India's SDG Struggle: Uneven and Slow Progress Casts Shadow on 2030 Deadline

India is falling short in nine of 16 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), trailing global averages and ranking 109th out of 167 countries, according to the Centre for Science and Environment's (CSE) State of States: Are We on Track to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals 2030, released this week at the Anil Agarwal Dialogue 2025.

- V KRISHNA CHAITANYA @ Alwar

The report, drawing from the Sustainable Development Report 2024 by Dublin University, NITI Aayog's SDG India Index 2023-24, and the Report of the Technical Group on Population Projections 2011-2036 by the National Commission on Population, paints a mixed picture for the nation of over 1.4 billion.

Tamil Nadu shines at third place with a score of 78 but lags in 19 of 108 indicators—18%—across 12 SDGs, reflecting India's broader battle to meet the 2030 deadline.

Nationally, India's SDG score rose from 66 in 2020-21 to 71 in 2023-24, showing some progress. Yet, the CSE report flags stagnation since 2020 in SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 15 (Life on Land).

SDG 1 (No Poverty) is the lone bright spot, with multidimensional poverty—covering health, education, and living standards—down to 14.96%. Still, Bihar (34) and Arunachal Pradesh (below 50) lagged, eight states like UP scored 50-64, and a key measure—extreme poverty below $1.25 daily—was dropped in 2023-24, leaving gaps in the data.

The report warns that, globally, no SDG will be met by 2030 at this pace, with India's 2019-2022 decline only slightly offset in 2023.

Tamil Nadu, projected to exceed 76 million people by 2036, ranks third behind Kerala and Uttarakhand. Its score of 78 beats the national 71, earning 'front runner' status (65-99) in 13 of 17 SDGs.