Sustainable Development and Climate Change | Economic Survey & Government Reports - UPSC PDF Download

 Page 1


CHAPTER
06
In 2020-21, India progressed further on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals 
(SDGs). India’s overall score on the NITI Aayog SDG India Index & Dashboard 2020-
21 improved to 66 from 60 in 2019-20 and 57 in 2018-19. The number of Front Runners 
(scoring 65-99) increased to 22 states and UTs in 2020-21 from 10 in 2019-20. Kerala 
and Chandigarh were the top state and UT respectively on SDG performance in 2020-21. 
In North East India, 64 districts were Front Runners and 39 districts were Performers in 
the NITI Aayog North-Eastern Region District SDG Index 2021-22. 
India has the tenth largest forest area in the world. In 2020, India ranked third globally in 
increasing its forest area during 2010 to 2020. The forests covered 24 per cent of India’s 
total geographical, accounting for two per cent of the world’s total forest area in 2020. 
India’s forest cover has increased by more than three per cent during 2011 to 2021. This 
is mainly attributed to increase in very dense forest, which grew by 20 per cent during the 
period. 
In August 2021, the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021 was notified 
which is aimed at phasing-out single use plastic by 2022. The draft regulation on the 
Extended Producer Responsibility for plastic packaging has been notified. The regulation 
seeks to strengthen the circular economy of plastic packaging waste, promote development 
of new alternatives to plastics and sustainable plastic packaging.
The chapter discusses ground water resource management and the findings indicate that 
states/UTs need to manage its ground water resources carefully, including recharge, and 
to stem over-exploitation. The compliance status of Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) 
located in the Ganga main stem and its tributaries improved from 39 per cent in 2017 to 
81 per cent in 2020. The consequent reduction in effluent discharge has been from 349.13 
milllions of liters per day (MLD) in 2017 to 280.20 MLD in 2020.
India had announced its first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the 
Paris Agreement in 2015. The Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, as a part of the national 
statement delivered at the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP 26) in Glasgow in 
November 2021, announced ambitious targets to be achieved by 2030 to enable further 
reduction in emissions. The need to start the one-word movement ‘LIFE’ which means 
Lifestyle For Environment urging mindful and deliberate utilization instead of mindless 
and destructive consumption was underlined.
Sustainable Development and 
Climate Change
Page 2


CHAPTER
06
In 2020-21, India progressed further on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals 
(SDGs). India’s overall score on the NITI Aayog SDG India Index & Dashboard 2020-
21 improved to 66 from 60 in 2019-20 and 57 in 2018-19. The number of Front Runners 
(scoring 65-99) increased to 22 states and UTs in 2020-21 from 10 in 2019-20. Kerala 
and Chandigarh were the top state and UT respectively on SDG performance in 2020-21. 
In North East India, 64 districts were Front Runners and 39 districts were Performers in 
the NITI Aayog North-Eastern Region District SDG Index 2021-22. 
India has the tenth largest forest area in the world. In 2020, India ranked third globally in 
increasing its forest area during 2010 to 2020. The forests covered 24 per cent of India’s 
total geographical, accounting for two per cent of the world’s total forest area in 2020. 
India’s forest cover has increased by more than three per cent during 2011 to 2021. This 
is mainly attributed to increase in very dense forest, which grew by 20 per cent during the 
period. 
In August 2021, the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021 was notified 
which is aimed at phasing-out single use plastic by 2022. The draft regulation on the 
Extended Producer Responsibility for plastic packaging has been notified. The regulation 
seeks to strengthen the circular economy of plastic packaging waste, promote development 
of new alternatives to plastics and sustainable plastic packaging.
The chapter discusses ground water resource management and the findings indicate that 
states/UTs need to manage its ground water resources carefully, including recharge, and 
to stem over-exploitation. The compliance status of Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) 
located in the Ganga main stem and its tributaries improved from 39 per cent in 2017 to 
81 per cent in 2020. The consequent reduction in effluent discharge has been from 349.13 
milllions of liters per day (MLD) in 2017 to 280.20 MLD in 2020.
