Tracking the Global Goals in India

Tracking the Global
Goals in India
February 2016

Report by : DevelopmentAlternatives
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Team : Zeenat Niazi,
Radhika Ralhan, Senior Manager, DevelopmentAlternatives
Anshul Bhamra, Deputy Manager, DevelopmentAlternatives
Harshini Shanker, Consultant, DevelopmentAlternatives
Rohan Jain, Deputy Manager, DevelopmentAlternatives
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© 2016 DevelopmentAlternatives
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Acknowledgements
We thank Heinrich BöllStiftung for supporting this study.
We are grateful to Mr. Ashish Kumar, Director General, Central Statistical Office, Ministry of
Statistics and Programme Implementation (MosPI), for his significant inputs that helped define
the direction of the study.We are also grateful to Mr. Krishna Kumar, Deputy Director General,
Social Statistics Division, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MosPI), for
extending his valuable insights to the research. We are thankful to Mr. Ashok Baran
Chakraborty, Head – Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development (CESD),Indian
Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) , for extending his expertise and feedbackon the overall
study. We would like to take this opportunity to also thank Ms. Zeenat Niazi, Vice President,
DevelopmentAlternatives, for her constant guidance and support provided at every stage of the
research exercise.
We would also like to extend our gratitude to the following esteemed individuals from leading
organisations whose expertise was crucial in building the perspectives presented in the study.
The insights, feedback and contribution of each individual mentioned were imperative towards
formulating an objective research study.
Ashish Kumar
Director General,
Central Statistical Office,
Ministry of Statistics and
Programme Implementation
Krishna Kumar
Deputy Director General
Social Statistics Division,
Ministry of Statistics and
Programme Implementation
George C Varughese
President,
Development Alternatives
Jitesh Khosla
Former Chief Secretary,
Government of Assam
Aditya Pundir
Country Manager,
The Climate Reality Project
India
Ashok Baran Chakraborty
Head – CESD,
Indian Institute of
Corporate Affairs
Tracking the Global Goals in India 01
Dr Madhav Gadgil
Founder,
Centre for Ecological Sciences
Meera Mishra
Country Coordinator,
International Fund for
Agricultural Development

Pooran Chandra Pandey
Executive Director,
United Nations Global Compact
India
Dr Pronab Sen
Chairman,
National Statistical Commission
Pradeep Mohapatra
Secretary,
Udyama
Rajib Kumar Debnath
Director – Advisory Services,
Ernst & Young India
Ravi Bhatnagar
Manager, External Affairs,
Reckitt Benckiser India
Dr Ravindra Srinivas
Executive Director,
Centre for Sustainable
Development
Ritesh Sinha
Director – CSR,
DLF Ltd.
Santhosh Jayaram
Director – Sustainability and
Climate Change,
Tushar Pandey
Senior President and Country
Head-PSPM Group,
Yes Bank
Zeenat Niazi
Vice President,
Development Alternatives
Tracking the Global Goals in India02

Foreword
The seventeen Sustainable Development hygiene, education, natural resource
Goals (SDGs) were adopted by member conservation and management, waste
nations of the United Nations in September management, climate change response,
2015 and are set to be achieved between and empowerment of women. Action points
2016 and 2030. The first seven SDGs are for some of these areas are outlined below.
an extension of the MDGs; they cover goals
Food Securitysuch as eradicating poverty, ending hunger,
and providing universal access to Food security is one of the top priorities to
healthcare, education, clean water, achieve the SDGs.Agriculture production is
sanitation and clean energy. There is also a dependent upon soil fertility, adequate
goal that calls for the empowerment of water, suitable techniques/practices and
women and girls. The eighth, ninth and adaptation to climate change. The
tenth SDGs cover economic growth and availability of food is also dependent upon
decent jobs, industrialisation and reduced reduction in wastage in the supply chain
inequality. The eleventh to fifteenth SDGs from field to market to consumer. This
provides a framework for sustainability, requires an interlinked perspective in
touching issues relating to urbanisation, interventions for food security. Every step of
consumption and production, climate food production and access, including
change, natural resources and the storage and distribution, has to be taken
environment. The sixteenth goal focuses on into consideration. A clear roadmap,
peace and justice, while the seventeenth c o n s i s t i n g o f n o d a l p o i n t s f o r
g o a l d e s c r i b e s t h e m e a n s o f implementation, monitoring and reporting,
implementation for all SDGs, emphasising is required.
the global partnerships required for
countries to together achieve the Affordable Housing, Power, Water
development agenda. and Sanitation
To attain the SDGs in the specified time India released a list of the first 20 cities
frame of fifteen years, it is necessary to shortlisted so far under the Prime Minister’s
have a clear roadmap for the ‘Smart Cities Mission’. Prime Minister Modi
implementation process. The compilation has vowed to create 100 new smart cities by
of data pertaining to development 2022. Important elements of these Smart
indicators in India’s 600+ districts against Cities include adequate water supply and
specific targets, and the study of sanitation, reliable electricity, efficient solid
effectiveness and impact of interventions and wastewater management, efficient
implemented in these districts, would be public transport, effective use of IT
helpful in monitoring and mid-course technologies, e-governance and
correction. India’s development trajectory sustainable environment. Other focus
will have to address key concerns in the areas include creating walkable localities;
areas of food security, livelihoods and reducing congestion, pollution and
income generation, affordable housing, resource depletion; spurring the growth of
power, water, sanitation, health and the local economy; developing safe and

