India has made significant strides in its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through partnerships with global organizations like the United Nations. The UN and India’s NITI Aayog signed a partnership agreement, the Government of India-United Nations Sustainable Development Framework (UNSDF) for 2018-2022. The agreement outlines the contribution of UN agencies to India’s development goals, which align with the national priorities outlined by the NITI Aayog. The initiatives include the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sampada Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra, and Odisha Kaushal Gram scheme, as well as the introduction of smart coaches in Indian Railways.
The India-UN Sustainable Development Framework
Announced in 2018, the Government of India-United Nations Sustainable Development Framework (UNSDF) 2018-2022 is a strategic plan for the collaboration between UN agencies and the Indian government towards achieving key development outcomes. These desired outcomes have been identified and agreed upon by both parties, in consultation with the government, and are aligned with India’s national priorities.
NITI Aayog’s Three-Year Action Agenda 2017-2020 and various policy announcements like ‘New India by 2022’ are among the priorities that align with the agreed 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDG 2030). NITI Aayog acts as the point of contact for the UN in India for the implementation of UNSDF.
The UNSDF focuses on seven priority areas: Poverty and Urbanization, Health, Water, and Sanitation, Education and Employability, Nutrition and Food Security, Climate Change, Clean Energy, and Disaster Resilience, Skilling, Entrepreneurship, and Job Creation, and Gender Equality and Youth Development.
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sampada Yojana (PMKSY)
PMKSY is a comprehensive plan that combines existing schemes of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries. These schemes include the Mega Food Parks program, Integrated Cold Chain, and Value Addition Infrastructure, as well as the Food Safety and Quality Assurance Infrastructure.
New schemes under PMKSY include the Infrastructure for Agro-processing Clusters, Creation of Backward and Forward Linkages, and the Expansion of Food Processing & Preservation Capacities. PMKSY aims to enhance agriculture, modernize processing, and reduce agricultural waste.
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra
A recent development was the inauguration of a Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra in Dharmagarh, Kalahandi, Odisha. The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) plans to set up these state-of-the-art Model Training Centres (MTCs) in every district of the country. The National Skill Development Council (NSDC) will oversee the implementation of these projects.
The primary objectives of these training centers are to create benchmark institutions to inspire competency-based skill development training and to focus on elements of quality, sustainability, and engagement with stakeholders in the skills delivery process.
Odisha Kaushal Gram
The Odisha Kaushal Gram scheme involves a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) initiative for six job roles for 20,000 people. This unrecognized skilled labor force from villages will receive certification under the project. As a result, these villages will emerge as model skill villages or ‘Kaushal Grams.’
Railways to Introduce Smart Coaches
The Indian Railways has announced its plan to roll out ‘Make in India’ smart coaches equipped with high-tech features like black boxes and artificial intelligence-enabled CCTV cameras. The upgraded coaches, version 2.0, will also include video analytics with face detection features, unusual occurrence detection capabilities, fire-and-smoke detection units, and an energy-metering module to monitor the energy consumption of the coach.
