Why in the News?

On September 9-10, 2023, New Delhi hosted the G-20 Summit, where participants committed to enhancing the implementation of the UN Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.

How effectively is India progressing towards achieving the SDGs by 2030?

• Current Status: India is classified in the “medium human development” category, with an HDI value of 0.644 and a rank of 134 out of 193 countries.
• Improvement Over Time: India saw an increase of 48.4% in HDI value from 1990 (0.434) to 2022 (0.644), indicating positive long-term trends despite recent stagnation and slight declines due to factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
• SDG Interconnections: India’s HDI dimensions directly align with several SDGs, including SDG-3 (good health), SDG-4 (quality education), and SDG-5 (gender equality). Progress in these areas is critical for achieving broader SDG targets.
• Rank Improvements: From 2015 to 2022, India improved its HDI ranking by four places, while neighboring countries such as Bangladesh and Bhutan improved their rankings by 12 and 10 places, respectively, highlighting the need for India to enhance its efforts.

What are the key human development challenges that India faces?

• Gender Inequality: India has one of the largest gender gaps in the Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR), with a stark difference of 47.8 percentage points between women (28.3%) and men (76.1%). The GDI indicates significant disparities in HDI achievements between genders, which undermines development.
• Income Inequality: India experiences high income inequality, with the richest 1% holding 21.7% of total income, significantly higher than many neighboring countries and above global averages. This poses a barrier to sustainable development and equitable growth.
• Education and Health: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected education and health sectors, leading to increased vulnerabilities among poorer and marginalized populations.
• Urban-Rural Divide: There is a notable disparity in female labour force participation between rural (41.5%) and urban areas (25.4%), suggesting that urban policy initiatives may not adequately support women’s employment.

What strategies can be implemented? (Way forward)

• Strengthening Gender Equality: Implement gender-transformative approaches to enhance women’s participation in the labour force and address systemic barriers. This includes policies promoting work-life balance, flexible work arrangements, and targeted skill development programs.
• Enhancing Education and Skill Development: Invest in quality education, vocational training, and lifelong learning opportunities that cater to both genders, particularly in rural areas.
• Promoting Social Protection: Expand social safety nets and anticipatory social protection programs that target vulnerable populations, particularly women and marginalized groups.
• Reducing Income Inequality: Implement progressive taxation and wealth redistribution policies to address the concentration of income.
• Multi-Stakeholder Engagement: Foster collaboration between government, civil society, and the private sector to implement sustainable development initiatives.

Mains PYQ:

Q National Education Policy 2020 isin conformity with the Sustainable Development Goal-4 (2030). It intends to restructure and reorient education system in India. Critically examine the statement. (UPSC IAS/2020)

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