Category

Key Findings / Highlights

Report Released By

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Down To Earth (DTE)

Scope of Report

Covers 48 indicators across 4 themes: Environment, Agriculture, Public Health, Human Development Ranks all 36 States/UTs

Top Performing States

- Environment: Andhra Pradesh (forests, biodiversity)

- Agriculture: Sikkim (organic farming, land use)

- Public Health: Goa (medically certified deaths)

Common Weaknesses Even Among Top States

- Poor sewage treatment, pollution control (Andhra Pradesh)

- Weak farmer welfare (Sikkim)

- Shortage of hospital beds, low female LFPR (Goa)

Worst Performing States

Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, West Bengal — all performed poorly across most categories, exposing large populations to climate and health vulnerabilities

Climate Trends

- 2024: Warmest year on record

- 88% of days had extreme weather

- 25 states faced record rainfall

Displacement & Migration

- 5.4 million internal displacements

- Assam alone accounted for nearly half

- Floods caused 2/3rd of displacements

GHG Emissions

- India’s global share reached 7.8% in 2023

- Growth rate accelerated (up nearly 1% from 2020 to 2023)

Water Crisis

- 135 districts overdraw groundwater (>40m depth)

- Nearly double the figure from 2014

Pollution

- Heavy metals in half of monitored river sites (2022)

- Air Pollution: Unsafe air in 13 capitals; Delhi life expectancy shortened by ~8 years

Waste Crisis

- E-waste rose by 147% in 7 years

- Plastic waste reached 4.14 million tonnes (2022–23)

- Legacy waste remediation only halfway complete

Forest Diversions

- 29,000 hectares diverted in 2023–24

- Primarily in Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh

Human-Animal Conflict

- 36% increase in elephant-related deaths (2020–24)

- 82 tiger-related deaths during same period

Public Health Issues

- 3.06 million excess deaths (2020–21) — 6x official COVID toll

- 36% more CHCs needed

- 80% shortfall in health specialists

Health Expenditure

- Out-of-pocket expense: 45%+ of total health expenditure

- UP: ~66% of health costs paid by individuals

- High in Kerala, West Bengal too

Labour & Economic Distress

- Inflation-adjusted incomes declined (2017–23)

- 73% workforce is informal - >50% of regular workers lack protections like paid leave

Gender Inequality

- Only ~20% of women employed full-time vs 60% of men

- Women work fewer hours

Call to Action

- Invest in data transparency and collection

- Address interlinked climate-health-economy crises

- No time for complacency, need policy recalibration

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. India is facing converging environmental, health, and development crises. How can coordinated mechanisms and data-driven surveillance help realign public policy for sustainable outcomes? (150 words)