India had announced its first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the 
Paris Agreement in 2015. The Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, as a part of the national 
statement delivered at the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP 26) in Glasgow in 
November 2021, announced ambitious targets to be achieved by 2030 to enable further 
reduction in emissions. The need to start the one-word movement ‘LIFE’ which means 
Lifestyle For Environment urging mindful and deliberate utilization instead of mindless 
and destructive consumption was underlined.
Sustainable Development and 
Climate Change
197 Sustainable Development and Climate Change
INDIA’S PROGRESS ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
6.1 In September 2015, 193 countries including India committed to the Sustainable 
Development Goals (SDGs) as detailed in the UN resolution, “Transforming our world: the 2030 
Agenda for Sustainable Development”. The SDGs comprehensively cover social, economic and 
environmental dimensions and build on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which 
covered the earlier fifteen-year period from 2000 to 2015. 
6.2 India has been making strides towards achieving the social, economic and environmental 
goals covered under SDGs. This achievement gains further significance in the face of the 
considerable human and economic costs imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has set 
countries back on their developmental goals and created serious impediments to the attainment 
of the SDGs, the world over.
Goal wise performance of India as a whole: NITI Aayog SDG India Index Report 
and Dashboard 2020-21
6.3 India’s overall score on the NITI Aayog SDG India Index & Dashboard improved to 66 
in 2020-21 from 60 in 2019-20 and 57 in 2018-19, showing progress in India’s journey towards 
achieving the SDGs (see Box 1 for details about the NITI Aayog SDG India Index). Despite 
2020-21 being a pandemic year, India performed well on eight of the 15 SDGs measured by 
the NITI Aayog SDG India Index. These included – goal 3 (good health and well-being), goal 6 
(clean water and sanitation), goal 7 (affordable and clean energy), goal 10 (reduced inequalities), 
goal 11 (sustainable cities and communities), goal 12 (responsible consumption and production), 
goal 15 (life on land) and goal 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions). 
Box 1: NITI Aayog SDG India Index and Dashboard 2020-21
India’s federal structure implies that states must take charge to enable progress on achieving the 
country’s SDGs. The NITI Aayog SDG India Index is the world’s first government-led sub-national 
measure of SDG progress. It has been developed to capture the progress of all states and union 
territories (UTs) in their journey towards achieving the SDGs. This index recognizes that action 
is required at all levels, and it is therefore based on the approach of cooperative and competitive 
federalism.
In 2021, India continued exercising significant climate leadership at the international 
stage under the International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient 
Infrastructure (CDRI) and Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT Group).  
The chapter also discusses several initiatives taken in the area of sustainable finance by 
the Ministry of Finance, RBI and SEBI. 
Page 3


CHAPTER
06
In 2020-21, India progressed further on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals 
(SDGs). India’s overall score on the NITI Aayog SDG India Index & Dashboard 2020-
21 improved to 66 from 60 in 2019-20 and 57 in 2018-19. The number of Front Runners 
(scoring 65-99) increased to 22 states and UTs in 2020-21 from 10 in 2019-20. Kerala 
and Chandigarh were the top state and UT respectively on SDG performance in 2020-21. 
In North East India, 64 districts were Front Runners and 39 districts were Performers in 
the NITI Aayog North-Eastern Region District SDG Index 2021-22. 
India has the tenth largest forest area in the world. In 2020, India ranked third globally in 
increasing its forest area during 2010 to 2020. The forests covered 24 per cent of India’s 
total geographical, accounting for two per cent of the world’s total forest area in 2020. 
India’s forest cover has increased by more than three per cent during 2011 to 2021. This 
is mainly attributed to increase in very dense forest, which grew by 20 per cent during the 
period. 
In August 2021, the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021 was notified 
which is aimed at phasing-out single use plastic by 2022. The draft regulation on the 
Extended Producer Responsibility for plastic packaging has been notified. The regulation 
seeks to strengthen the circular economy of plastic packaging waste, promote development 
of new alternatives to plastics and sustainable plastic packaging.
The chapter discusses ground water resource management and the findings indicate that 
states/UTs need to manage its ground water resources carefully, including recharge, and 
to stem over-exploitation. The compliance status of Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) 
located in the Ganga main stem and its tributaries improved from 39 per cent in 2017 to 
81 per cent in 2020. The consequent reduction in effluent discharge has been from 349.13 
milllions of liters per day (MLD) in 2017 to 280.20 MLD in 2020.
