Niti Aayog SDG Index 2020-21: Odisha Slips In National Rankings, Among Bottom 5 States

In what could possibly dent the tall claims of the state government on socio-economic development, the NITI Aayog's recent report on the performance of states on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has placed Odisha in the bottom-5 states in the country. With an SDG score of 61, Odisha remained in the performer bracket like last year and shares its position with Chhattisgarh and Nagaland.

According to the NITI Aayog’s India Index 2020-21 Report, Odisha’s performance in different parameters dipped during the period. While employment under MGNREGA has declined, crime against women, murder, kidnapping of children has increased during this period.

The SDG report further mentions that 33 per cent of the population in Odisha is still below the poverty line. Shockingly, in the gender equality parameters, the rate of crime against women in Odisha has risen to 103.5 per lakh women, which has put the state among the worst in the country. The only positive aspect is Odisha has topped in categories like life below water and climate action, thanks to the score it garnered in disaster preparedness and low carbon dioxide footprint. 

According to the SDG Index, Kerala was placed at the top with an SDG score of 75, while Bihar with a score of 52 has been adjudged as the worst performer in the NITI Aayog's Sustainable Development Goals India Index 2020-21. Both Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu took the second spot with a score of 74.

Similarly, Chandigarh maintained its top spot among the Union Territories with a score of 79, followed by Delhi (68). Mizoram, Haryana, and Uttarakhand are the top gainers in 2020–21 in terms of improvement in score from the year 2019, with an increase of 12, 10 and 8 points, respectively. The SDG Index evaluates progress of states and UTs on social, economic and environmental parameters.