Y Kikheto Sema urges NITI Aayog to contextualise SDG indicators for Nagaland and the northeastern region at a workshop in Kolkata.
DIMAPUR — Principal Secretary and Development Commissioner Y Kikheto Sema highlighted the difficulties faced by Nagaland and the northeastern region during the National Workshop on SDG Budgeting held under the State Support Mission in Kolkata on September 29.
The workshop was organised by NITI Aayog and the United Nations Development Programme, and hosted by the Government of West Bengal, according to a DIPR report.
Kikheto highlighted the challenges of financial inclusion, which aligns with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). He noted that access to banking services is essential for the effective delivery of government welfare schemes, as benefits are linked to bank accounts.
However, 14 out of 76 blocks in Nagaland remain unbanked, with people in remote areas sometimes travelling 30 to 40 km to access banking services. He called upon the Government of India to consider providing appropriate financial support and exploring innovative mechanisms to improve the viability and accessibility of banking services in these underserved areas.
The development commissioner stressed the need to contextualise the SDG indicators used in the SDG India Index, published by NITI Aayog, to better reflect the realities of Nagaland and the northeastern region. He noted that the indicators on "Average yield of rice (kg/ha)" and "Productivity of fruits and vegetables (kg/ha)" under SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) may not fully reflect the agricultural context of the state.
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Nagaland is relatively untouched by the Green Revolution, and many farmers continue to practise jhum and shifting cultivation. Therefore, lower productivity should not, by itself, be interpreted as an indicator of food insecurity or poor agricultural performance. The indicator may need to be interpreted alongside local cropping patterns, nutritional outcomes, environmental sustainability, high-value crops, and farm incomes.
He also raised concerns regarding the indicator "Area under jhum cultivation as a percentage of total area under agriculture" under SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption & Production), for which the target is set at zero.
He pointed out that this target needs to be considered in the context of the hilly states of the region, stating that jhum is not merely an agricultural practice but is deeply rooted in the culture, traditions, and livelihoods of communities, with agricultural cycles closely associated with traditional festivals.
He underlined that jhum should not be assessed solely as a practice to be eliminated but should also be understood in terms of its ecological, cultural, and livelihood dimensions.
He further noted that Nagaland has eight agriculture and allied departments with agriculture professionals, yet indigenous farming systems, including jhum and shifting cultivation, are not adequately covered in agricultural education curricula, including within agricultural institutions in Nagaland.
Highlighting the resulting gap between agricultural education and the realities faced by farmers in the region, he called for greater inclusion of jhum and shifting cultivation in the curricula of agricultural colleges and institutions across the northeastern region to strengthen understanding, research, and context-specific approaches.
On nutrition under SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), Kikheto highlighted the need for contextual consideration of the indicator "Percentage of women (aged 15–49) whose Body Mass Index (BMI) is below 18.5".
He suggested examining whether a uniform BMI benchmark adequately captures nutritional status across diverse populations and whether region-specific evidence could be considered while interpreting the indicator. He further pointed out that the diverse geographical, cultural, and socio-economic contexts of the country require region-sensitive policies and programmes.
The national workshop brought together senior officers from 36 states and union territories, central ministries, the United Nations Development Programme, and other stakeholders to deliberate on integrating SDG budgeting into state planning and budgeting processes.
The Nagaland delegation was represented by Kikheto, Finance Commissioner and Commissioner and Secretary to the Chief Minister Kesonyu Yhome, and Assistant Planning Officer Loktimen Longchari.