Analysis Of Kurukshetra Magazine:
”Union Budget 2022-23 – Localization Of SDGs”
Relevance
GS 3: Inclusive Growth, Environmental Pollution & Degradation, Conservation, International Treaties & Agreements
Introduction
- Localization relates to both how local and sub-national governments can support the achievement of the SDGs through bottom-up action.
- India’s success in adopting, implementing, and monitoring SDGs stands as a testament to the principle of cooperative federalism, envisioned by the Government of India and promoted by NITI Aayog.
- The localisation of SDGs has been ascribed utmost importance, as the States and Union Territories (UTs) are the actual implementors of the country’s ambitious development agenda.
Importance of Localization of SDGs
- Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a global effort that has one major objective — achieving a better future for all.
- To achieve these global and national targets, localisation is a crucial lever.
- It correlates how local and State governments can support the accomplishments of the SDGs through bottom-up action, and how the SDGs can provide a framework for local policy.
- If India is to achieve its goals by 2030, it must build a mechanism for effectively localising the SDGs — one that leverages and integrates the social capital that exists in women’s collectives and with the local self-governance of the Panchayati Raj system.
- Today, 76 million women have been mobilised into self-help groups (SHGs) under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission and there are 3.1 million elected panchayat representatives. For localisation to truly work, we need to leverage the strength of both these institutions through a partnership.
About NITI Aayog’s SDG India Index
- Since its inaugural launch in 2018, the index has been comprehensively documenting and ranking the progress made by States and Union Territories towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
- The index has become the primary tool for monitoring progress on the SDGs in the country and has simultaneously fostered competition among the States and Union Territories.
- The SDG India Index computes goal-wise scores on the 16 SDGs for each State and Union Territory.
- Overall State and UT scores are generated from goal-wise scores to measure the aggregate performance of the sub-national unit based on its performance across the 16 SDGs.
- These scores range between 0–100, and if a State/UT achieves a score of 100, it signifies it has achieved the 2030 targets. The higher the score of a State/UT, the greater the distance to target achieved.
- States and Union Territories are classified as below based on their SDG India Index score:
- Aspirant: 0–49
- Performer: 50–64
- Front-Runner: 65–99
- Achiever: 100
NITI Aayog and SDGs
- NITI Aayog has the twin mandate to oversee the adoption and monitoring of the SDGs in the country, and also promote competitive and cooperative federalism among States and UTs.
- The index represents the articulation of the comprehensive nature of the Global Goals under the 2030 Agenda while being attuned to the national priorities.
- The modular nature of the index has become a policy tool and a ready reckoner for gauging the progress of States and UTs on the expansive nature of the Goals, including health, education, gender, economic growth, institutions, climate change and environment.
Conclusion
The 5 tiers of SDGs-People, Partnership, Prosperity, Planet and Peace should be taken sub-district level to blocks, to each village panchayat and it is best done with 3 tiers of the local self-government.