India had announced its first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the 
Paris Agreement in 2015. The Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, as a part of the national 
statement delivered at the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP 26) in Glasgow in 
November 2021, announced ambitious targets to be achieved by 2030 to enable further 
reduction in emissions. The need to start the one-word movement ‘LIFE’ which means 
Lifestyle For Environment urging mindful and deliberate utilization instead of mindless 
and destructive consumption was underlined.
Sustainable Development and 
Climate Change
197 Sustainable Development and Climate Change
INDIA’S PROGRESS ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
6.1 In September 2015, 193 countries including India committed to the Sustainable 
Development Goals (SDGs) as detailed in the UN resolution, “Transforming our world: the 2030 
Agenda for Sustainable Development”. The SDGs comprehensively cover social, economic and 
environmental dimensions and build on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which 
covered the earlier fifteen-year period from 2000 to 2015. 
6.2 India has been making strides towards achieving the social, economic and environmental 
goals covered under SDGs. This achievement gains further significance in the face of the 
considerable human and economic costs imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has set 
countries back on their developmental goals and created serious impediments to the attainment 
of the SDGs, the world over.
Goal wise performance of India as a whole: NITI Aayog SDG India Index Report 
and Dashboard 2020-21
6.3 India’s overall score on the NITI Aayog SDG India Index & Dashboard improved to 66 
in 2020-21 from 60 in 2019-20 and 57 in 2018-19, showing progress in India’s journey towards 
achieving the SDGs (see Box 1 for details about the NITI Aayog SDG India Index). Despite 
2020-21 being a pandemic year, India performed well on eight of the 15 SDGs measured by 
the NITI Aayog SDG India Index. These included – goal 3 (good health and well-being), goal 6 
(clean water and sanitation), goal 7 (affordable and clean energy), goal 10 (reduced inequalities), 
goal 11 (sustainable cities and communities), goal 12 (responsible consumption and production), 
goal 15 (life on land) and goal 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions). 
Box 1: NITI Aayog SDG India Index and Dashboard 2020-21
India’s federal structure implies that states must take charge to enable progress on achieving the 
country’s SDGs. The NITI Aayog SDG India Index is the world’s first government-led sub-national 
measure of SDG progress. It has been developed to capture the progress of all states and union 
territories (UTs) in their journey towards achieving the SDGs. This index recognizes that action 
is required at all levels, and it is therefore based on the approach of cooperative and competitive 
federalism.
In 2021, India continued exercising significant climate leadership at the international 
stage under the International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient 
Infrastructure (CDRI) and Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT Group).  
The chapter also discusses several initiatives taken in the area of sustainable finance by 
the Ministry of Finance, RBI and SEBI. 
198 Economic Survey 2021-22
NITI Aayog has been publishing the SDG India Index annually since 2018. The third edition of the 
NITI Aayog SDG India Index (2020-21) computes goal-wise scores on the 16 SDGs for each state 
and UT, and a qualitative assessment on Goal 17, covering:
SDG 1: No Poverty SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
SDG 2: Zero Hunger SDG 10: Reduced Inequality
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 4: Quality Education SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 5: Gender Equality SDG 13: Climate Action
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation SDG 14: Life Below Water (calculated only for 
the nine coastal states – Gujarat, Maharashtra, 
Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra 
Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal)
SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy SDG 15: Life on Land
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
SDG 17: Global Partnerships
Overall state and UT scores are generated from goal-wise scores to measure aggregate performance 
of the sub-national unit based on its performance across the 16 SDGs. These scores range between 
0–100, with states/UTs being categorised as Aspirant (score 0-49), Performer (score 50-64), Front 
Runner (65-99) and Achiever (score 100) based on their score.
The figure below depicts the evolution of the NITI Aayog SDG India Index since its first baseline 
report in 2018. The 2018 baseline assessment is not strictly comparable with later assessments due to 
its lower coverage of targets and indicators.
