Nagaland urges UNDP to adopt a context-sensitive approach to SDG assessment, citing data gaps, traditional practices and regional disparities affecting the State’s ranking.
DIMAPUR — Principal Secretary and Development Commissioner Y Kikheto Sema has urged the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to adopt a more context-sensitive approach while assessing Nagaland’s performance under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), stating that a “one-size-fits-all” approach may not adequately reflect the State’s socio-economic, geographical and cultural realities.
Sema made the remarks during a coordination meeting with Jaimon Uthup, Policy Specialist, UNDP, the STG cell and officials of the Planning department at the Nagaland Civil Secretariat, Kohima, on Friday.
The meeting was held in the context of strengthening the Viksit Nagaland 2047 vision framework and reviewing factors behind Nagaland’s low ranking in the 2024 SDG assessment.
According to a DIPR report, Sema said the state was taking concerted steps to improve its SDG performance through greater inter-departmental coordination and by addressing gaps in data reporting.
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He identified inadequate awareness among departments about timely SDG-related data submission as a major reason for the State’s low performance.
Several departments had either failed to submit accurate data or had not uploaded required information on designated dashboards and portals, resulting in indicators being recorded as “zero” or “unreported”.
Sema also highlighted practical difficulties in collecting data at the grassroots level. In some areas, Anganwadi workers previously lacked smartphones and other devices needed to upload information to government portals.
Training and capacity-building initiatives are now being undertaken to address these challenges.
The Development Commissioner stressed that SDG indicators should take Nagaland’s distinct circumstances into account. Citing agricultural productivity measured in kilograms per hectare, he said some indicators may not fully reflect the state’s traditional and shifting cultivation practices, which involve limited use of chemical fertilisers and consequently result in lower measured yields than intensive commercial agriculture.
On gender equality, Sema said some indicators had also failed to adequately capture women’s participation and contribution in Nagaland. While earlier data may have reflected limited representation of women in local bodies, he said women are now actively participating in village-level institutions and committees.
He further highlighted women’s significant role in financial inclusion, particularly in rural areas, noting their substantial share among account holders and beneficiaries of banking and financial services.
At the same time, Sema acknowledged that Nagaland continues to face genuine development challenges, particularly in health infrastructure, education, road connectivity, financial and banking services, and regional disparities.
Referring to a NITI Aayog publication of July 2025 on district-level performance, Sema said Mokokchung, Kohima and Dimapur featured among the top 10 performing districts in the Northeast, ranking fourth, sixth and 10th respectively.
However, he noted that some districts remained at the lower end of the ranking, highlighting significant disparities in development outcomes within the state.
Sema expressed optimism that Nagaland’s position would improve in the next SDG assessment as departments have become more aware of the importance of timely and accurate data submission.
He urged UNDP representatives to convey the need to review indicators that may not be relevant or achievable within Nagaland’s specific socio-economic and geographical context.
He said the State would undertake corrective measures based on the assessment and identify priority areas, districts and sectors requiring focused intervention.
Uthup assured that the concerns and practical difficulties raised by the State would be conveyed to the UNDP Country Head.
He acknowledged the contextual factors highlighted by Nagaland and said UNDP would continue to provide technical assistance and support to strengthen SDG implementation and monitoring.
He also expressed optimism that the state’s performance would improve in the coming assessment following renewed efforts to update and upload previously unreported data.
The UNDP team shared observations and suggestions on strengthening the State’s SDG monitoring mechanism and improving data quality and availability across departments.
Meanwhile, Lead Consultant, UNDP, for the formulation of Viksit Nagaland, Sunder Subramanyam, presented the draft vision and roadmap document outlining key development areas and the proposed framework for the state.
He acknowledged the need to incorporate the latest and most reliable statistical data to ensure the document accurately reflects Nagaland’s development status and future requirements.
The UNDP team said Nagaland was moving in the right direction and that continued consultations with government departments and stakeholders would help strengthen the Viksit Nagaland 2047 roadmap and ensure that it remains grounded in the State’s actual development needs.