As per Social Progress Index, released in December, 2022, which of the following are on top three positions in very high social progress in Tier-I?
- (a)Pondicherry, Lakshadweep and Goa
- (b)Mizoram, Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh
- (c)Kerala, Nagaland and Meghalaya
- (d)None of the above
Correct — A, Pondicherry, Lakshadweep and Goa. The Social Progress Index (States and Districts of India), released in December 2022 by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) with the Institute for Competitiveness, grouped states/UTs into tiers. In Tier-1 (‘Very High Social Progress’), the top three scorers were Puducherry (Pondicherry) 65.99, Lakshadweep 65.89 and Goa 65.53. So the top three are Pondicherry, Lakshadweep and Goa.
- (b)Mizoram, Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh — These are strong social-progress performers in India, but they were not the top three of Tier-1 in the December 2022 index — Puducherry, Lakshadweep and Goa led the list.
- (c)Kerala, Nagaland and Meghalaya — Kerala scores highly on social indicators, but this trio was not the top-three combination in Tier-1 of the December 2022 Social Progress Index.
- (d)None of the above — Incorrect — option (a) exactly matches the top three Tier-1 states/UTs, so ‘None of the above’ cannot be right.
The Social Progress Index (SPI) measures a country’s or region’s social and environmental performance independent of economic (GDP) indicators, across three broad dimensions — Basic Human Needs, Foundations of Wellbeing and Opportunity. India’s state-and-district SPI was published in December 2022 by the EAC-PM and the Institute for Competitiveness, ranking states/UTs into tiers from Tier-1 (Very High) downward.
This is a current-affairs data-recall fact. All four options list respectable states/UTs, so elimination needs the specific December 2022 result — the small Union Territories of Puducherry and Lakshadweep, plus Goa, topped Tier-1. Note ‘Pondicherry’ in the option is the older name for Puducherry.
- India’s Social Progress Index (states/districts) was released in December 2022 by EAC-PM with the Institute for Competitiveness.
- Tier-1 ‘Very High Social Progress’ top three: Puducherry (65.99), Lakshadweep (65.89), Goa (65.53).
- SPI measures social and environmental outcomes independently of GDP.
- Its three dimensions are Basic Human Needs, Foundations of Wellbeing, and Opportunity.
The three Tier-1 (‘Very High Social Progress’) leaders — exactly option (a).
- Confusing SPI with the SDG India Index or HDI, which have different toppers
- Assuming a large developed state leads — small UTs (Puducherry, Lakshadweep) topped Tier-1
UPSC/UPPSC ask which agency released an index, or which states/UTs top or bottom a named index in a given year.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
India’s Social Progress Index (States and Districts) released in December 2022 was prepared by the Institute for Competitiveness along with which body?
- (a)NITI Aayog
- (b)Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM)
- (c)Reserve Bank of India
- (d)Ministry of Statistics
Answer(b) Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) — it released the index in December 2022.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The Social Progress Index primarily measures which of the following?
- (a)Per-capita GDP growth
- (b)Social and environmental wellbeing independent of economic output
- (c)Stock-market performance
- (d)Foreign-exchange reserves
Answer(b) Social and environmental wellbeing independent of economic output — that is the SPI’s defining feature.