Context:

• The second edition of the North Eastern Region District SDG Index 2023–24 was released by NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) on 7 July 2025.

Key Highlights:

• This index measures the progress of 123 districts across the North Eastern Region towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and helps in prioritizing policy interventions to promote regional development.
• The analysis focuses on the key features, performance, progress, challenges, and policy implications of the index.
• The first edition of the North Eastern Region District SDG Index was released in 2021–22.
• The index is designed to localize the 17 UN SDGs, which provide global guidelines for ending poverty, protecting the environment, and ensuring prosperity by 2030.

Objectives:

• Monitoring Progress: Measuring the performance of each district across 16 SDGs (excluding Goal 17).
• Policy Guidance: Identifying development gaps to prioritize effective policies.
• Collaborative Competition: Promoting healthy competition among districts.
• Localization: Providing a data-driven approach for implementing SDGs at the district level.

Top and Bottom Performing Districts:

• Hnahthial district in Mizoram ranked highest in the entire North Eastern region with a score of 81.43.
• Longding district in Arunachal Pradesh was the lowest performer with a score of 58.71.
• This highlights that regional disparities still exist, although several districts have shown remarkable improvement.

State-wise Highest and Lowest Scoring Districts: