Overview

• NITI Aayog’s 2022–23 summary report formally recognised West Bengal’s strong socio-economic performance.
• The state’s unemployment rate stood at 2.2 percent, about 30 percent below the national average of 3.2 percent.
• Bengal outpaced national averages in literacy (76.3 percent), life expectancy (72.3 years), sex ratio (973 women per 1,000 men), infant mortality (19 per 1,000 live births) and fertility rate (1.6 children per woman).
• The report also noted higher household access to drinking water, reflecting sustained improvements in living standards.
• Banerjee, who skipped NITI Aayog’s May council meeting, seized on the data to question the think tank’s relevance and renew calls for its abolition.