Evolution of the NITI Aayog SDG India Index
Source: NITI Aayog
Note: Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has developed the National Indicator 
Framework (NIF) comprising 306 statistical indicators for monitoring of SDGs at the national level
Page 4


CHAPTER
06
In 2020-21, India progressed further on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals 
(SDGs). India’s overall score on the NITI Aayog SDG India Index & Dashboard 2020-
21 improved to 66 from 60 in 2019-20 and 57 in 2018-19. The number of Front Runners 
(scoring 65-99) increased to 22 states and UTs in 2020-21 from 10 in 2019-20. Kerala 
and Chandigarh were the top state and UT respectively on SDG performance in 2020-21. 
In North East India, 64 districts were Front Runners and 39 districts were Performers in 
the NITI Aayog North-Eastern Region District SDG Index 2021-22. 
India has the tenth largest forest area in the world. In 2020, India ranked third globally in 
increasing its forest area during 2010 to 2020. The forests covered 24 per cent of India’s 
total geographical, accounting for two per cent of the world’s total forest area in 2020. 
India’s forest cover has increased by more than three per cent during 2011 to 2021. This 
is mainly attributed to increase in very dense forest, which grew by 20 per cent during the 
period. 
In August 2021, the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021 was notified 
which is aimed at phasing-out single use plastic by 2022. The draft regulation on the 
Extended Producer Responsibility for plastic packaging has been notified. The regulation 
seeks to strengthen the circular economy of plastic packaging waste, promote development 
of new alternatives to plastics and sustainable plastic packaging.
The chapter discusses ground water resource management and the findings indicate that 
states/UTs need to manage its ground water resources carefully, including recharge, and 
to stem over-exploitation. The compliance status of Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) 
located in the Ganga main stem and its tributaries improved from 39 per cent in 2017 to 
81 per cent in 2020. The consequent reduction in effluent discharge has been from 349.13 
milllions of liters per day (MLD) in 2017 to 280.20 MLD in 2020.
India had announced its first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the 
Paris Agreement in 2015. The Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, as a part of the national 
statement delivered at the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP 26) in Glasgow in 
November 2021, announced ambitious targets to be achieved by 2030 to enable further 
reduction in emissions. The need to start the one-word movement ‘LIFE’ which means 
Lifestyle For Environment urging mindful and deliberate utilization instead of mindless 
and destructive consumption was underlined.
Sustainable Development and 
Climate Change
197 Sustainable Development and Climate Change
INDIA’S PROGRESS ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
6.1 In September 2015, 193 countries including India committed to the Sustainable 
Development Goals (SDGs) as detailed in the UN resolution, “Transforming our world: the 2030 
Agenda for Sustainable Development”. The SDGs comprehensively cover social, economic and 
environmental dimensions and build on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which 
covered the earlier fifteen-year period from 2000 to 2015. 
6.2 India has been making strides towards achieving the social, economic and environmental 
goals covered under SDGs. This achievement gains further significance in the face of the 
considerable human and economic costs imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has set 
countries back on their developmental goals and created serious impediments to the attainment 
of the SDGs, the world over.
Goal wise performance of India as a whole: NITI Aayog SDG India Index Report 
and Dashboard 2020-21
6.3 India’s overall score on the NITI Aayog SDG India Index & Dashboard improved to 66 
in 2020-21 from 60 in 2019-20 and 57 in 2018-19, showing progress in India’s journey towards 
achieving the SDGs (see Box 1 for details about the NITI Aayog SDG India Index). Despite 
2020-21 being a pandemic year, India performed well on eight of the 15 SDGs measured by 
the NITI Aayog SDG India Index. These included – goal 3 (good health and well-being), goal 6 
(clean water and sanitation), goal 7 (affordable and clean energy), goal 10 (reduced inequalities), 
goal 11 (sustainable cities and communities), goal 12 (responsible consumption and production), 
goal 15 (life on land) and goal 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions). 
Box 1: NITI Aayog SDG India Index and Dashboard 2020-21
India’s federal structure implies that states must take charge to enable progress on achieving the 
country’s SDGs. The NITI Aayog SDG India Index is the world’s first government-led sub-national 
measure of SDG progress. It has been developed to capture the progress of all states and union 
territories (UTs) in their journey towards achieving the SDGs. This index recognizes that action 
is required at all levels, and it is therefore based on the approach of cooperative and competitive 
federalism.
