A marker of development

NITI Aayog index suggests progress but also raises questions

The NITI Aayog, the government think tank, has presented a hopeful picture in its latest Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) India Index with the nation’s composite score improving to 71 points (out of 100) from 66 in 2021 and 57 in 2018, the baseline year. The report, which tracks the progress of states and Union Territories (UTs) on 113 indicators aligned with the United Nations’ National Indicator Framework, shows that all states and UTs have improved their SDGs with scores ranging from 57 to 79 against a 42-69 range in 2018. In the broad national rankings, 32 states/UTs