Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland shine in NITI Aayog’s NE SDG Index 2023-24

Districts from Mizoram, Tripura, and Nagaland have emerged as top performers in the second edition of NITI Aayog’s North Eastern Region (NER) District SDG Index 2023-24, despite ongoing data and development challenges. Hnahthial in Mizoram secured the top spot with a score of 81.43, followed by Champhai (Mizoram), Gomati and West Tripura (Tripura), and Mokokchung (Nagaland). Developed by NITI Aayog and MoDoNER with UNDP support, the index assessed 131 districts across 15 Sustainable Development Goals and 84 indicators. Districts were categorized as Achievers, Front Runners, Performers, or Aspirants based on scores. Notably, 85% of districts qualified as Front Runners, up from 62% in 2021.

All districts in Mizoram, Tripura, and Sikkim achieved this status. Tripura showed strong performance with minimal variation, while Nagaland had the widest intra-state disparity. Despite notable progress, challenges like development gaps and lack of data for 10 districts remain. The index aids targeted planning and inclusive growth.