Manipur lagging in NER District SDG Index 2023-24
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 08 2025: Districts in the state have fallen behind those of Sikkim, Mizoram, and Tripura in the latest North Eastern Region (NER) District Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index 2023-24, released by NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MoDoNER) on Monday.

Among Manipur's districts, Imphal West topped the list with a score of 73.21, while Pherzawl ranked lowest at 59.71 .

The performance range of over 13 points reflects a noticeable development gap within the state.

None of the state's districts made it to the top in the NER rankings, with Mizoram, Tripura, and Nagaland dominating the upper positions, while Manipur's foremost district Imphal West ranks at 24 .

The report, prepared with technical support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), assesses 121 districts across eight northeastern states using indicators aligned with the global SDGs .

Based on their composite scores, districts are categorised as Achiever, Front Runner, Performer, or Aspirant.

While all of Manipur's districts fall within the Front Runner and Performer categories, the state has not achieved uniformity in performance, unlike Sikkim, Mizoram, and Tripura, where all districts have achieved Front Runner status.

Mizoram's Hnahthial district ranked first in the NER with a score of 81.43, followed by Champhai at 79.86.Tripura's Gomati district secured the third spot with 78.79 .

Sikkim's narrow score gap of just 5.5 points between its highest and lowest scoring districts indicates consistent development across the state, while Tripura shows a similarly small variation of 6.5 points.

In contrast, Manipur continues to grapple with uneven development.

The report identifies the lack of progress in certain districts as a concern that could hinder the state's ability to meet the 2030 SDG targets.

The gap between relatively better-performing districts like Imphal West and those lagging behind like Pherzawl highlights the need for targeted interventions and more balanced development planning.

The SDG Index, first introduced in August 2021, has become a vital policy tool for guiding data-driven decision-making and resource allocation in North East.

It helps measure progress across social, economic, and environmental dimensions at the district level, promoting inclusive growth.

The findings suggested that Manipur must accelerate its efforts to bridge regional disparities and improve consistency in development outcomes across districts.

With several northeastern states showing strong performances, the report underlines the growing need for Manipur to localise and strengthen SDG implementation if it hopes to keep pace with its regional counterparts.

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