In 2021, India continued exercising significant climate leadership at the international 
stage under the International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient 
Infrastructure (CDRI) and Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT Group).  
The chapter also discusses several initiatives taken in the area of sustainable finance by 
the Ministry of Finance, RBI and SEBI. 
198 Economic Survey 2021-22
NITI Aayog has been publishing the SDG India Index annually since 2018. The third edition of the 
NITI Aayog SDG India Index (2020-21) computes goal-wise scores on the 16 SDGs for each state 
and UT, and a qualitative assessment on Goal 17, covering:
SDG 1: No Poverty SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
SDG 2: Zero Hunger SDG 10: Reduced Inequality
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 4: Quality Education SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 5: Gender Equality SDG 13: Climate Action
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation SDG 14: Life Below Water (calculated only for 
the nine coastal states – Gujarat, Maharashtra, 
Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra 
Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal)
SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy SDG 15: Life on Land
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
SDG 17: Global Partnerships
Overall state and UT scores are generated from goal-wise scores to measure aggregate performance 
of the sub-national unit based on its performance across the 16 SDGs. These scores range between 
0–100, with states/UTs being categorised as Aspirant (score 0-49), Performer (score 50-64), Front 
Runner (65-99) and Achiever (score 100) based on their score.
The figure below depicts the evolution of the NITI Aayog SDG India Index since its first baseline 
report in 2018. The 2018 baseline assessment is not strictly comparable with later assessments due to 
its lower coverage of targets and indicators.
Evolution of the NITI Aayog SDG India Index
Source: NITI Aayog
Note: Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has developed the National Indicator 
Framework (NIF) comprising 306 statistical indicators for monitoring of SDGs at the national level
199 Sustainable Development and Climate Change
Performance of States and UTs on the NITI Aayog SDG India Index, 2021 
6.4 Figure 1 shows that the number of Front Runners (scoring 65-99) increased to 22 states and 
UTs in 2020-21 from 10 in 2019-20. All remaining states and UTs were Performers (scoring 50-
64). Amongst states, additions to the Front Runner category in 2020-21 included Uttarakhand, 
Gujarat, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Punjab, Haryana and Tripura. Amongst UTs, additions to the 
Front Runner category included Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, 
Ladakh and Lakshadweep.
Figure 1: Performance of States/UTs on the NITI Aayog 
SDG India Index (2019 and 2020)
Source: NITI Aayog
Note: Yellow indicates Performer (Score 50-64), Green indicates Front Runner (Score 65-99)
6.5 Figure 2 shows the scores achieved by states on the NITI Aayog SDG India Index 2020-
21, and change in score from 2019-20. In 2020-21, states achieved scores between 52-75 and 
UTs scored between 62-79, as against scores of 50-70 for states and 59-70 for UTs in 2019-20. 
All states have improved their overall scores by 1-12 points. Kerala (score of 75) retained its top 
rank amongst states in 2020-21. Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh ranked second while Goa, 
Uttarakhand, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh ranked fourth. Mizoram, Haryana, and Uttarakhand 
are the top gainers in 2020-21, in terms of improvement in score from 2019, with an increase of 
12, 10 and 8 points respectively.
Page 5


CHAPTER
06
In 2020-21, India progressed further on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals 
(SDGs). India’s overall score on the NITI Aayog SDG India Index & Dashboard 2020-
21 improved to 66 from 60 in 2019-20 and 57 in 2018-19. The number of Front Runners 
(scoring 65-99) increased to 22 states and UTs in 2020-21 from 10 in 2019-20. Kerala 
and Chandigarh were the top state and UT respectively on SDG performance in 2020-21. 
In North East India, 64 districts were Front Runners and 39 districts were Performers in 
the NITI Aayog North-Eastern Region District SDG Index 2021-22. 
India has the tenth largest forest area in the world. In 2020, India ranked third globally in 
increasing its forest area during 2010 to 2020. The forests covered 24 per cent of India’s 
total geographical, accounting for two per cent of the world’s total forest area in 2020. 
