No time to rest: on India's ranking and the Sustainable Development Report
India has been ranked among the top 100 countries in the Sustainable Development Report for the first time since this data began to be published by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) since 2016. The SDSN is an independent body under the aegis of the UN, whose publications are tracked by policymakers and governments. In 2016, India was ranked 110th out of 157 countries, making steady progress to reach 99 this year out of an expanded basket of 167 nations with better metrics and more granular comparisons. But it is no time to rest on this laurel. India must look at why this incline, by 11 points, was not achieved any sooner and the gaps to focus on. From a developmental perspective, the SDSN ranks India as having fared better in poverty reduction (SDG 1) even as India's poverty estimation continues to be mired in controversy due to a lack of publicly available consumption expenditure data since 2018 and the poverty line (Rangarajan line ~₹33/day rural, ₹47/day urban) not having been updated. Proxy data suggest a considerable poverty reduction, almost halving between 2012 (22% based on NSSO data) and 2023 (World Bank – 12%).
But SDG 2 (zero hunger) has remained a cause for concern. It also reveals the wide disparity between income groups and rural and urban areas on access to a nutritious diet. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) estimates that over a third of Indians (35.5%) were stunted (NFHS-5, 2019-21), only marginally better than 38.4% (NFHS-4, 2015-16). Similarly, wasting, which is low weight for height, reduced from 21.0% to 19.3%. Obesity in the working age population (15-49 years) has almost doubled between 2006 and 2021, and concentrated in wealthier urban areas. Electricity access (SDG 7) is another indicator where India has done well. While the country has achieved near universal household electrification in the past two decades, the quality of power and duration vary vastly based on regions and urban/rural fault lines. It is, however, laudable that India today ranks as the fourth largest renewables capacity deployer, mainly solar and wind. And while India has bettered its score in infrastructure provision (SDG 9), noteworthy additions being rapid mobile penetration and financial inclusion through UPI-linked digital payments gateways, COVID-19 revealed the stark difference between rural and urban Internet penetration, which must be addressed to achieve even higher educational outcomes (SDG 4). It is telling, however, that throughout the Modi years, India's performance in governance, the rule of law, press freedom and strong and independent institutions (SDG 16) has been lagging.
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The Hindu
5 hours ago
- The Hindu
No time to rest: on India's ranking and the Sustainable Development Report
India has been ranked among the top 100 countries in the Sustainable Development Report for the first time since this data began to be published by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) since 2016. The SDSN is an independent body under the aegis of the UN, whose publications are tracked by policymakers and governments. In 2016, India was ranked 110th out of 157 countries, making steady progress to reach 99 this year out of an expanded basket of 167 nations with better metrics and more granular comparisons. But it is no time to rest on this laurel. India must look at why this incline, by 11 points, was not achieved any sooner and the gaps to focus on. From a developmental perspective, the SDSN ranks India as having fared better in poverty reduction (SDG 1) even as India's poverty estimation continues to be mired in controversy due to a lack of publicly available consumption expenditure data since 2018 and the poverty line (Rangarajan line ~₹33/day rural, ₹47/day urban) not having been updated. Proxy data suggest a considerable poverty reduction, almost halving between 2012 (22% based on NSSO data) and 2023 (World Bank – 12%). But SDG 2 (zero hunger) has remained a cause for concern. It also reveals the wide disparity between income groups and rural and urban areas on access to a nutritious diet. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) estimates that over a third of Indians (35.5%) were stunted (NFHS-5, 2019-21), only marginally better than 38.4% (NFHS-4, 2015-16). Similarly, wasting, which is low weight for height, reduced from 21.0% to 19.3%. Obesity in the working age population (15-49 years) has almost doubled between 2006 and 2021, and concentrated in wealthier urban areas. Electricity access (SDG 7) is another indicator where India has done well. While the country has achieved near universal household electrification in the past two decades, the quality of power and duration vary vastly based on regions and urban/rural fault lines. It is, however, laudable that India today ranks as the fourth largest renewables capacity deployer, mainly solar and wind. And while India has bettered its score in infrastructure provision (SDG 9), noteworthy additions being rapid mobile penetration and financial inclusion through UPI-linked digital payments gateways, COVID-19 revealed the stark difference between rural and urban Internet penetration, which must be addressed to achieve even higher educational outcomes (SDG 4). It is telling, however, that throughout the Modi years, India's performance in governance, the rule of law, press freedom and strong and independent institutions (SDG 16) has been lagging.
News18
6 hours ago
- News18
WHO Says All Hypotheses Still Open On Covid-19 Origins: 'We Haven't Yet Answered...'
The WHO said Covid-19's origins are inconclusive, with natural spillover and lab leak theories possible. The World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledged that the origins of the Covid pandemic remain inconclusive saying that all hypotheses- including a natural spillover and a laboratory leak- are still on the table. The UN health agency reiterated that a lack of critical data, particularly from China, even four years after the initial outbreak of Covid-19 has hampered efforts to determine how SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, first entered the human population. The pandemic has so far claimed an estimated 20 million lives globally. 'Until further requests for information are met, or more scientific data becomes available, the origins of SARS-CoV-2 and how it entered the human population will remain inconclusive," Marietjie Venter, chair of the WHO's Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO), said. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that while progress had been made in understanding the virus, determining its origin remained 'a moral imperative" for the millions who lost their lives. He said, 'Over the past five years, we have learned a lot about Covid-19 but there is one crucial question about the pandemic that we have not yet answered: how it started." China Has Not Shared Data, WHO Director Reveals The WHO Director revealed that despite repeated requests, China had not shared hundreds of viral sequences from early Covid-19 cases or provided full data on animals sold in Wuhan's wet markets or research conducted at virology labs in the area. He said, 'WHO is also aware of intelligence reports performed by other governments around the world on the origins of Covid-19. We have also requested access to those reports." 'We continue to urge China to share the data that we requested, and to support further studies to investigate the origins of Covid-19," Tedros said. Lab Leak Theory Not Ruled Out The first WHO-led team visited Wuhan in early 2021 and concluded in a joint report with Chinese counterparts that the virus most likely spread from bats to humans via an intermediate animal host. Marietjie Venter said that key data needed to assess the lab leak theory had not been made available and thus 'it could not be investigated or excluded." Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published: June 27, 2025, 22:28 IST
New Indian Express
10 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Low birthweight remains high in Maharashtra despite economic progress
CHENNAI: India has made steady progress in reducing the number of babies born with low birthweight over the past 30 years, but some states—particularly Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, and West Bengal—continue to account for nearly half of all such births, according to new research published in BMJ Global Health. Curiously, despite its overall progress, Maharashtra's low birthweight rates are on par with economically weaker states — and even higher than those in West Bengal. Together, these four states — Uttar Pradesh (858,000), Bihar (430,000), Maharashtra (399,000), and West Bengal (318,000) — accounted for 47% of all low birthweight cases in India. These same states also reported the highest number of babies born "smaller than average" as assessed by mothers. Why Low Birthweight Matters Babies born with low birthweight (less than 2.5 kg) are at a higher risk of poor cognitive development, chronic diseases later in life, and complications linked to poor maternal health and nutrition. Researchers, who prepared the BMJ paper, used data from five rounds of India's National Family Health Survey (1992–2021), covering more than 626,000 births.
