District Tops Rankings.
National
In July 2025, the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) released the second edition of the North Eastern Region (NER) District Sustainable Development Index (SDG) Report 2023–24, evaluating the SDG progress of districts in the Northeast. Hnahthial district in Mizoram emerged as the top performer, highlighting regional efforts towards achieving sustainable development goals in alignment with India’s 2030 agenda.
- The index report was launched by Suman Bery, Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog; B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, CEO of NITI Aayog; Chanchal Kumar, Secretary of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MoDoNER); and Dr. Angela Lusigi, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in India. The event was also attended by Rajib Kumar Sen, Programme Director (SDGs), along with senior officials from NITI Aayog and MoDoNER.
- The index was developed by NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MoDoNER) and with technical assistance from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
- It measures district-level performance against India’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals and supports evidence-based policymaking across the NER.
Main Point :- (i) The 2023–24 edition of the index evaluated 121 out of 131 districts (92%) in the Northeast Region, expanding from 103 districts in the previous edition. The assessment uses 84 indicators aligned with the SDGs and classifies districts into four categories: Achiever (100), Front-Runner (65–99), Performer (50–64), and Aspirant (<50).
(ii) According to the report, 103 districts are ranked in the “Front Runner” category, while 18 districts fall under the “Performer” category. No districts scored in the Achiever category. This classification helps states track progress and focus development efforts where most needed.
(iii) Mizoram’s Hnahthial district topped the SDG index with a score of 81.43, followed by Champhai district in Mizoram with 79.86, and Gomati district in Tripura with 78.79. In contrast, Arunachal Pradesh’s Anjaw district was the lowest-ranked with a score of 58.71, placing it in the “Performer” category. This highlights the disparity in development among districts and the need for targeted interventions.
About National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog)
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) : B.V.R. Subrahmanyam
Headquarters: New Delhi
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