NITI Aayog Unveils 2nd SDG Index for North Eastern Districts

Current Context: On July 7, 2025, NITI Aayog released the second edition of the North Eastern Region District SDG Index (2023–24).

• It was developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MoDoNER) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Key Highlights with Full Forms:

• The index assesses 121 districts across 8 North Eastern states on 15 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) using 84 measurable indicators.
• 85% of districts qualified as Front Runner category (score between 65–99), up from 62% in the 2021 edition.
• Hnahthial (Mizoram) ranked highest with a score of 81.43, while Longding (Arunachal Pradesh) scored lowest at 58.71.
• States like Sikkim, Tripura, and Mizoram maintained top rankings; Nagaland saw notable improvement with 3 districts in the top 10.
• Improvements were driven by schemes like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission), Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), and Jan Dhan Yojana, advancing goals in health, sanitation, energy, education, and financial inclusion.

Question:

Q.1 Which district topped the North Eastern Region District SDG Index (2023–24)?
a) East Sikkim
b) Aizawl
c) Hnahthial (Mizoram)
d) Longding (Arunachal Pradesh)

Answer: c) Hnahthial district in Mizoram topped the index with a score of 81.43, indicating strong performance on multiple SDG parameters