Which one of the following States ranked first on Sustainable Development Goal India Index, 2020-21 released by NITI Aayog?

Correct — C, Kerala. Kerala took first place among the States in the SDG India Index 2020-21, the third edition, released by NITI Aayog in June 2021. It had also topped the two earlier editions, and its lead comes from the goals on health, education, water and sanitation, where its long record on social indicators shows up directly in the scoring. Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu came next, closely behind, and Bihar was at the bottom of the State list.

• (a)Himachal Pradesh — Second in that edition, a point behind Kerala, and a consistent front runner across the editions — which is exactly what makes it the strongest distractor.
• (b)Tamil Nadu — Level with Himachal Pradesh in second place, and a strong performer on the health and industry goals, but not first.
• (d)Goa — A front runner in the index but placed well below the leading group in this edition. Small size and a high per capita income do not by themselves lift a composite score built from seventeen goals.

The SDG India Index scores every State and Union Territory on the Sustainable Development Goals, using indicators drawn from the national indicator framework and reported through the government's own statistical machinery. A composite score out of 100 is built from the goal-wise scores, and the units are then sorted into bands — Aspirant, Performer, Front Runner and Achiever. Because it is compiled by NITI Aayog rather than by an outside body, its main value is as a comparison across States and over time.

Index questions are answered by holding the top and the bottom of each list rather than the whole ranking. For this edition it is Kerala at the top and Bihar at the bottom, with Chandigarh leading the Union Territories. The position has moved since — in the 2023-24 edition Kerala shared first place with Uttarakhand — so the year in the stem is doing real work and should never be ignored.

• The SDG India Index 2020-21 was released by NITI Aayog in June 2021 and was the third edition.
• Kerala scored highest among the States; Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu followed.
• Bihar was last among the States, and Chandigarh led the Union Territories.
• The scoring bands are Aspirant, Performer, Front Runner and Achiever.
• Kerala shared the top position with Uttarakhand in the 2023-24 edition, so the ranking is not fixed.

• Answering from the most recent edition when the stem names an earlier one.
• Assuming a rich State must lead a composite index built from seventeen goals.

An index-ranking item where the edition year in the stem is the whole question.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  The SDG India Index is prepared by

  • (a)NITI Aayog
  • (b)The Reserve Bank of India
  • (c)The United Nations Development Programme alone
  • (d)The Ministry of Finance

  Answer(a) NITI Aayog — it compiles the index using the national indicator framework.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Which of these is a scoring band used in the SDG India Index?

  • (a)Front Runner
  • (b)Fast Mover
  • (c)Trailblazer
  • (d)Emerging Star

  Answer(a) Front Runner — the four bands are Aspirant, Performer, Front Runner and Achiever.