According to NITI Aayog's SDG India Index 2020, how are the different categories of States' performance in Sustainable Development Goals defined on the basis of index score range?
- (a)Aspirant : 100, Performer : 65 – 99, Front-runner : 50 – 64, Achiever : 0 – 49
- (b)Aspirant : 0 – 49, Performer : 50 – 64, Front-runner : 65 – 99, Achiever : 100
- (c)Aspirant : 50 – 64, Performer : 65 – 99, Front-runner : 0 – 49, Achiever : 100
- (d)Aspirant : 65 – 99, Performer : 50 – 64, Front-runner : 0 – 49, Achiever : 100
Correct — B. NITI Aayog's SDG India Index classifies States/UTs into four performance categories by their composite score (0-100): Aspirant (0-49) for the lowest scorers, Performer (50-64), Front-Runner (65-99), and Achiever (a perfect score of 100) at the top.
- (a)Aspirant : 100, Performer : 65 – 99, Front-runner : 50 – 64, Achiever : 0 – 49 — Inverts the entire scale — it assigns the top score (100) to 'Aspirant' (the lowest category) and the lowest range (0-49) to 'Achiever' (the highest category).
- (c)Aspirant : 50 – 64, Performer : 65 – 99, Front-runner : 0 – 49, Achiever : 100 — Shuffles the middle two labels — 'Performer' and 'Front-Runner' are swapped relative to their correct score ranges.
- (d)Aspirant : 65 – 99, Performer : 50 – 64, Front-runner : 0 – 49, Achiever : 100 — Reverses the low end of the scale — it places 'Aspirant' (meant to be the lowest band, 0-49) at 65-99, and 'Front-runner' at 0-49.
NITI Aayog publishes the SDG India Index annually to measure how States and Union Territories are progressing on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, using indicators mapped to each goal to produce one composite score (0-100) per State/UT. States are then grouped into four ordered performance categories by that composite score.
MPPSC/UPSC test the exact numeric boundaries of such NITI Aayog classification scales — the four category names (Aspirant, Performer, Front-Runner, Achiever) are easy to remember, but examiners test whether a student can correctly pair each name to its score band, not just recall the names.
- The SDG India Index gives each State/UT a composite score from 0 to 100, built from indicators tied to the Sustainable Development Goals.
- Aspirant: score 0-49 (the lowest-performing category).
- Performer: score 50-64.
- Front-Runner: score 65-99.
- Achiever: score of exactly 100 (a perfect composite score).
The official NITI Aayog SDG India Index scale — score climbs from Aspirant (lowest) to Achiever (a perfect 100).
- Reversing the direction of the scale — assuming the highest-sounding category name pairs with the lowest score range, or vice versa
- Memorising the four category names without anchoring each precisely to its score boundary
MPPSC/UPSC test the exact numeric boundaries of NITI Aayog's classification scales — lock the label-to-range pairing precisely rather than recalling the names alone.
No directly related past UPSC PYQ was found on NITI Aayog's SDG India Index or its score-based state performance categories.
- practice — not a real PYQ
NITI Aayog's SDG India Index is published to track States'/UTs' progress on:
- (a)The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
- (b)State-wise GDP growth rate alone
- (c)The Ease of Doing Business ranking
- (d)The Human Development Index alone
Answer(a) The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- practice — not a real PYQ
As per the SDG India Index, a State/UT scoring in the range of 65-99 is classified as:
- (a)Aspirant
- (b)Performer
- (c)Front-Runner
- (d)Achiever
Answer(c) Front-Runner.