India’s forest cover has increased by more than three per cent during 2011 to 2021. This 
is mainly attributed to increase in very dense forest, which grew by 20 per cent during the 
period. 
In August 2021, the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021 was notified 
which is aimed at phasing-out single use plastic by 2022. The draft regulation on the 
Extended Producer Responsibility for plastic packaging has been notified. The regulation 
seeks to strengthen the circular economy of plastic packaging waste, promote development 
of new alternatives to plastics and sustainable plastic packaging.
The chapter discusses ground water resource management and the findings indicate that 
states/UTs need to manage its ground water resources carefully, including recharge, and 
to stem over-exploitation. The compliance status of Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) 
located in the Ganga main stem and its tributaries improved from 39 per cent in 2017 to 
81 per cent in 2020. The consequent reduction in effluent discharge has been from 349.13 
milllions of liters per day (MLD) in 2017 to 280.20 MLD in 2020.
India had announced its first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the 
Paris Agreement in 2015. The Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, as a part of the national 
statement delivered at the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP 26) in Glasgow in 
November 2021, announced ambitious targets to be achieved by 2030 to enable further 
reduction in emissions. The need to start the one-word movement ‘LIFE’ which means 
Lifestyle For Environment urging mindful and deliberate utilization instead of mindless 
and destructive consumption was underlined.
Sustainable Development and 
Climate Change
197 Sustainable Development and Climate Change
INDIA’S PROGRESS ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
6.1 In September 2015, 193 countries including India committed to the Sustainable 
Development Goals (SDGs) as detailed in the UN resolution, “Transforming our world: the 2030 
Agenda for Sustainable Development”. The SDGs comprehensively cover social, economic and 
environmental dimensions and build on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which 
covered the earlier fifteen-year period from 2000 to 2015. 
6.2 India has been making strides towards achieving the social, economic and environmental 
goals covered under SDGs. This achievement gains further significance in the face of the 
considerable human and economic costs imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has set 
countries back on their developmental goals and created serious impediments to the attainment 
of the SDGs, the world over.
Goal wise performance of India as a whole: NITI Aayog SDG India Index Report 
and Dashboard 2020-21
6.3 India’s overall score on the NITI Aayog SDG India Index & Dashboard improved to 66 
in 2020-21 from 60 in 2019-20 and 57 in 2018-19, showing progress in India’s journey towards 
achieving the SDGs (see Box 1 for details about the NITI Aayog SDG India Index). Despite 
2020-21 being a pandemic year, India performed well on eight of the 15 SDGs measured by 
the NITI Aayog SDG India Index. These included – goal 3 (good health and well-being), goal 6 
(clean water and sanitation), goal 7 (affordable and clean energy), goal 10 (reduced inequalities), 
goal 11 (sustainable cities and communities), goal 12 (responsible consumption and production), 
goal 15 (life on land) and goal 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions). 
Box 1: NITI Aayog SDG India Index and Dashboard 2020-21
India’s federal structure implies that states must take charge to enable progress on achieving the 
country’s SDGs. The NITI Aayog SDG India Index is the world’s first government-led sub-national 
measure of SDG progress. It has been developed to capture the progress of all states and union 
territories (UTs) in their journey towards achieving the SDGs. This index recognizes that action 
is required at all levels, and it is therefore based on the approach of cooperative and competitive 
federalism.
In 2021, India continued exercising significant climate leadership at the international 
stage under the International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient 
Infrastructure (CDRI) and Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT Group).  
The chapter also discusses several initiatives taken in the area of sustainable finance by 
the Ministry of Finance, RBI and SEBI. 
198 Economic Survey 2021-22
NITI Aayog has been publishing the SDG India Index annually since 2018. The third edition of the 
NITI Aayog SDG India Index (2020-21) computes goal-wise scores on the 16 SDGs for each state 
and UT, and a qualitative assessment on Goal 17, covering:
SDG 1: No Poverty SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
SDG 2: Zero Hunger SDG 10: Reduced Inequality
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 4: Quality Education SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 5: Gender Equality SDG 13: Climate Action
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation SDG 14: Life Below Water (calculated only for 
the nine coastal states – Gujarat, Maharashtra, 
Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra 
Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal)
SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy SDG 15: Life on Land
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
SDG 17: Global Partnerships
Overall state and UT scores are generated from goal-wise scores to measure aggregate performance 
of the sub-national unit based on its performance across the 16 SDGs. These scores range between 
0–100, with states/UTs being categorised as Aspirant (score 0-49), Performer (score 50-64), Front 
Runner (65-99) and Achiever (score 100) based on their score.
