Cabinet approves scheme to help rural India achieve UN SDGs
The scheme worth ₹5,911 crore is aimed at empowering 2,78,000 Panchayati Raj institutions, or elected rural local governments, to implement a set of social goals which the UN has deemed necessary for sustainable development.
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved an extension to the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA), a centrally-sponsored scheme to help rural India achieve key targets of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations member states in 2015, are a set of 17 targets which require “urgent call for action by all member countries”. The first goal is to end poverty in all its forms by 2030.
The scheme worth ₹5,911 crore is aimed at empowering 2,78,000 Panchayati Raj institutions, or elected rural local governments, to implement a set of social goals which the UN has deemed necessary for sustainable development.
The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the revamped RGSA to be executed from April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2026. It will focus on developing “governance capabilities” of Panchayati Raj institutions.
According to the Centre for Science and Environment’s “State of India’s Environment Report, 2022” released last month, India slipped three spots from last year’s 117 to rank 120 on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted as a part of the 2030 agenda by 192 United Nations member states in 2015.
The revamped scheme cleared by the Cabinet focuses on SDGs in nine areas. These are poverty free and enhanced livelihood in villages; healthy village, child-friendly village; water-sufficient village; clean and green village; self-sufficient infrastructure in village; socially secured village; village with good governance and engendered development in village.
Of the total financial outlay of ₹5911 crore, the central share is ₹3700 crore, while the share of states is ₹2211 crore.
“Implementation and monitoring of the activities of the scheme will broadly be aligned for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Panchayats are the focal points for all the developmental activities and implementation of schemes of various Ministries/ Departments and State Government to achieve SDGs,” a Cabinet statement said.
According to the scheme’s goal plan, as panchayats have representation of “Schedule Castes, Schedule Tribes and women”, and are “institutions closest to the grassroots”, strengthening panchayats will promote equity and inclusiveness, along with social justice and economic development of the community”.
