Telangana tops in poverty eradication: NITI Ayog
Telangana has climbed sharply in India’s current rankings for poverty eradication under the NITI Aayog’s SDG India Index 2023-24, emerging as a standout performer in Goal 1 (No Poverty). Scoring 91 out of 100, the state is now ranked second nationally in this goal, narrowly trailing Tamil Nadu, which leads with a 92.
This rise is not just numerical; it signals substantial shifts in the social protection, welfare coverage, and living conditions of vulnerable populations in Telangana. From previous scores and lower rankings, the state has made measurable progress. In the 2020-21 SDG Index, for instance, Telangana was far lower; the state’s positioning for “No Poverty” was much less favourable. The improvement reflects ongoing efforts in welfare schemes, health coverage, and inclusive policies.
What the SDG Index reveals
The SDG India Index 2023-24, published by NITI Aayog with contributions from UNDP and other agencies, tracks India’s performance on 113 indicators aligned to the National Indicator Framework (NIF) covering 16 Sustainable Development Goals.
For Goal 1 (No Poverty), the nation’s score has increased from 60 in 2020-21 to 72 in 2023-24. States are classified into categories like ‘Aspirant’, ‘Performer’, ‘Front Runner’, and ‘Achiever’ based on their scores. Telangana has now firmly placed among the stronger performers in the ‘Front Runner’ category for this goal. Some of the indicators contributing to these improvements include the proportion of households under social protection schemes, health insurance coverage, and efforts to reduce multidimensional poverty.
Telangana’s path - What’s changed on ground
While the SDG Index does not provide exhaustive detail for each individual state in the public summary, supplementary data and reports point to several prongs of action in Telangana that may have driven the rise:
Expansion of Health Insurance / Scheme Coverage: A higher fraction of poor and vulnerable households in Telangana are now covered under government schemes and health insurance. This reduces out-of-pocket health expenditure and serves as a safety net.
Welfare Schemes and Social Protection: Central and state government programmes aimed at housing, clean energy, nutrition, and direct support to low-income households have had better outreach.
Economic Growth Paired with Inclusion: Telangana’s growth over recent years appears to be translating more fully into poverty alleviation than in some other states meaning that vulnerable populations are sharing in the gains, not being left behind.
Broader trends - India’s SDG progress
Telangana’s rise is part of a larger national trend: India’s overall composite SDG score climbed to 71 in 2023-24, up from 66 in 2020-21. Among all 16 Goals, Goal 1 (No Poverty), Goal 8 (Decent Work & Economic Growth), and Goal 13 (Climate Action) show some of the largest gains. States and UTs across the country have shown improvement in their SDG Index scores; many that were earlier in lower categories have moved into the “Front Runner” category.
Challenges & what still needs work
Despite the encouraging trajectory, there are caveats and areas where further work is needed:
Multidimensional Poverty: Reduced poverty in multiple dimensions (education, health, standard of living) still remains uneven. Some areas, particularly rural and remote zones, lag behind. Nationally, multidimensional poverty remains a concern.
Data Gaps & Indicator Challenges: While progress has been strong, some SDG indicators are not yet measured with full consistency in all states. Data collection, quality, and timeliness remain challenges.
Ensuring Sustainable Gains: Economic shocks, climate stress, inflation, and disruptions (like pandemics) pose risks that gains can be fragile unless institutions and policies are robust. Maintaining and scaling up social protection and welfare systems is essential.
What should be expected going forward
The findings from the SDG India Index 2023-24 suggest the following lines of action:
1. Strengthen Local & District-level Interventions: More granular tracking to ensure that poorer blocks/districts and vulnerable communities are not left behind.
2. Bolster Social Protection Systems: Expand coverage, streamline delivery, and ensure awareness so that households can claim entitlements.
3. Health Access and Financial Risk Protection: Continue expanding insurance and health scheme enrolment, reduce out-of-pocket costs.
4. Monitor and Address Non-Income Deprivations: Education, nutrition, sanitation, and access to basic services must improve in quality, not just availability.
5. Resilience & Sustainability: Include measures to withstand economic, environmental, and health shocks for example, through climate-adapted infrastructure, food security, and emergency support.
Telangana’s leap to second place among Indian states on the “No Poverty” goal is a significant achievement, marking not just better statistics but lives uplifted. It demonstrates that deliberate welfare policy, institutional outreach, and improved social security systems can yield visible results. If these gains are preserved, deepened, and made more inclusive, then the momentum may bring India closer to its SDG target of eradicating extreme poverty by 2030. The NITI Aayog SDG India Index 2023-24 acts not only as a scoreboard but as a roadmap one which Telangana, along with other leading states, appears to be following more effectively than ever before.