India and the UN SDGs
At the global level, 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted in September 2015 by 193 member states of the United Nations to end poverty, protect the planet, fight inequality and injustice, and ensure prosperity for all as part of a new sustainable development agenda. The Goals consist of 169 targets to be achieved by 2030.
The 17 UN SDGs are as follows:
- Goal 1: No Poverty
- Goal 2: Zero Hunger
- Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being
- Goal 4: Quality Education
- Goal 5: Gender Equality
- Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
- Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
- Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities
- Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
- Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- Goal 13: Climate Action
- Goal 14: Life Below Water
- Goal 15: Life on Land
- Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
- Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals
India has played an essential role in the evolution and formation of SDGs, and is committed to its achievement. India’s progress towards the Goals will shape the success of the Goals worldwide since India’s population is around 17% of the world population. Winnie Dholakia, Director at HelpYourNGO tells us about the Global Goals in HelpYourNGO’s latest webinar.
What are the steps that India has taken towards making the SDGs a reality?
- The government signalled its intent towards achieving the Global Goals and appointed NITI Aayog as the coordinating agency for implementing of SDGs in India.
- In 2019, NITI Aayog released a Baseline Report of the SDG India Index which reports the progress made by Indian states and union territories towards the SDGs.
- As per the report, front runner states (who are making strides towards achieving SDGs) are: Andhra Pradesh, Chandigarh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu. Kerala has superior performance in reducing hunger, achieving gender equality and providing quality education. Himachal Pradesh ranks high on providing clean water and sanitation, reducing inequalities and preserving the mountain ecosystem. You can read more about Indian states and their progress towards the Goals on the NITI Aayog website: https://niti.gov.in/sdg-india-index-dashboard-2019-20
A way forward
India cannot achieve the 
SDGs by 2030 by government initiatives alone and needs help from local and foreign sources of funding. There is a need for a more collaborative approach between the government, private sector, civil society and the citizens.
Though HelpYourNGO helps efforts across all the 17 SDGs, HelpYourNGO itself is part of Goal 17 which calls for ‘Partnerships for the Goals’. Establishing strong partnerships between stakeholders can help move the SDGs from commitments to actions.
You can use HelpYourNGO’s Search function to search for NGOs by the UN SDG they are fulfilling.
Follow the rest of our series to find out how people in India and all over the globe are coming together to make the Goals a reality!
