Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reducing Inequality – Evidence from India and its States

Abstract

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) embraced seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, recognising the global imperative to address societal challenges. Among these goals, SDG 10 focuses on reducing inequalities within and among countries. Instead of examining inequalities within and among countries, our study assesses within-group inequality (within rural and urban) and between-group inequality (between rural and urban) of all India and its fifteen major states from 1983 to 2011–12. Our findings indicate that within-group inequality contributes most to overall or combined inequality. To effectively achieve the sustainable development goal in India, it is crucial to prioritise efforts towards reducing within-group inequality (within rural and urban). Additionally, it is essential to monitor the between-group inequality (between rural and urban) so that it does not increase excessively. Also, we have suggested some policies to achieve SDG 10 while fostering a more inclusive society.