According to the Report released by NITI Aayog in December 2019 on 'Sustainable Development Goals India Index 2019-20', the Uttar Pradesh is grouped under which of the following categories?

The correct answer is B) Performer. NITI Aayog's SDG India Index 2019-20, released in December 2019, scored states on a 0-100 scale and placed them in four bands: Aspirant (below 50), Performer (50-64), Front Runner (65-99) and Achiever (100). Uttar Pradesh scored about 57, which falls in the Performer band.

• A) Aspirant: Wrong. This band is for states scoring below 50, and UP was above that cut-off.
• C) Front Runner: Wrong. This band starts at 65, which UP did not reach in this index.
• D) Achiever: Wrong. This requires a score of 100, which no state achieved.

The core concept is the SDG India Index as a tool for cooperative federalism, since NITI Aayog uses it to push states to localise the 17 SDGs. For Mains, it is a good example for questions on state-level performance gaps in health, education and poverty. Check the latest edition before quoting scores, as the index is updated each year.

Trap: Aspirants often assume the labels follow a sense of progress, so Front Runner sounds better than Performer. Remember the band is decided by the numerical cut-off, not the name.