Assessing Odisha’s Sustainable Development: A comprehensive analysis of the SDG India Index

Abstract

The Sustainable Development Goals, often known as the SDGs, address a wide variety of issues, such as ending poverty, promoting gender equality, utilizing renewable energy, creating sustainable cities and communities, and combating climate change. These objectives were accepted by all UN member nations in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and they are believed to be a worldwide call to action to eradicate poverty, safeguard the planet and guarantee that all people experience peace and prosperity. An important policy monitoring instrument for measuring India's progress towards the SDGs is the SDG India Index, created by NITI Aayog. The index evaluates how well Indian states and union territories are doing in relation to 16 SDGs, which are further broken down into 54 categories.A wide range of topics are covered by the 16 objectives, including renewable energy, sustainable cities and communities, water and sanitation, education, health and well-being, and others. The study attempts to scrutinize the performance of Odisha and India in terms of achievements made SDG attainment. The study's comparative analysis is based on data from 16 targets that NITI Aayog has published. According to the SDG India Index 2020-21 Odisha was ranked as the Performer state in India, with a score of 58 out of 100 and is among the top 16 states in India. Odisha was specially mentioned among the top three States in overall improvement and among the fastest Movers, from 2018 to 2019. Odisha stands second in overall improvement, with an increase of 7 points, from 51 to 58. Goal 9 has contributed mostly to the rise with a jump of 40 points. Goals 6 and 7 follow, with an increase of 39 and 27 points, respectively. The state performed particularly well in the areas of Employment under MGNREGA (%), Children under age 5 years stunted (%), Annual production of rice, wheat, coarse cereals (Kg/Ha), Maternal Mortality Ratio (1,00,000 live births), Under 5 mortality rate (1000 live births), Case notification rate of TB (1,00,000 persons), Avg. annual dropout rate at secondary level (%), Seats won by women in State Legislative Assembly (%), Rural households with individual household toilets (%), Districts verified to be ODF (%), Households electrified (%), Habitations connected by all-weather roads under PMGSY(%), Mobile Tele density (100 population), Internet subscribers (100 population), Houses completed under PMAY (%), Wards with 100% door to door waste collection (%), Waste processed (%), Reported cognizable crimes against children (1 lakh population) and Births registered (%). However, there is still a long way to go for Odisha and the rest of India to achieve the SDGs by 2030. The SDG India Index provides a useful roadmap for policymakers to identify areas where progress is lagging and take corrective action to accelerate progress towards achieving the SDGs.