Srinagar, Dec 27: Jammu and Kashmir has been ranked 20 among the states in India on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) index.
SDGs are a collection of 17 goals with 169 targets set by the United Nations.
These goals were adopted by India in 2015 and are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all citizens.
According to SDG India Index Baseline Report-2018 released by NITI Aayog on Thursday, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu have been placed at top 3 positions and are on track to achieve the UN SDGs.
J&K’s overall SDG index score is 53 and has been ranked 20 in the country.
With scores 48 and 42 respectively, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are at the bottom of the list.
As per SDG report, the states with cent percent score are enumerated as achievers, states with a score of 65 to 99 are front runners, states with a score ranging between 50 and 64 are performers and states with a score of 0 to 49 are listed as aspirants.
The SDG index aims to promote healthy competition among states by evaluating their progress in social, economic and environmental terms that will help India in achieving the UN SDG by 2030.
These goals are aimed to end poverty in all its forms, end hunger, ensure good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth.
NITI Aayog, CEO, Amitabh Kant, said SDG index has been prepared to provide a holistic view on the social, economic and environmental status of the country and its states and union territories.
The report has been jointly prepared by the state governments, central ministries, United Nations in India and NITI Aayog knowledge partners.
The performance of the states and union territories on indicators for SDG is based on percentage of the population living below national poverty line, households with any usual member covered by any health insurance scheme, persons provided employment under MGNREGA, percentage of population receiving social protection under maternity benefit and homeless households.
The agenda of Sustainable Development Goals were adopted by 193 countries at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in September 2015.
The SDGs, which came into effect from 1 January 2016, have 2030 as their deadline for achieving the targets.
SDGs are aimed at addressing key aspects of universal well-being across different socio-economic, cultural, geographical divisions as also the interconnectedness among these multiple dimensions of improving human welfare.
According to NITI Aayog, state governments have been playing a leading role through Panchayati Raj Institutions, urban local bodies and civil society organizations to take the SDGs forward and to ensure that the most marginalised persons are reached first.“SDGs can only be met through visionary long-term strategic planning and cooperative federalism, where governments at both the Centre and States work together to bring about transformation. States play a huge role in the implementation of government programmes and in influencing all social and economic parameters necessary to achieve SDGs,” said Amitabh Kant.
