National Agenda For Global Goals

In 2015, 17 Sustainable Development Goals with 169 targets were envisioned by the UN, which involved 193 member states and the global civil society. Early on, Prime Minister Narendra Modi committed India to achieving the goals, with NITI Aayog being entrusted with the role to co-ordinate the pursuing of these goals. 

2 years since, with only 13 years left to achieve the goals, it is critical to analyse the national agenda for achieving the global goals, hence the following piece will map out the 17 goals, and centrally sponsored schemes and related interventions for working towards the SDGs. 

"The 17 SDGs are central to the national agenda as they focus on some of India's most pressing issues such as poverty, hunger, health, education, women empowerment, access to modern forms of energy and climate change. Not surprisingly, there are several national and state-level schemes aimed at resolving these issues. The foundation to India achieving the ambitious SDGs is designing a robust and comprehensive national indicator framework. The current draft national indicators are neither strong enough to reflect our progress on SDGs nor do they set out appropriate performance metrics for our policy makers," said Vaibhav Gupta, Senior Programme Lead, CEEW.

While some SDGs like Goal No. 1 (No Poverty) have numerous schemes and interventions entrusted to it, some schemes like Goal No. 13 (Climate Action) do not have any centrally sponsored schemes entrusted towards achieving it.

1) For the first SDG (Ending Poverty in all its forms everywhere), there are 5 centrally sponsored schemes which include National Urban Livelihood Mission, National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, National Rural Livelihood Mission, National Social Assistance Programme and National Land Record Management Programme. The related interventions are Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Atal Pension Yojana. Naturally, as this SDG has positive spill-overs in various other SDGs, it has a lot of schemes entrusted towards achieving it, with the Ministry of Rural Development being the Nodal Ministry.

2) For the second SDG (End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture), there are 9 centrally sponsored schemes which include Nationally Food Security Mission, Mission for integrated Development of Horticulture, National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture, National Oilseed and Oil Palm Mission, National Mission on Agriculture Extension and Technology, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, National Livestock Mission, Livestock Health and Disease Control and National Programme for Bovine Breeding and Dairy Development. The related interventions are Targeted Public Distribution System, National Nutrition Mission, National Food Security Act (passed in 2013) and Mid-day Meal Scheme. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare is the nodal ministry for the achievement of this goal, which again has positive spill-overs in other SDGs, and is intrinsically related to the first SDG of ending poverty.

3) For the third SDG (Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages), there are 5 centrally sponsored schemes which include National Health Mission (including NRHM), Human Resource in Health and Medical Education, National Mission on Ayush including Mission on Medical Plants, National AIDS and STD Control Programme and Integrated Child Development Service. There is only one related intervention, Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana and the Nodal Ministry for this SDG is the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

4) For the fourth SDG (Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all), there are 7 centrally sponsored schemes which include Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, National Programme Nutritional Support to Primary Education, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, Support for Educational Development including Teacher Training and Adult Education, Scheme for providing Education to Madrasas, Minorities and Disabled, Rashtriya Uchhtar Shiksha Abhiyan and Umbrella scheme for Education of ST students. The related intervention is Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat and the Ministry of Human Resource Development is the Nodal Ministry.

5) For the fifth SDG (Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls), there are 2 centrally sponsored schemes which include National Mission for Empowerment of Women including Indira

Gandhi Mattritav Sahyog Yojana and Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls. The related interventions are Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Sukanya Samridhi Yojana (Girl Child Prosperity Scheme), Support to Training And Employment Programme For Women, Janani Suraksha Yojana, SWADHAR 2011 (A scheme for women in difficult circumstances) and ) Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalay. The Nodal Ministry is the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

6) For the sixth SDG (Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all), there are 4 centrally sponsored schemes which include National Rural Drinking water Programme, Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana and National River Conservation Programme. The related interventions are Namami Gange - Integrated Ganga Conservation Mission and Inter-linking of rivers. The Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation is the Nodal Ministry.

7) For the seventh SDG (Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all), there are no centrally sponsored schemes, but there are 5 related interventions which include Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana, National Solar Mission – providing continuous power supply to rural India, India Energy Policy, Power (2015) – Electrification of the remaining 20,000 villages including off-grid Solar Power by 2020 and Five new Ultra Mega Power Projects, each of 4000 MW to be installed. The Nodal Ministry is the Ministry of Power.

