Nagaland’s SDG Index Reveals: Economic Growth Soars Amid Persistent Development Hurdles | Must-Read Report by MorungExpress
Nagaland’s Economic Growth Fails to Address Key Developmental Issues, Reveals SDG Report
A recent view of Kohima town serves as a backdrop to the latest report by NITI Aayog on Nagaland’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which reveals a stark contrast between economic growth and developmental progress. Despite remarkable improvements in the state’s economic indicators, including a significant rise in the ‘Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth’ score from 48 in 2020-21 to 76 in 2023-24, this growth has not translated into broader development.
Improvements also appeared in ‘Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure’ and ‘Goal 10: Reduced Inequality’. Further, the state’s annual GDP growth rate rose to 8.58%, the unemployment rate dropped to 4.60%, and Labour Force Participation Rate soared to 74.40%. However, regular non-agricultural wage workers without social security benefits decreased to 11.90%, highlighting uneven progress.
Nagaland’s fight against poverty and hunger showed concerning trends. The score for ‘No Poverty’ dropped from 73 in 2020-21 to 63 in 2023-24, while ‘Zero Hunger’ fell from 64 to 60. Multidimensional Poverty remained high at 15.43%, and health scheme coverage was low at 22%. Households in precarious ‘kachha’ structures increased to 8%.
In the health sector, Nagaland and Lakshadweep met national targets for reducing anaemia among pregnant women, but agricultural productivity and children’s health suffered. Rice and wheat production, as well as Gross Value Added (GVA) in agriculture, decreased, while underweight and stunted children rates rose.
The score for ‘Responsible Consumption and Production’ continued its decline, ranking Nagaland in the bottom four states. The SDG Index score for Nagaland improved marginally from 61 in 2020-21 to 63 in 2023-24, with notable advancements in ‘Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being’ and ‘Goal 4: Quality Education.’
To address these disparities, Nagaland needs inclusive economic policies, better job quality, and stronger social safety nets. The state could see future improvements in ‘Goal 10: Reduced Inequality’ with upcoming local elections in 2024, potentially elevating women’s participation in government.
Nagaland’s journey towards comprehensive development requires sustained efforts to bridge the gap between economic growth and social progress.
Original Story https://www.morungexpress.com/nagalands-sdg-index-economic-growth-climbs-but-development-still-lags-behind
Category : Morung Exclusive , Nagaland
Tags:
