LONG WAY TO GO
    Date :05-Jun-2021

LONG WAY TO GO_1 &nb 
 
 
THE coronavirus-hit year has brought some good news for India with a significant improvement in the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Index. India’s score has improved by six points -- from 60 in 2019 to 66 in 2020. It includes a fantastic growth in healthcare parameters which bears testimony to India’s resolute response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. However, there is a hidden message in the NITI Aayog’s SDG India Index 2020-21 where Kerala has retained the top rank. A lot of distance remains to be covered on the count of collaboration for better outcomes and greater impacts to build a sustainable future.
 
The SDG India Index is a wonderful tool to evaluate progress of States and Union Territories on social, economic and environmental parameters. It helps States in assessing progress against national targets and their performance to understand the reasons behind under-performance and devise strategies to achieve the goals. It has also helped immensely in identifying priority areas where the States and UTs need to focus on and improve. The model has been applauded around the world for being a fine data-driven initiative to rank States and UTs by computing a composite index on the UN’s 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all humanity.
 
Achieving the SDGs by the deadline of 2030 is all about a robust partnership between the States and the Centre which defines the ultimate narrative of the 17 goals marked by the UN. This is one area to lay stress on for the NITI Aayog despite its fine idea of monitoring progress on sustainable goals. Laggards like Bihar, Jharkhand and Assam, who have been adjudged the worst performing States in this year’s India Index, manifest the problems the country is facing while fulfilling the SDGs.
 
When basic requirements of water, clean air, sanitation, no poverty, zero hunger and gender equality are not achieved in bigger parts of the country, it becomes highly difficult for a nation to stand proudly in the row of progressive countries. India has to march on in a profound manner on these counts if it has to earn the tag of a happy and prosperous nation. For, prosperity is directly linked to the living conditions in a place whether it is urban or rural.
 
Another lacunae that the NITI Aayog needs to remove from the exercise is the superficiality attached to the monitoring system. In most cases, the ticked boxes on the paper are in direct contrast with the ground situation. The Swachcha City surveys are living examples of what is lacking in actual assessment of a situation. Cities have managed to improve their ranking with a survey model that is mostly limited to the good areas. The ground reality in overall surrounding is hardly taken into account while filling the survey questionnaire. Unless these flaws are weeded out from the monitoring systems, the society will remain confined to a fake sense of happiness.
 
Not that everything is bad while the country makes rapid progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Many States have managed to come out of the rut of complacency and indifference riding on the ambitious schemes floated by the Centre under initiatives like Swachcha Bharat, Ayushman Bharat Yojana, UJALA Yojana, Jan Aushadhi Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jan Aawas Yojana, Sukanya Samruddhi Yojana and many other schemes. These schemes have played a major role in making available basic needs like food, housing, water and education. The Jan Dhan Yojana has ushered in economic sustainability for the farming and unorganised sector. However, deeper percolation of these ambitious initiatives into the hinterland is still not gathering pace as envisaged by the planners.
 
The SDG India Index has brought out the flaws in the working mechanism of many States. It remains the moral duty of the States and Union Territories to take these initiatives to the last man standing. These measures have to come with deep interest in well-being of the people. This exercise is beyond the realms of paper work. The ball is now in the court of States.