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UNDP to Work with NITI Aayog on Sustainable Development
Context:
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is set to collaborate with India’s NITI Aayog on initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable development.
More on News:
- This partnership seeks to enhance the institutional framework necessary for accelerating sustainable development in India.
- UNDP will provide technical support to NITI Aayog in developing the third Voluntary National Review (VNR), which assesses national progress on implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The VNR process enables countries to evaluate and report on their advancements in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a set of goals adopted by UN member nations to promote global sustainability.
Key Highlights of the Collaborations:
- Technical Support: UNDP will assist NITI Aayog with data analysis, engagement with citizen groups and civil society, outreach efforts, and follow-ups on the VNR recommendations.
- 2030 Agenda Commitment: India, being a signatory to the 2030 Agenda, is committed to participating in regular international reviews of its progress.
- India is home to one-sixth of the world’s population. The country has developed a robust SDG localisation model that tracks progress at state and district levels, guided by the SDG India Index.
- SDG Coordination Centres: UNDP has already set up SDG coordination and acceleration centres in 10 states and union territories, aiming to address implementation gaps in sustainable development.
Significance:
- Accelerate SDG Progress: Provide a strong impetus to India’s efforts to achieve the SDGs by 2030.
- Enhance Policy Coherence: Ensure that development policies and programs are aligned with the SDGs.
- Strengthen Institutional Capacity: Build the capacity of government agencies and other stakeholders to effectively implement SDG initiatives.
- Promote Innovation and Learning: Foster a culture of innovation and learning to address emerging development challenges.
Steps Taken by India to Achieve SDGs:
- Initiatives such as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Ujjwala, Swachh Bharat, Jan Dhan, Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY, and Start-up India have contributed to improvements in areas like poverty elimination, decent work, economic growth, climate action, and life on land.
- The SDG India Index 2023-24, developed by NITI Aayog with technical support from the UN, shows a score of 71 out of 100, indicating substantial progress.
- In addition to its national commitments, India contributes to global sustainable development through the $150 million India-UN Development Partnership Fund, which supports developing countries.
Challenges:
- Economic Landscape: India’s economic growth has increasingly been driven by the services sector, particularly in IT, banking, and finance.
- While the manufacturing sector remains stagnant, contributing only 16-17% to output and employment.
- Job Creation Needs: The Economic Survey 2023-24 indicates that India needs to create approximately 7.85 million jobs annually in the non-farm sector to accommodate its growing workforce.
- However, job creation is a significant challenge, with a recent spike in the national unemployment rate to about 9%.
- Social Exclusion: Discrimination against marginalised groups, including women, children, and people with disabilities.
Way Forward:
- Job Quality in Agriculture: While there is a net gain in agricultural employment, the challenge lies in ensuring these jobs offer good pay and quality.
- Modernising agriculture could be a potential solution to enhance job quality in this sector.
- Women’s Participation: There’s a noticeable gap in women’s participation in the manufacturing sector despite a strong presence in agriculture.
- To address this, there’s a need to develop manufacturing industries that can absorb labour and specifically incentivise women’s involvement.
- Coordination: UNDP plans to continue supporting state governments in establishing additional centres to enhance coordination and accelerate progress on sustainable development initiatives.
