Assam misses top spots in SDG index; Mizoram’s Hnahthial ranks first in NE
Dibrugarh topped the list of districts in Assam, but it has been ranked 17th among 121 districts of the Northeastern region.
Guwahati, July 9: None from Assam feature in the top ten districts of Northeast in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index, according to the latest assessment done to track progress at the district level against the specific targets.
Dibrugarh topped the list of districts in Assam, but it has been ranked 17th among 121 districts of the Northeastern region. Mizoram has the highest-scoring district in the entire Northeast region (Hnahthial with 81.43 points), according to the report ‘North Eastern Region SDG Index 2023-24’ published by Niti Aayog, DoNER and UNDP.
The top ten performing districts in the region are - Hnahthial (Mizoram), Champai (Mizoram), Gomati (Tripura), Mokokchung (Nagaland), West Tripura (Tripura), Kohima (Nagaland), South Tripura (Tripura), Gangtok (Sikkim), Kolasib (Mizoram) and Dimapur (Nagaland).
Assam’s South Salmara-Mankachar has been ranked 118 among the 121 NE districts, while West Karbi Anglong is at 108, Udalguri 102, Baksa 97 and Barpeta at 94.
All districts in Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura fall in the Front Runner (scoring points between 65-99) category and there are no districts in the Aspirant (0-49 points) or Achiever (50-64 points) category.
In Assam, Dibrugarh scored 74.29 points, and it is followed by Sivasagar at 20th rank (with 74 points) and Jorhat at 21 (73.79 points). Kamrup Metro is placed at 38th rank.
“The geographical characteristics of the region –mountainous terrain, dense forests, and border proximity, create natural barriers to industrial development and infrastructure expansion, particularly in the eastern regions of Arunachal Pradesh. These constraints have led to stagnation in progress toward SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) and limited employment opportunities in modern sectors.
The interconnected nature of the SDGs becomes evident as these infrastructure and economic challenges directly impact the region’s ability to advance on SDGs 2 (Zero Hunger), 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing), and 4 (Quality Education), areas where states like Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, and Nagaland show substantial room for improvement,” the report stated.
The report further stated that the region falls behind the national average in the indicator of the percentage of students in grade 8 achieving the minimum proficiency level in terms of nationally defined learning outcomes as per the National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2021. In the NER, 66 per cent of the districts have reported values less than the national average (77 per cent). The annual average dropout rate is an area which requires attention. As many as 100 districts have an annual average dropout rate at the secondary level (Class 9–10) higher than the India average of 14.1 per cent as per Unified-District Information System for Education (UDISE) 2023–24. School infrastructure remains a priority area with significant scope for improvement, it stated.
According to the report, the region has experienced a continuous decline in forest area over the years, raising significant environmental concerns. As per the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023, 72 districts reported a reduction in forest cover compared to the previous assessment in 2021.
Access to clean cooking fuel as the primary source of energy for households has significantly improved in the region, however, about 75 per cent of the districts fare below the national average.
The assessment tracked the progress of SDG goals in 121 out of 131 (92 per cent) districts in the region. The second edition of the index has 84 indicators. Out of 84 indicators, data for 41 indicators is from various ministries/departments of the Union Government and data for 43 indicators is from State sources.