Telangana Release of Civil Society Report on India’s Progress on Sustainable Development Goals: Agenda 2030 - Report Attached
COVA Network
Telangana Release of Civil Society Report on India’s Progress on Sustainable Development Goals: Agenda 2030
25th September 2017 -Hyderabad
Civil Society Report on Sustainable Development Goals: Agenda 2030 that critically examines India’s progress on the Sustainable Development Goals was released for the State of Telangana on 25th September 2017 at a Press Conference held in Hyderabad and organised by COVA in collaboration with WNTA. This Civil Society Report was earlier released on 6th July 2017 in New Delhi and also at the side event during High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York on 12th July 2017 in the presence of a large gathering of eminent citizens, prominent civil society leaders, academia, activists and experts under the aegis of Wada Na Todo Abhiyan, a network of civil society organisations in India.
A lot has progressed since the SDGs were officially adopted by the Indian government on January 1, 2016. NITI Aayog has been identified as the nodal agency by the government of India for implementing SDGs in India and Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has drafted the National Indicators for the SDGs. The Government of India presented its Voluntary National Review report on SDGs at High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development 2017 in New York from July 10th to 19th 2017.
The Civil Society Report on SDGs: Agenda 2030 is a Civil Society initiative anchored by Wada Na Todo Abhiyan (WNTA) wherein large number of civil society organizations and networks working on SDGs have prepared a report on SDGs: Agenda 2030 which focuses on ten goals and is prepared through secondary research by individuals, academicians and members of civil society from more than fifteen states as well as consultations with local communities, particularly, the marginalized communities. The report has used the lens of ‘Leave No one Behind’ and ‘A Life of Dignity for All’ as proposed by the SDG framework. More than 62 organisations took leadership in preparing this report and 300 civil society organisations have endorsed this report.
The Civil Society Report on SDGs aims to highlight the status of SDGs in India with the UN and different stakeholders and to create traction on SDGs: Agenda 2030. The Report is an initial attempt to map the existing government interventions at national, state and local levels as well as to identify the gaps and challenges to achieve the SDGs in order to actively engage with the government and create a platform for dialogue between the Civil Society, the Government and other stakeholders on SDGs. “‘Leave No one Behind’ will continue to be the greatest challenge in achieving the SDGs in all emerging economies, particularly, in India, a land of great inequalities, and therefore, Goal 10 and Goal 16 needs the greatest attention. This Report is being released in 10 states on 25th September 2017 to commemorate the Adoption of SDGs by United Nations on 25th September 2015.
The main findings from the report on End Poverty: SDG 1 highlights that poverty is more than lack of income or resources – it includes social discrimination and exclusion, lack of basic services, such as education, health, water and sanitation, and lack of participation in decision making. Writers point to the recent Credit Suisse report that shows that the richest 1 per cent Indians now own 58.4 per cent of the country’s wealth.
According to the chapter on End Hunger: SDG 2, low nutritional status among adolescent girls reveals the gender discrimination that is widely prevalent in India. As per the data of Rapid Survey on Children (RSOC) of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, about 44 % of the adolescent girls could be classified as severely thin. This prevalence increases further when we look at socially excluded groups like Scheduled Castes (46.4%) and Scheduled Tribes (45%).
The chapter on Good Health: SDG 3 points out that out of the total expenditure on health in India, 62.4 per cent is borne out of pocket. It is a disproportionate burden on the poor and the marginalised. India does not yet explicitly recognise a national minimum social security cover. Health spending by the Central government remains at only 0.3 per cent of the GDP out of a total 1.3 per cent of GDP spent by the states and Centre together.
The Union Budget has ignored effective implementation of the Right to Education, says the chapter on Quality Education: SDG 4. There is only a meagre increase in the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan’s budget – by Rs 1,000 crores – and is far from helping the meaningful implementation of the Act and achievement of SDG 4.
The chapter on Gender Equality: SDG 5 remarks that the women in the reproductive age are undernourished and over 53% are anaemic (NFHS-4 reports). There are only 12% women parliamentarians in India. Reservation of 33% for women in the government has improved representation of women in urban and rural areas, but their voice and participation remain tethered. Caste and cultural practices in the society add layers to discriminations among women. Dalit women face systemic and structural discrimination as they are Dalits, poor, and women.
Findings from the chapter on Clean Water and Sanitation: SDG 6 shows that despite the implementation of the National Rural Drinking Water Programme and several programmes run by the Government around river development and rejuvenation of Ganga River in India, there are still 76 million people who do not have access to safe drinking water in India today.
The chapter on Reduce Inequality: SDG 10 highlights that India is one of the most unequal countries, according to the Global Wealth Report. P20 initiative which aims to track the progress of the poorest 20% globally in their attainment of SDGs has highlighted that of the 1.4 billion people in this group globally, over one third are in India. Gender inequalities have curbed progress of women in India, while caste has played an important role in exclusion of a community which consists of more than 201 million people in the country.
The chapter on Sustainable Cities and Communities: SDG 11 points out that while the Government has formulated policies, developed missions and programmes aimed at ensuring universal access to housing and basic services, a significantly large proportion of the urban population continues to be homeless or lives in underserviced and low quality housing in settlements referred to as “slums”. Some urban development programmes have made provisions for inclusion of the marginalised groups while others have clauses that result in leaving out some of them.
According to the chapter on Climate Action: SDG 13, there has been significant progress on mitigation (enhancing efficiency, avoiding emissions, and move towards renewable energy). However, in its pursuit to energy for all, India needs to prioritise principles of justice and equity over affordability. India’s high vulnerability profile also calls for equal attention on adaptation, enhancing resilience, reducing loss and damage, and incorporating community based disaster risk reduction approaches sensitive to special needs of the victims. Also as far as the local governments are concerned, they have almost no role in managing climate change and disasters.
India’s progress on Goal 16 has been largely superficial as its national target indicators continue to remain undeveloped, highlights the chapter on Peace and Justice: SDG 16. Though new laws have been enacted to help the disabled, marginalised and victimised, large gaps still remain in their implementation. Conflict, corruption and discrimination disproportionately affect the poor and marginalised, who are least able to access justice. This is in addition to a general dissatisfaction with public services, the unchecked violence against human rights defenders, and the increasing tension between the majority population and minorities especially the Dalit and Muslim groups.
The Report will also be presented to concerned Ministers, Bureaucrats, Elected Representatives and Think Tanks in Telangana.
Mazher Hussain Chaya Ratan K. Lalita Bro. Varghese Mujtaba Askari
COVA & Swaraj Abhyan Avineshi MSI HHF
Member
Steering Committee
WNTA
*MSI= Montfort Social Institute; HRF: Human Rights Forum; HFF: Helping Hands Foundation;
WNTA: Wada Na Todo Abhyan
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COVA (Confederation of Voluntary Associations), is a national network of voluntary organisations working for communal harmony and community empowerment in India and peace in South Asia and South East Asia through formation of COFI (Countering Online Fanatic Indoctrination) Networks in 12 countries of the region. COVA is also engaged with multilateral bodies like the United Nations Organisation, G20, BRICS, OIC and others for structural transformations of the world order to make society more equitable, sustainable, just and peaceful.
