What are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals? Why Are They Important?

What are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals? Why are they important from an Indian perspective?

The Sustainable Development goals are the intergovernmental agreement signed by 196 United Nations agreed countries in 2015 for a better future.

Facts

The Sustainable Development goals were started in 2015 to accomplish 17 pointer targets for a better future for a country.

The SDGs have 17 Goals, 169 targets and 304 Indicators. To attain a hundred per cent. The UN gave the 17 goals after a Rio Session in 2015. The draft was prepared in the convention and was released with targets to be achieved by 2030.

Facts

The 17 SDGs include the development of every section of the society, a country to work on to attain a better place to live on earth.

1. It promotes the end of poverty in all its forms. Anywhere and everywhere in society, any unprivileged must get access to good food, good shelter and cloth.
2. It promotes the end of hunger by achieving food security and improved nutritional quality for the poor and unprivileged and the backward section of the society by promoting sustainable agriculture.
3. To ensure healthy lives and promote well-being at all stages from birth to the last breath of a human being.
4. To ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning through distance education.
5. To Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls by supporting them in the social, financial, and economical sphere by giving them the freedom to choose their passion and life.
6. To ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. The government of India has come up with Jal Shakti Yojana, which connects drinking water to every household.
7. To ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, with affordable electricity-saving bulbs and lights.
8. To promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all, where Government of India have come up with the Schemes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act or MGNREGA.
9. To build a resilient infrastructure to promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation in the country’s industrial sector by setting up small and large cottage industries to heavy industries.
10. To reduce inequalities within and among countries by promoting feelings of brotherhood and quality by reducing external aggressions and internal disturbances.
11. To make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable by providing them better land and every possible access to a good living, electricity and other basic amenities.
12. To ensure sustainable consumption and production pattern so that any industry or factory may produce products for a long and the future generation will get access to it.
13. To take urgent actions to combat climate change and its impact, where the Indian government promotes Afforestation, reduction of fuel-used vehicles, and switching to AI and electronic cars to reduce pollution.
14. To conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources.
15. To protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably managed forests, combat desertification and halt and reverse land degradation and biodiversity loss where the Indian government has installed many related operations.
16. To promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
17. To strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development by promoting bilateral ties with countries. Also, by promoting strong relationships with neighbourhood countries.

Indian Perspective

Currently, India is lacking behind accomplishing many of the targets. According to the Centre for Science and Environment’s State of India’s Environment Report, 2022 Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav disclosed the score and rank of India as 66 out of 100 and slipped three ranks to 120th, which is the last among all Asian countries except Pakistan who is 129th in rank.

It is predicted that the rank dropped primarily due to zero hunger, good health and well-being, gender equality and sustainable cities and communities.

Way Forward

India should strategically plan and install all the SDGs. Though its population demography may prove a demerit, India has achieved much and will achieve all the 17 SDGs by 2030.