Millennium Development Goals and Post 2015 Framework :An Indian Experience

Abstract

It is already clear that progress has been rather mixed. The agenda of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) has been cut back to a standard set of statistics, and macroeconomic, sectoral or institutional reforms of a technical nature. Growth has been equated as panacea for all forms of deprivation. However, the MDG agenda failed to bring fundamental transformations in human development and society to make it more inclusive. An objective and impassionate analysis of the past achievement and current trajectories are essential to understand reveal our conceptual, structural and operational deficiencies and the kinds of reorientation needed to ensure that SDGs are much more attainable. Such reorientations would include; prioritizing type of growth, disaggregated regional and local targets rather than global standards, focus on qualitative aspects of human wellbeing over technical 'solutions', and the painstaking work of developing national and sub-national enablement over quick outcome indicators. It further probes into the matter relating to India's recent development experience which shows that achieving the ambitious vision by 2030 will require addressing a wide range of challenges. Agenda of inclusive and holistic growth can accordingly no longer neglect the link between the economic, social and environmental dimensions of development which needs long term integrated policy making. Conceptualizing, planning and implementation beyond 2015 must be made integral, normative part of economic, social and environmental objective of the nation.