8) For the eighth SDG (Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable Economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all), there are 3 centrally sponsored schemes which include, National Service Scheme, Skill Development Mission and Social Security for Unorganised Workers including Rashtriya Swastya Bima Yojana. The related interventions are Deendayal Upadhyaya Antodaya Yojana and National Urban Development Mission. The Nodal Ministry is the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

9) For the ninth SDG (Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation), there are 4 centrally sponsored schemes which include Border Area Development Programme, National Handloom Development Programme, Catalytic Development Programme under Sericulture and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. The related interventions are Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya Shramev Jayate Karyakram, Minimum Government Maximum Governance, Make in India, Start Up India, Ease of doing business initiative and FDI Policy. The Nodal Ministry is the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

10) For the tenth SDG (Reduce inequality within and among countries), there are 6 centrally sponsored schemes which include Multi Sectoral Development Programme for Minorities, Backward Regions Grant Fund (District Component), Scheme for Development of Scheduled Castes, Scheme for Development of Other Backward Classes and Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-nomadic Tribes, Scheme for development of Economically Backward Classes (EBCs) and Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF) (State Component). The related interventions are Grants from Central Pool of Resources for North Eastern Region and Sikkim, Udaan Scheme for youth of Jammu & Kashmir, PAHAL- Direct Benefit s Transfer for LPG (DBTL) consumers scheme, Give it Up Campaign (for LPG subsidy) and Mudra Yojana. The Nodal Ministry is the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

11) For the eleventh SDG (Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable), there are 5 centrally sponsored schemes which include Rajiv Awas Yojana (including BSUP & IHSDP), Indira Awas Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana, National Programme for Persons with Disabilities and Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. The related interventions are Smart Cities Mission, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Housing for All-2022), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation and Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana. The Nodal Ministry is the Ministry of Urban Development.

12) For the twelfth SDG (Ensure sustainable consumption and production Patterns), there are no centrally sponsored schemes, but there are 5 related interventions which include National Policy on biofuels, National Clean India Fund, National Clean Energy Fund, Renewable Energy: Renewable Energy Global Investment Promotion Meet and Expo and Soil Health Card Scheme. The Nodal Ministry is the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

13) For the thirteenth SDG (Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts), there are again no centrally sponsored schemes, but there are 9 related interventions which include National Action Plan on Climate Change, National Mission for a Green India, National Solar Mission, National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency, National Mission for Sustainable Habitat, National Water Mission, National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem, National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture and National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change. The Nodal Ministry is the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

14) For the fourteenth SDG (Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development), the only centrally sponsored scheme is Conservation of Natural Resources and EcoSystems, while related interventions are National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-System and Sagarmala Project (Blue Revolution). The Nodal Ministry is the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

15) For the fifteenth SDG (Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss), there are 3 centrally sponsored schemes which include National Afforestation Programme (National Mission for a Green India), Integrated Development of Wild Life Habitats and Project Tiger. The related interventions are Project Elephant, National Environmental Policy 2006, National Agroforestry Policy (2014) and National Action Programme to Combat Desertification (2001). The Nodal Ministry is the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

16) For the sixteenth SDG (Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels), there are 3 centrally sponsored schemes which include Panchayat Yuva Krida aur Khel Abhiyan, Development of Infrastructure Facilities for Judiciary including Gram Nyayalayas and Integrated Child Protection Scheme. The related interventions are Digital India, Pragati Platform (Public Grievance Redressal System) and RTI (Right to Information Act). The Nodal Ministry is the Ministry of Home Affairs.

17) For the seventeenth SDG (Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable Development), the only centrally sponsored scheme is Support for Statistical Strengthening, while related interventions are South-South Cooperation, India Africa Summit, SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation), BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), NDB (New Development Bank – BRICS) and SAARC Satellite (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation). The Nodal Ministries partnering for this are Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

There is still a need for a monitoring agency to track whether the above schemes and interventions are actually achieving the goals, and the extent to which they are achieving them. "Undoubtedly India has had, and currently has, a number of domestic goals and programmes that align well with the sustainable development goals. However, a simple mapping of existing schemes/programmes against SDGs does not give any confidence on achievement potential. We would also be missing a critical recognition accorded to the SDGs in the preamble of the Agenda 2030 document -- that these goals are integrated and indivisible and must balance the three dimensions of sustainable development: the economic, social and environment. We currently do not take an integrated view across sectors nor do we explicitly take cognisance of all three pillars of sustainable development”, says Leena Srivastava, Vice Chancellor of TERI University.

“India has maintained that poverty alleviation and sustainable development are its priority even while maintaining its climate change actions. The SDG document itself highlights the importance of each goal. India has a National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) which encompasses its goals on combating climate change, keeping in view the nationally determined contributions made by India under the Paris Agreement”, says Anushree Tripathi, a Consultant for Law in the Climate Change Division at the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.