Poor performance in ensuring quality education, gender equality
100% score on affordable energy, responsible consumption
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 3: The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh have performed well in NITI Aayog’s Sustainable Development Goal India Index 2020-21, which was released by the National Institution for Transforming India today.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) constituted through an unprecedented consultative process have 17 sub-goals and 169 related targets to be achieved by 2030 and the Index for SDGs evaluates progress of States and Union Territories on social, economic and environmental parameters.
The Index, developed in collaboration with the United Nations in India, measures the progress at the national and sub-national level in the country’s journey towards meeting the global goals and targets.
Of the 15 goals applicable to the newly created Union Territories, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have been categorized as Front Runner in respect of 8 goals, Performer in 3 goals and Achiever in respect of one goal. However, in three goals the performance of both the Union Territories has been ranked as Aspirant (unsatisfactory).
As per the NITI Aayog’s data assessed by EXCELSIOR, the performance of J&K and Ladakh Union Territories is dismal in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in the field of ensuring quality education and enrolment ratio in elementary education, general equality/women in managerial positions and industry, innovation and infrastructure.
As far as Goal No.1 (No poverty), which has six indicators including percentage of population living below the national poverty line, is concerned, the J&K has scored 69 points while as Ladakh 79 points as such both the UTs have been categorized as Front Runner.
In Goal No.2 (Zero Hunger), which has seven indicators like percentage of beneficiaries covered under National Food Security Act and percentage of children under five years who are underweight, the J&K and Ladakh UTs have secured 71 points and have been rated as Front Runner.
Both the UTs have also secured 70 points and have been rated as Front Runner in Goal No.3 (Good Health and Well-Being) under which there are nine indicators like Maternal Mortality Rate. As far as Goal No.4, which pertains to quality education, both the UTs have secured 49 points each as such have been categorized as Aspirant, which means the performance is far less than being satisfactory.
In Goal No.5 (Gender Equality), the performance of both the UTs has been categorized as Aspirant (not up to the mark) as they have secured 46 points each. As far as Clean Water and Sanitation (Goal No.6) is concerned, J&K has secured 88 points and Ladakh 84 as such both have been categorized as Front Runner. Under this goal, the main indicators are percentage of rural population getting safe and adequate drinking water within the premises through pipe water supply and percentage of individual household toilets constructed against the target.
The only Goal under which both the UTs have been ranked as Achiever by getting 100 points each pertains to affordable and clean energy and this indicates that all the households in J&K and Ladakh have been electrified.
As far as Goal No.8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) is concerned, J&K has been declared as Aspirant by securing merely 47 points while as Ladakh has been categorized as Performer as it has secured 59 points. Annual Growth Rate of GDP, Ease of Doing Business and Unemployment are among the key indicators under this SDG.
About the Goal No.9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), the NITI Aayog data indicates that neither J&K nor Ladakh has performed well as they have secured 42 and 48 points respectively. As far as Goal No.10 (Reduced Inequalities) is concerned, J&K and Ladakh UTs have secured 65 points each as such have been rated as Front Runner.
These UTs have been categorized as Performer under Goal No.11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) for securing 57 points each. About Goal No.12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), the NITI Aayog has placed both the UTs in the category of Front Runner for securing 95 points each.
While J&K has been categorized as Performer for securing 63 points, Ladakh has been rated as Front Runner under Goal No.13, which pertains to climate action. J&K and Ladakh UTs performance has been rated as Performer under Goal No.15, which pertains to quality of life on land.
As far as Goal of Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions is concerned, both the UTs have secured 74 points as such have been categorized as Front Runner. The data reveals that there are 6.6 % cases under Prevention of Corruption Act and related Sections of Indian Penal Code per 10 lakh population.
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