India's commitment to sustainable development manifests in progress on SDGs

Advancing on the ladder of attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a globally recognized benchmark. Countries strive to progress on these specific counts - the 17 SDGs - to highlight credible and consistent sustainable development.

Over the past decade, India has made concerted efforts towards achieving sustainable development. Through the successful implementation of social sector schemes such as the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), which seek to provide clean drinking water and safe sanitation for all, Indian policymakers have ushered in population-scale change in a short span of time.

Millions of people across all sections of society have benefited from this development push. India has shown great intent and momentum to develop sustainably. The Swachh Bharat Mission and the Jal Jeevan Mission, which were launched in 2014 and 2019 respectively, have been instrumental in driving social wellbeing in India. Millions of Indians have benefited from social impact programs.

At the time of its implementation in 2014, the Swachh Bharat Mission sought to provide safe sanitation for all through the creation and use of toilets, making India open defecation free. India became open-defecation free on October 2, 2019, by constructing over one hundred million toilets across its villages. This marked the end of Phase-I of SBM. The phase-2 of SBM was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2020, just before the first Covid-19 wave in India.

The Phase -2 emphasises the sustainability of achievements under Phase-1 and seeks to provide adequate facilities for Solid and Liquid Waste, including plastic waste management across rural India. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission – Grameen, Phase 2, villages are progressing towards achieving the Open Defecation Free Plus (ODF Plus) status. This involves the management of all kinds of waste – be it biodegradable waste, plastic waste, grey water, or faecal sludge.

The government has left no stone unturned to ensure the delivery of sustainable sanitation to all Indians. Between 2014-15 and 2021-22, the central government has allocated a total of INR 83,938 crore to Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen.
India has achieved a key milestone in the Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen. More than half of all villages in the country are ODF Plus. Currently, 3,48,716 villages have attained the ODF Plus status. Out of these villages, a total of 2,44,853 are aspiring villages, 38,764 are rising villages and 65,099 are model villages.

In August 2019, merely 17% of Indian households had access to tap water. This number stands at over 63% today. This is indeed a great achievement, and a matter of pride for the whole country. Through its achievements under the Swachh Bharat Mission and the Jal Jeevan Mission, India is laying a paradigm for sustainable development. Our country has affected population scale impact in under a decade, which is a miniscule span of time. The scale and speed of India's delivery on the social development front is unparalleled.

We have been able to achieve this thanks to clear political will, dogged persistence of the administration across states, and through the power of the people.

Indians were quick to identify the benefits of social sector schemes and the clean intent of administrators. They have embraced these social development schemes and made them true Jan Andolans (people's movements).

The Swachh Bharat Mission and the Jal Jeevan Mission schemes strive to remove drudgery from people's lives, improve their health and economic condition by ushering in prosperity.

These schemes help the country meet many of the United Nations' 17 sustainable development goals. Their implementation offers hope to the world at large, on how large-scale developmental projects can be designed to maximize delivery to a continental landmass and population.

The work of social sector organizations in India's development journey is also particularly praiseworthy. Initiatives like Nand Ghar by Anil Agarwal Foundation are laudable as they aid sustainable development by combating child malnutrition, providing education and healthcare and empowering women through skilling programs.

The initiative is a network of modern aanganwadis across India with an integrated approach to women and child development. To ensure that the nutritional needs of growing children are met, multi millet nutri bars are being provided to them by the Foundation as part of its efforts to achieve SDG2 of Zero Hunger along with other sustainable development goals that are aimed at fostering community growth.

India has excelled at localizing sustainable development goals and enhancing global cooperation in its journey to achieve them. An important case in point is the agreement signed earlier this month between the government policy think tank NITI Aayog, and the United Nations in India. The Government of India - United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023-2027. Aimed at advancing India's sustainable development goals, the framework will help India progress on areas including health and wellbeing, quality education, economic growth, environment and climate and empowerment of individuals and communities.

Through the pact, India has solidified its commitment to localize sustainable development goals further and enhance collaboration through South-South cooperation. This framework will also showcase India's successful models of sustainable development on the global stage.

The hope for a better, healthier, more prosperous tomorrow is a strong motivator, and a genuine desire to impact people's lives will keep propelling India to attain greater heights of sustainable progress for all.

By Dr. Raghavendra Mishra, Professor, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University