Nagaland Celebrates Gender Equality Triumph, Yet Faces Challenges in Key SDG Parameters | MorungExpress

Marginal Gains but Lagging Behind: Nagaland’s Performance in SDG India Index 2023-24

By Moa Jamir, Dimapur | July 15

Nagaland has made notable strides in gender equality over the years, yet overall improvement in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been limited, lagging behind other Indian states and Union Territories (UTs). According to the fourth edition of the SDG India Index 2023-24 released by the NITI Aayog on July 12, Nagaland’s composite score stands at 65, placing it 26th among 28 states, only ahead of Jharkhand and Bihar. Among all 38 states and UTs, Nagaland ranks joint third lowest with Ladakh.

While Nagaland is classified as a ‘Performer,’ its marginal progress is evident. From an initial score of 51 in 2018, the state moved to 57 in 2019-20 and 61 in 2020-21, witnessing a modest increase to 63 by 2023-24. In contrast, India’s overall average score improved from 57 to 71 during the same period.

Nagaland has excelled in ‘Gender Equality’ (SDG Goal 5), topping the national index in 2023-24 with its score nearly doubling from 42 in 2018 to 74 in 2023-24. The state also progressed significantly in ‘Climate Action’ (Goal 13), increasing its score from 51 in 2019-20 to 79 in 2023-24.

Conversely, ‘Responsible Consumption and Production’ (Goal 12) and ‘Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions’ (Goal 16) witnessed consistent declines over the past four editions. Between 2020-21 and 2023-24, Nagaland improved in 8 out of 15 SDG targets but faltered in 7.

Noteworthy future prospects include ‘Reduced Inequality’ (Goal 10), supported by Nagaland’s recent civic polls. Additionally, the launch of Nagaland’s SDG Dashboard on October 17, 2023, aims to bolster the state’s developmental goals.

Nationally, Uttarakhand and Kerala lead with scores of 79, followed by Tamil Nadu and Goa. Conversely, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Nagaland scored the lowest. Uttar Pradesh emerged as the fastest-improving state, increasing its score by 25 points.

Overall, while Nagaland demonstrates areas of notable progress, broader and consistent advancement will be crucial to climb ranks in future SDG assessments.

Original Story https://www.morungexpress.com/sdg-index-nagaland-tops-in-gender-equality-but-falters-in-key-parameters
Category : Morung Exclusive , Nagaland
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