Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister TR Zeliang presented the Nagaland SDG Action Awards 2025 to representatives of Pinnacle Skill, Good Samaritan Women Society, and MOBUST Team Nagaland, during a state-level consultation in Kohima on March 13. (DIPR Photo)
Kohima, March 13 (MExN): Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister TR Zeliang on Friday emphasised the need for collective action and community participation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as he presented the Nagaland SDG Action Awards 2025 in Kohima.
Speaking as the guest of honour at the event organised by the Sustainable Development Goal Coordination Centre (SDGCC), Planning & Transformation Department, Zeliang stated that such platforms bring together all departments to reflect, recognise achievements, and set a roadmap for the common development agenda of 'Development for all—Leaving No One Behind'.
“Communities are at the heart of sustainable development, and their active participation is key to our state's success,” he said at the State-Level Consultation on SDG India Index 4.0 and NER District SDG Index 2.0.
As per the DIPR report, highlighting Nagaland's progress, Zeliang informed that Mokokchung, Kohima and Dimapur districts have secured places among the top ten districts in the entire North Eastern Region, as reflected in the North Eastern Region SDG District Index 2023–24. He added that nine districts have been placed in the ‘Front Runner’ category, marking a significant improvement from the 2021–22 Baseline Index.
He also noted that three districts of Nagaland are among the fastest mover districts, showing maximum improvements in terms of their SDG composite scores in the region. Nagaland's balanced progress across critical areas such as health, education, gender equality and infrastructure has positioned it as a rising leader in the North East's sustainable development journey, he said.
While taking pride in these achievements, Zeliang urged stakeholders to recognise the challenging work ahead, particularly in addressing district-level indicators that show weaker performance and ensuring timely, high-quality data updation across State and National portals.
He called for continued collaboration among departments, strengthened data systems and sustained commitment to make meaningful progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, thereby laying a strong foundation for the vision of a Viksit Nagaland 2047.
Congratulating the award recipients, Zeliang remarked that they represented the spirit of innovation and commitment that drives progress, demonstrating that impactful change is possible even with limited resources.
He presented the Nagaland SDG Action Awards 2025 mementoes, certificates and a cash prize of Rs 50,000 each to Pinnacle Skill in the category of Economic Sustainability, Good Samaritan Women Society in the category of Social Development, and MOBUST Team Nagaland (Youth Net) in the category of Environment Sustainability.
In her welcome address, Development Commissioner Temsunaro Aier highlighted that the government is actively aligning Global Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals with Nagaland's development priorities. She noted that the consultations provided valuable insights into the state's performance and identified areas for improvement. She urged all departments and districts to improve data quality, keep portals updated, and use SDG tools for planning and course correction.
Regional Head, NER, UNDP, John Borgoyary in his address said that UNDP and the Government of Nagaland have partnered since early 2019 and highlighted the journey and achievements of the state in terms of SDG since 2021. He stressed the importance of implementing SDGs at the district, block, and local levels, and emphasised that reliable data acts like a GPS, providing an accurate picture of progress.
The day-long consultation was attended by administrative and departmental heads, SDG nodal officers, deputy commissioners and representatives from all 17 districts, along with Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change & Village Guards, CL John, and MLA, Dr Tseilhoutuo Rhutso.
