Regional Workshop on Enhancing District-Level SDG Outcomes under the State Support Mission (SSM) held in Guwahati, Assam

NITI Aayog Regional Workshop on Enhancing District-Level SDG Outcomes under the State Support Mission

(SSM) held in Guwahati, Assam

Posted On: 13 FEB 2026 4:39PM by PIB Delhi The North-Eastern Region Workshop on Enhancing SDG Outcomes at the District Level, organised by NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Government of Assam and with technical support from UNDP India, was held on 12 February 2026 in Guwahati under the State Support Mission (SSM) of NITI Aayog.

The workshop brought together over 120+ participants from across the eight North Eastern States, including Planning Secretaries, Deputy Commissioners/District Collectors, senior officials from State Governments and Union Ministries, representatives of the North Eastern Council (NEC), UN agencies, development partners, and civil society organisations. The workshop provided a focused platform to deliberate on strengthening district-led planning, convergence, financing, and implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with particular emphasis on translating evidence into actionable outcomes on the ground.

The inaugural session was attended by Shri Charan Boro, Hon’ble Minister of Transport and Bodoland Welfare Department, Government of Assam; Dr. V. K. Paul, Member (Health) NITI Aayog; Shri Narayan Chandra Borkataky, Vice Chairman, State Innovation and Transformation Aayog (SITA), Assam; Dr. Ravi Kota, Chief Secretary, Government of Assam; Shri Satinder Bhalla, Secretary, North Eastern Council; and Dr. Angela Lusigi, Resident Representative, UNDP India, along with senior State and district officials.

Discussions during the workshop emphasised that the success of the SDG agenda depends on the effectiveness of implementation at the district level, where policies translate into tangible outcomes for citizens. The North-Eastern Region District SDG Index was highlighted as a critical decision-support tool for districts to identify strengths, diagnose development gaps, prioritise interventions, and strengthen inter- sectoral convergence in a systematic and evidence-based manner. The deliberations also underscored the importance of early SDG localisation efforts by States, particularly in embedding SDGs within planning and governance processes, to move from measurement to mission-mode implementation.

A presentation by the Shri Rajib Kumar Sen, Programme Director (SDGs), NITI Aayog, highlighted the North Eastern Region District SDG Index as a practical decision-support tool, showcasing district-level progress and gaps across the region. This was followed by a presentation by the Additional Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, on the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI), demonstrating how granular local-level indicators can complement district SDG monitoring and strengthen last-mile planning and service delivery.

The technical programme comprised a series of focused sessions. Session I, “SDG Localisation in the

North Eastern Region: From Evidence to Action,” examined how insights from the North Eastern Region District SDG Index can be translated into district-level planning, prioritisation, and inter-sectoral convergence. Session II, “Sectoral Deep Dive into a Priority SDG Based on District-Level Evidence,”

provided a platform for district administrations to share field-level experiences and discuss how granularevidence can inform targeted sectoral interventions. This was followed by a detailed technical session on the Step-by-Step Guide for SDG Budget Tagging, which introduced a structured framework for aligning planning and budgeting processes with SDG priorities at the sub-national level.

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