General Studies Paper-3

Context

• India has, for the first time, secured a position among the top 100 countries in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index.

About

• The Sustainable Development Report (SDR) reviews progress made each year on the Sustainable Development Goals since their adoption by the 193 UN Member States in 2015.
• This edition also includes for the first time an assessment of which countries have made the most progress on the SDGs using a headline SDG Index (SDGi).

Major Highlights

• Global Commitment through Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs): 190 out of 193 UN member states have participated in the VNR process since the adoption of Agenda 2030.
• Regional Trends in SDG Progress: East and South Asia is the fastest progressing region since 2015.
  • Drivers of progress: Rapid improvements in socioeconomic indicators.
• Top Performers in SDG Index: Finland, Sweden and Denmark hold the top three positions.
  • 19 out of the top 20 performers are European countries.
  • Challenges remain even for top countries — particularly in climate action and biodiversity goals.
• India ranked 99th out of 167 nations.
  • It places India with a score of 67 on the SDG Index, a significant improvement from its 109th rank in 2024.
  • Since the adoption of the SDGs, India has steadily improved its standing: it ranked 112th in 2023, 121st in 2022, and 120th in 2021.
• Among India’s neighbours, China ranks 49th (74.4), Bhutan ranks 74th (70.5), Nepal 85th (68.6), Bangladesh 114th (63.9), and Pakistan 140th (57).
  • Maritime neighbours Maldives and Sri Lanka stand at 53rd and 93rd places respectively.
• Global SDG Progress Remains Off-Track: None of the 17 SDGs are currently on track to be achieved globally by 2030.
  • Only 17% of SDG targets are on track worldwide.
  • Major obstacles: Conflicts, structural vulnerabilities, limited fiscal space.
• Notable progress seen in: SDG 3 (Health): Under-5 and neonatal mortality.
  • SDG 7: Access to electricity.
  • SDG 9: Mobile broadband use and internet access.
• It identified five areas of significant regression since 2015: obesity rates (SDG 2), press freedom (SDG 16), sustainable nitrogen management (SDG 2), the Red List Index measuring biodiversity loss (SDG 15), and the Corruption Perceptions Index (SDG 16).
• UN-Based Multilateralism Index (UN-Mi): Barbados ranks 1st – most committed to UN-based multilateralism.
  • The United States ranks last, following the withdrawal from Paris Climate Agreement (2025), Exit from World Health Organization (WHO) and Formal opposition to SDGs and Agenda 2030.
• Fiscal Constraints in Developing Countries: Around 50% of the global population lives in countries lacking fiscal capacity to invest in sustainable development.
  • Global public goods (like climate protection, global health, peace) remain underfunded.

Recommendations

• Need for Reform in Global Financial Architecture (GFA) as the current GFA favors wealthy nations with easier capital access.
• Proposes practical reforms to boost and align global financing toward SDGs and public goods.