The SDG India Index, together with the budgetary mandate, should serve as a reminder that with intentional policy and action on the ground, it is possible to achieve the goals of well-being.
THE NITI AAYOG released the second version of the SDG India Index and Dashboard on December 20, 2019. India, as a signatory to the adoption of UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, is under obligation to streamline development policies for a time-bound (by 2030) achievement of human well-being. The 17 goals and 169 related targets weave around five pillars— People (first six goals), Prosperity (next five), Planet (following four goals), Peace (goal 16) and Partnership (goal 17). Achieving these requires government’s commitment, people’s participation, allocation of funds, intergovernmental cooperation, technology and innovation.
The SDG Index is the first attempt at the national level to assess where each state and UT stands on achieving SDGs. The SDG India Index 2.0 uses a hundred indicators covering 16 goals (barring goal 17 for want of sufficient inputs) and 54 targets. The Index has played a vital role in driving the SDG agenda in India. The budgetary allocation is an essential component of pushing the SDG agenda forward. Prominent themes in this year’s Budget include working for an aspirational India, ensuring economic development for all, fostering a caring society and ease of living. These also cover most SDG goals around People and Prosperity.
The finance minister gave a big push to wellness, water and sanitation by providing Rs 69,000 crore for the health sector. Of this, Rs 6,400 crore is for the PM Jan Arogya Yojana, extending its reach to 20,000 empanelled hospitals, and Rs 3.6 lakh crore approved for the Jal Jeevan Mission, of which Rs 11,500 crore will be available for 2020-21. Cities with a million-plus population are mandated to achieve the objective this year. Also, Rs 3,000 crore additional will be available for skill development, and the National Skill Development Agency will give a special thrust to infrastructure-focused skill development— infrastructure projects will involve young engineers, management graduates and economists from universities.
Women-specific schemes, nutrition enhancement and financial support to uplift the conditions of young girls contribute significantly to achieve educational, health and financial targets under different SDG goals. There are conscious efforts and the intent to reduce fossil-fuel-based power to meet the objectives under goal 13. An allocation of Rs 4,400 crore has gone to the 16 action points for agriculture, irrigation and rural development. Additional allowances will help propel fish production and export. Encouragement to growing algae, seaweed and cage culture will give a boost to the blue economy.
The finance minister’s statement to ensure corruption-free, policy-driven governance is a welcome step. Providing justice and building strong institutions will enhance the Index ranking under goal 16. The government’s recognition of the potential of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and new technologies to augment our efforts in achieving plan 2030 is also commendable. The SDG India Index noted that Tamil Naidu and Jammu & Kashmir performed the best amongst states and UTs, respectively, in alleviating poverty. This means better performance in achieving the targets under SDG goal 1— reducing extreme and multi-dimensional poverty, improving social protection and safety net, providing the necessary services and mitigating a multitude of natural disasters.
Similar indexing in achieving other targets is both instructive and encouraging. The SDG India Index, together with the budgetary mandate, should serve as a reminder that with intentional policy and action on the ground, it is possible to achieve the goals of well-being. The interstate and inter-UT competitions and a mature and people-centric federal interdependence augur well for the country. The NITIAayog’s SDG India Index 2.0 will serve as a facilitative rubric to bring transparency, accountability and urgency for judicious utilisation of national resources.
(The author is Chairperson, Council for Global Citizenship Education and Director, Ahlcon Group of Schools)
Article first published in Financial Express on March 9, 2020
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