ITANAGAR, 12 Mar: Arunachal Pradesh topped the Fiscal Health Index (FHI) for 2023-24 among Northeastern and Himalayan states, according to a report released by the NITI Aayog.

The FHI is a comprehensive framework for assessing and comparing the fiscal performance of states. It outlines each state’s fiscal strengths, weaknesses, and overall profile.

The NITI Aayog’s 2026 Fiscal Health Index (FHI) for 2023-24 was released by Vice Chairman Suman Berry in New Delhi on Wednesday.

The FHI evaluates states on five pillars, such as quality of expenditure, revenue mobilisation, fiscal prudence, debt index, and debt sustainability.

The second edition of the FHI expanded to cover 18 major states and 10 Northeastern and Himalayan states (including Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Meghalaya, Assam, Uttarakhand, and others).

Congratulating the people on the achievement, Chief Minister Pema Khandu, in a social media post, said this recognition reflects the state’s strong commitment to responsible fiscal management, improved revenue generation, and better utilisation of public resources.

“This recognition reflects the state’s strong commitment to responsible fiscal management, improved revenue generation, and better utilisation of public resources. Among the Northeastern and Himalayan states, Arunachal Pradesh ranked 1st, followed by Uttarakhand and Tripura.

“This achievement encourages us to further strengthen fiscal transparency, improve the quality of expenditure, and continue working towards sustainable development for the people of Arunachal Pradesh,” he wrote on X. (PTI)