​Most NE districts now ‘front runners’ in development goals: Niti Aayog report

India’s north-eastern region has shown significant progress in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs), with 85 per cent of its districts now categorised as ‘front runners’, according to the second edition of the NER District SDG Index released by NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) on Monday.

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Developed with UNDP’s support, the report tracks 121 districts across eight states on 84 indicators covering key areas, such as poverty, hunger, health, education, gender equality, clean water, and energy. In comparison to the first edition in 2021, where only 62 per cent of districts were front runners, the current edition marks a notable leap in performance.

The highest score was recorded by Hnahthial district in Mizoram (81.43), while Longding in Arunachal Pradesh scored the lowest (58.71).

According to the report, several districts have shown strong gains in basic services. In the fight against poverty (SDG 1), the number of front runner districts rose from 21 to 36, while those in the lowest ‘aspirant’ category dropped from 20 to just three.

For 'zero hunger' (SDG 2), 83 districts are now front runners, up from 49. Notable gains were also seen in health, education, and gender equality.

Government schemes such as Jal Jeevan Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission have significantly improved access to water and sanitation, pushing 114 districts into the front runner category under SDG 6. Clean energy access has also doubled the number of perfect-scoring districts from seven to 14.

However, the report highlights areas needing urgent attention. Districts performing well on reduced inequalities (SDG 10) declined from 59 to 43, while those in the bottom tier rose to 33. Similar setbacks were seen in responsible consumption and climate action.

Officials say improved data and development schemes have driven the progress, but sustained efforts are needed to close gaps and lift underperforming districts to national standards.