New Delhi: The NITI Aayog, in partnership with the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MoDoNER) and with technical help from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), released the second edition of the North Eastern Region (NER) District Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index Report (2023–24).
This edition shapes on the impetus of the first report released in August 2021 and measures the presentation of districts throughout the eight north eastern states on critical SDG parameters.
The 2023–24 report marks a important milestone in regional development monitoring, with 85 percent of the districts registration an development in their composite scores.
The index continues to be an influential tool for measuring and driving development on social, economic, and environmental pointers at the district level, thereby letting more targeted and evidence-based policymaking.
A major highpoint of the report is that all districts of Mizoram, Sikkim, and Tripura have achieved the 'Front Runner' status, with no districts in the 'Aspirant' or 'Achiever' categories. Mizoram’s Hnahthial district emerged as the best-performing district in the entire northeastern region with a score of 81.43, while Longding in Arunachal Pradesh was the lowest-performing with 58.71. Sikkim showed the most consistent performance among all states, with the narrowest score range (5.5 points) between its highest and lowest-performing districts. Nagaland made a advance this year, with three of its districts entering the top 10 performers.
The report also noted that 93 districts showed improvement under SDG Goal 3 (Good Health & Well-being). Assam’s districts registered gains across key indicators such as Zero Hunger, Quality Education, Clean Water and Sanitation, and Decent Work and Economic Growth. Tripura demonstrated high overall performance with low intra-state variation, while Mizoram and Nagaland, despite having top-performing districts, exhibited wider internal disparities.
The report categorizes districts into four performance tiers: Achiever (score of 100), Front Runner (65–99), Performer (50–64), and Aspirant (below 50). None of the 121 districts across the region were categorised as Achievers or Aspirants in this cycle, representative a general upward trend in presentation. The top 10 ranking districts reflect a varied representation from across the north eastern states.
State-wise district performance saw significant variation. In Arunachal Pradesh, Lower Dibang Valley topped with 73.36 while Longding scored the lowest. Assam’s best-performing district was Dibrugarh (74.29) and the lowest was South Salmara-Mankachar (59.71). Manipur’s Imphal West led with 73.21, and Pherzawl was at the bottom with 59.71. Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills (73.00) outperformed East Jaintia Hills (63.00). In Mizoram, Hnahthial scored 81.43 while Lawngtlai was lowest at 67.71. Nagaland's Mokokchung scored 78.43 and Zunheboto 63.36. In Sikkim, Gangtok led with 76.64 and Gyalshing had the lowest at 71.14. Tripura's best was Gomati (78.79) and the lowest was Dhalai (72.29).
The report was officially launched in New Delhi in the presence of NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery, CEO B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, MoDoNER Secretary Chanchal Kumar, UNDP Resident Representative Angela Lusigi, and Programme Director (SDGs) Rajib Kumar Sen. Bery emphasized the importance of meeting the SDGs by 2030 as a critical milestone on the path to achieving Viksit Bharat @2047. Subrahmanyam highlighted the Prime Minister’s vision of the northeast as the 'Ashta Lakshmi' and underlined the region’s strategic importance.
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Kumar called the index a real tool to identify developmental gaps and improve resource allocation. Lusigi stressed the need to translate data into meaningful developmental outcomes for people.
The NER District SDG Index 2023–24 is expected to serve as a vital policy instrument for guiding regional development efforts, particularly under flagship initiatives like the Aspirational Districts Programme.
By offering detailed district-level visions and references, the report ropes the complete goal of inclusive and maintainable growth, protection that no district in the Northeast is left behind in India’s growth journey.
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