The figure below depicts the evolution of the NITI Aayog SDG India Index since its first baseline 
report in 2018. The 2018 baseline assessment is not strictly comparable with later assessments due to 
its lower coverage of targets and indicators.
Evolution of the NITI Aayog SDG India Index
Source: NITI Aayog
Note: Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has developed the National Indicator 
Framework (NIF) comprising 306 statistical indicators for monitoring of SDGs at the national level
199 Sustainable Development and Climate Change
Performance of States and UTs on the NITI Aayog SDG India Index, 2021 
6.4 Figure 1 shows that the number of Front Runners (scoring 65-99) increased to 22 states and 
UTs in 2020-21 from 10 in 2019-20. All remaining states and UTs were Performers (scoring 50-
64). Amongst states, additions to the Front Runner category in 2020-21 included Uttarakhand, 
Gujarat, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Punjab, Haryana and Tripura. Amongst UTs, additions to the 
Front Runner category included Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, 
Ladakh and Lakshadweep.
Figure 1: Performance of States/UTs on the NITI Aayog 
SDG India Index (2019 and 2020)
Source: NITI Aayog
Note: Yellow indicates Performer (Score 50-64), Green indicates Front Runner (Score 65-99)
6.5 Figure 2 shows the scores achieved by states on the NITI Aayog SDG India Index 2020-
21, and change in score from 2019-20. In 2020-21, states achieved scores between 52-75 and 
UTs scored between 62-79, as against scores of 50-70 for states and 59-70 for UTs in 2019-20. 
All states have improved their overall scores by 1-12 points. Kerala (score of 75) retained its top 
rank amongst states in 2020-21. Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh ranked second while Goa, 
Uttarakhand, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh ranked fourth. Mizoram, Haryana, and Uttarakhand 
are the top gainers in 2020-21, in terms of improvement in score from 2019, with an increase of 
12, 10 and 8 points respectively.
200 Economic Survey 2021-22
Figure 2: Performance of States on the NITI Aayog SDG India Index 2020-21
(i)  Front Runners (ii)  Performers
65
67
68
68
69
69
70
71
72
72
72
72
74
74
75
+7
+10
+12
+6
+2
+5
+6
+6
+6
+7
+8
+5
+5
+7
+5
0 20 40 60 80 100
Tripura
Haryana
Mizoram
Punjab
Telengana
Gujarat
Maharashtra
Sikkim
Karnataka
Goa
Uttarakhand
Andhra Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Tamil Nadu
Kerala
Score
India:66
52
56
57
60
60
60
60
61
61
61
62
62
64
+2
+3
+2
+5
+7
+6
+3
+4
+5
+3
+4
+2
+4
0 20 40 60 80 100
Bihar
Jharkhand
Assam
Uttar Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Meghalaya
Rajasthan
Nagaland
Chhattisgarh
Odisha
Madhya Pradesh
West Bengal
Manipur
Score
India:66
Source: NITI Aayog
6.6 Figure 3 shows the performance of UTs on the NITI Aayog SDG India Index 2020-21, 
and change in score from 2019-20. Chandigarh (score of 79) retained its top rank amongst UTs 
in 2020-21 while Puducherry, Lakshadweep and Delhi (score of 68) ranked second. Puducherry 
made the highest gain (nine points) in 2020-21, followed by Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and 
Ladakh (seven points each).
Figure 3: Performance of UTs on the NITI Aayog SDG India Index 2020-21
62
66
66
67
68
68
68
79
+7
+7
+6
+7
+5
+2
+9
0 20 40 60 80 100
Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu
Ladakh
Jammu and Kashmir
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Delhi
Lakshadweep
Puducherry
Chandigarh
Score
India:66
Source: NITI Aayog
Note: Yellow indicates Performer (Score 50-64); Green indicates Front Runner (Score 65-99)