   It is widely agreed that India will play a leading role in determining the success or failure of the SDGs, given its disproportionate share in the global development burden. The Government of India is fully committed to the 2030 Agenda, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The goals substantially reflect the development agenda of India, as the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi himself noted in his speech at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in September 2015:Â
 ‘Much of India’s development agenda is mirrored in the Sustainable Development Goals. Our national plans are ambitious and purposeful; Sustainable development of one-sixth of humanity will be of great consequence to the world and our beautiful planet’.Â
   Current document presents the journey of India and the lessons learned from the varied experience of different States and UTs in localising the SDGs.Â
   Early lessons include lessons on:
- Institutional mechanisms to follow the ‛whole-of-government’ approachÂ
- Monitoring
- BudgetingÂ
- Communication, Awareness generation and AdvocacyÂ
- Aligning Local Plans with SDGs
- Capacity Development
- Reaching the Furthest Behind FirstÂ
- PartnershipsÂ
   The government is equally focused and invested in the design and implementation of some of the large-scale programmes bridging critical development gaps on key SDGs. The following examples demonstrate the advances India has made to move ahead on the SDGs and keeping the focus on ‘Leave No One Behind’ in development planning.Â
- Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), is the largest government health protection scheme in the world, entitling 500 million Indians to an annual health protection coverage of approximately US$ 7,100. India is aiming to achieve the goal to eliminate tuberculosis (with poor people more at risk) by 2025, five years ahead of the global target of 2030.Â
- Poshan Abhiyan, a National Nutrition Mission for children and women was launched to eliminate malnutrition by 2022. The program recognises the interconnectedness of nutrition with other aspects such as water, sanitation, hygiene, mother’s education, poverty, and thereby ensures that all the above services converge on a household for reducing under-nutrition in the country.Â
- India is also committed to eliminate single-use plastic by 2022. It has also initiated the International Solar Alliance (ISA), which is expected not only to contribute to India’s ambitious solar energy goals but primarily to promote adoption of solar energy across the sun-rich developing countries with India’s leadership.Â
   Reflecting the country’s long-standing federal tradition, States and UTs are taking a host of measures to implement the SDGs. The localisation processes spearheaded by the States have thrown interesting results and there are several early lessons that need to be captured to further nuance the approach to localisation.Â
For more information, please see the full report attached below.Â
The original content was published here.
Photo credit: India at UN, NY
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the article and report are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the SDG Philanthropy Platform. The SDG Philanthropy Platform is a global initiative that connects philanthropy with knowledge and networks that can deepen collaboration, leverage resources and sustain impact, driving SDG delivery within national development planning. It is led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA), and supported by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Ford Foundation, Oak Foundation, Brach Family Charitable Foundation, and many others.
