Barring the growing Inequality in the country SDG Report 2024 presents a rosy picture of the Indian economy
By Manohar Manoj
Against the backdrop of a recurring high growth rate, the latest Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024, presented by NITI Ayog adds more color to the rosy picture of the Indian economy. Out of a total of 16 stipulated areas of SDG, in almost 15 areas India’s economy has gained substantial points barring the inequality parameter which finds itself in a more debilitated form.
The most heartening point of SDG 2024 is that most of the states and UTs of the country are performing fantastically and they also competing brilliantly with one another. As a consequence, the total achieved point of the Indian economy is 71, which was 66 in the previous SDG report presented in the year 2020-21. It is to be noted that the sustainable development goal report was started in the year 2018, when the total performance marks of the Indian economy were calculated at 57 followed by 60 marks in the year 2019-20 and 66 in the year 2020-21. The 2023-24 SDG report is the fourth report, after its inception in the year 2018
India’s commitment to the SDGs since adopting the year 2030 agenda on sustainable development is reflected in concerted efforts on SDG localization spearheaded by NITI Ayog, which works closely with Indian States and UTs. The latest SDG India Index 2023-24 measures and tracks the national progress of all States and UTs on 113 indicators aligned to the Ministry of Statistics and program implementation’s national indicator framework (NIF). It is to be noted here SDG India Index computes goal-wise scores on the following 16 SDGs for each State and UT.
- No Poverty 2 Zero hunger 3 Good Health and Well-being 4 Quality education 5 Gender equality 6 . Clean water and sanitation 7 Affordable and clean energy 8 Decent work and Economic growth 9 Industry, innovation and infrastructure 10 reduced inequalities 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities 12 Responsible Consumption and Production 13 Climate Action 14 Aquatic developments 15 Life on Land 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institution.
The two most significant features of this report are the first sectoral performances and their acquired performance marks and the second is the comparative performance of all the States and UTs.
Regarding the first point, the major highlights of the report are the gain in goal no. 1(no poverty, which jumped 12 marks from 60 to 72), goal no. 8 (decent work and economic growth, which jumped 7 marks from 61 to 68), goal no.13 (climate action, which jumped 13 marks from 54 to 67 ), and goal no. 15 (life on land, jumped 9 marks from 66 to 75). SDG no.13 witnessed robust performance, showing the well-thought-out initiatives on the part of the Union and state governments of India. The most worrisome point is goal no.10 (the reduced inequalities), here the gained mark is 65, which is not only lesser than the previous SDG report 2020-21 but also lesser than the 71 marks shown in the first SDG report in 2018. It means that several international reports, particularly the OXFAM report regarding India’s inequality last year were telling the truth and stood up to the mark.
The key achievements of the SDG 2024 report can be manifested in this way; a. over 4 crore houses constructed under PM Awas Yojna, in rural and urban both b. 11 crore toilets and around 2.23 lakh community toilets constructed in rural India c. 10 crore LPG connection under Ujjawala scheme d. Tap water connection in over 15 crore households, the schemes started late but it penetrated hurriedly e. Over 30 crore beneficiaries brought under PM Ayushman Yojna f. Coverage of 80 crore persons under national food security program g. Set up of 1.5 lahks primary health center named Arogya Mandir h. DBT transfer of 34 lakh crore through 52 crore PM Jandhan account numbering i. PM Skill India mission up skilled 1.4 crore youth and re-skilled 54 lakhs youth j. PM Mudra loan yojna which was brought for promoting self-employment and street vendor activities distributed Rs.22.5 lakh crore worth of loans among 43 crore beneficiaries. K. Start-up and Stand-up schemes brought a new climate for entrepreneurship l. Schemes like SAUBHAGYA achieved the target of electricity for all m. Promising jump in the production of energy & renewable energy, especially solar whose production jumped from 2.82 GW to 73.32 during the past decade and 100 GW new addition of Electricity production during the last 6 years and last but not least is the huge improvement in the expansion and affordability of digital infrastructure in the country which has reduced its cost by 97 percent.
Talking about the States and UTs performance as it is getting reflected in the latest SDG report, the northern and eastern states have performed remarkably. In terms of total marks gain, hilly states like Uttarakhand and southernmost state Kerala got the maximum 79 marks followed by 78 marks by Tamilnadu. Barring states like Bihar (57), Jharkhand (62), Nagaland, and Meghalaya (63 each), all States and UTs are above the bottom line of 65 marks.
It is attentional here between 2018 and 2023-24, the fastest moving states are UP(gained a massive 25 score ), followed by J&K (21), Uttarakhand(19), Sikkim(18), Haryana(17), Asam, Tripura and Punjab(all 16), MP and Odisha (15 each).
Of course, during the last 25 years, India’s development story has been remarkable, diversified and innovational too. Thanks to the various key schemes and programs designed and targeted towards some backbone and crucial development of the Indian economy. Out of these Jan-Dhan , a bank account opening scheme whose figure tells about the coverage of the mammoth size of the Indian populace, that is around 52 crore was the key to financial inclusion and also a sizable amount of DBT transfer in the country. Second is the SAUBHAGYA scheme which made the country fully electrified comprised of electrification of all the villages and also access of all households to the electric connection in the country and third is PM Awas Yojna, it speaks volumes in a way.
In all, 25 crore citizens have somehow uplifted themselves from the poverty line. Thanks to the layout of the multifaceted 8-point poverty alleviation program in the country which was earlier telling more about a daily calorie measuring exercise only. Now we have an effective BPL population of mere 11 percent of the total population. However, schemes like Ujjawala, Toilet construction, Tap water connection, and Jan Suraksha are debatable ones that tell the corruption saga of our administrative system. Many ujjawala beneficiaries left burring their gas stove, just because of very costlier LPG cylinders, same way toilet construction was taken as a mission mode during the first term of the Modi govt, but thereafter this scheme came in a complacent form, now it is being observed women in many villages of the country started to go nearby farmland after the sunset. Jan Suraksha scheme like Atal pension sachem is some bit covering the social security needs of rural and vulnerable aged people, but the country requires a nationwide pension plan covering all above 60 age populace numbering around 15 crore ensuring at least Rs. 1000 per month. The fourth scheme like PM Arogya scheme is just an insurance scheme of course covering poor people for type 3 diseases but our health policy and system both lack the daily health needs of around 100 crore people who depend totally on overloaded govt. owned hospitals ultimately depict a very gloomy picture of the Indian health system. As far as the no. of established arogya mandir is concerned, it does not look visible. Very few people have the financial capacity to get daily treatment needs from the private hospital network on the concessional CGHS rates. The question is why this rate does not apply to all population of the country.
Free food grains are also not said to be a sound welfare policy, bringing a huge subsidy burden on the govt. kitty, preventing agriculture from getting the benefit of the market and third this scheme is making the working population indolent and parasite.
On the whole, the country needs some holistic policies on all those five points of education, health, labour, employment and social security from where inequality starts originating in the country. Second, we have to wipe out all those policy obstacles and implementation hindrances that hamper the prospects of a high growth rate, set up well-designed regulators for the specified areas of the economy and finally all those factors which do not allow an ecosystem for equality of opportunity in the country also which much needed for the great preamble of our constitution.