Uttarakhand and Kerala have claimed the top spots among Indian states in NITI Aayog’s SDG India Index for 2023-24, which evaluates sustainable development progress based on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. India’s overall SDG score has improved to 71 points in 2023-24 from 66 points in 2020-21, bolstered by advancements in poverty reduction, economic growth, and climate action. The index, which assesses achievements across 16 goals on a scale of 1 to 100, awarded Kerala and Uttarakhand the highest scores of 79 points each. Bihar ranked lowest with 57 points, followed by Jharkhand at 62 points.