India Can Meet Sustainable Development Goals India’s national development agenda sits well with UN Sustainable Development Goals, writes Mili Majumdar
India's development agenda and its priority programs and policies are in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that the UN General Assembly is expected to come up with in 2015.
Poverty eradication, gender equality, affordable and reliable energy access for all; inclusive, safe, resilient cities and sustainable management of water and waste are some of the overarching goals proposed under the SDGs. These have consonance with three of India's priority programs—namely, the '100 Smart Cities', the 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' and 'Make in India'.
The 100 Smart Cities program will enable evolution of safe, resilient and sustainable cities through implementation of green retrofit, redevelopments and new developments; while the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is a pan-India cleanliness drive meant to accomplish sanitation for all and is a policy driver to practice sustainable solid waste management.
The Make in India program is designed to foster innovation, enhance skill development and transform India into a manufacturer's dream destination. This, in turn, is expected to yield sustained and inclusive economic growth and industrialization, another key determinant of sustainable development.