New Delhi.  The country's overall performance in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is constantly improving, but our performance in eliminating income inequality and other inequalities seems to be weak. Compared to the year 2018, the parameters of various types of inequality have increased.

The country has done a lot of work in the field of poverty alleviation and the SDG score in this area has increased from 54 in 2018 to 72 in 2023-24. But the increase in the SDG score in the performance of providing balanced and nutritious food has been very slow. In 2018, India's score in Zero Hunger, which includes the parameter of balanced and nutritious food, was 48, which could only increase to 52 in 2023-24.

Latest SDG report released

The latest report of SDG was released by NITI Aayog on Friday. According to the report, India's total SDG score was 71 in the year 2023-24, which was only 57 in the year 2018 (base year). The total score of SDG is decided on the basis of the score obtained in 16 different parameters.

These include elimination of poverty, zero hunger, good health, good education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean fuel, decent work and economic growth, innovation and infrastructure development, reduction of inequality, city and community development, responsible production and consumption, action to curb climate change, life on earth, peace, justice and development of strong institutions.

Uttarakhand and Kerala remained ahead

According to the report, Uttarakhand and Kerala performed the best among the states in terms of achieving SDGs, scoring 79-79 marks. Bihar lagged behind by scoring only 57 marks. Uttar Pradesh scored 67 marks. Among the Union Territories, Chandigarh topped by scoring 77 marks. Delhi remained at the fifth position with 70 marks.

According to the report, the country's performance in reducing inequality has weakened. In 2018, India's score in reducing inequality was 71, which decreased to 65 in 2023-24. NITI Aayog CEO B.V. R. Samubrahmanyam said that income inequality is also included in the inequality parameter. He said that a lot of work is still needed to eliminate inequality. The performance of many states was poor in this matter, due to which the score has decreased.

The inequality parameter includes income inequality, representation of Scheduled Castes and Tribes in Legislative Assembly, participation of women in institutions like Panchayati Raj, inequality between men and women in professional and technical works. Subrahmanyan said that our performance in the matter of balanced and nutritious food has not been good because even now 32.10 percent children below the age of five are underweight. 35.50 percent children are short in height. The body mass index of women in the age of 15-49 is less than 18.5.