secure open public spaces; and revitalising partnership model would be essential to
the cultural identity of the city. move fast towards achieving the SDGs in
India.
Education
I am pleased that Development
The paradigm of poverty, illiteracy and child Alternatives, with support from Heinrich
labour can only be addressed through BöllStiftung, has developed the current
holistic education. Holistic education study to map the global goals in India. The
models include quality teaching, availability study analyses India’s indicator framework
of teaching aids, mid-day meals, water, and statistical capacity, highlighting the
hygiene, toilets, playgrounds and periodic challenges and opportunities in monitoring
medical care. India’s demographic dividend and reporting progress towards the SDGs.
would remain untapped if girl children’s The analysis conducted in this study is
education does not receive the attention it particularly pertinent as the global
deserves.Therefore it is extremely vital to community is reviewing and finalising the
focus on the education of girls through indicators that will be used to track the
aligned government policies and SDGs, and nations are grappling with the
programmes which entail adequate challenge of aligning their national data
incentives and motivation to send the girls collection and reporting mechanisms with
to schools. international requirements. The study has
developed narratives on the indicator
Climate Change
framework for six goals that are important
national priorities for India, as highlightedClimate change affects the poor,
above: SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 6 (cleanmarginalised and disadvantaged the most.
water and sanitation), SDG 7 (affordableIt is important to work on improving
and clean energy), SDG 8 (decent work andsimultaneously India’s energy intensity and
economic growth), SDG 11 (sustainableemissions intensity, targeting all key
cities and communities) and SDG 12industry sectors, and measuring outcomes
(responsible consumption and production).through suitably developed metrics.
This report may be used as a guideline forGreening of core operations of businesses
policymakers and statistical agencies toand investing in positive impact sectors and
strengthen India’s statistical systems, andtechnologies would be essential to tackle
also by private stakeholders who have anemerging global challenges of climate
important role to play in financing many ofchange. Suitable adaptation programmes
the interventions and reforms required tofor all the districts of the country need to be
achieve the SDGs in India.prepared and worked upon particularly in
the focus areas of water and agriculture.
Partnerships
Implementation of plans and programmes
Ashok Baran Chakraborty
in a time bound manner is possible only
Head – Centre of Excellence for
through suitable partnerships and
Sustainable Development
participation of all key stakeholders
Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs
including civil society organisations in every
(Ministry of Corporate Affairs)
district in the country. A decent, transparent

Executive Summary
About the Sustainable Development recommendations to policymakers and
Goals and Indicators stakeholders with a purpose of
strengthening data systems for the
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals
indicators.
(SDGs) and 169 targets under these goals,
adopted by 193 member states of the Scope - The study focuses on indicators
United Nations in September 2015, outline pertaining to six SDGs which are as follows:
the future that the world aspires to achieve SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 6 (clean water
in from 2016 to 2030. The SDGs cover a and sanitation), SDG 7 (affordable and
broad range of interconnected issues, from clean energy), SDG 8 (decent work and
economic growth to social issues to global economic growth), SDG 11 (sustainable
public goods. cities and communities) and SDG 12
(responsible consumption and production).
The indicators to track the SDGs are
currently being developed by the Inter- Methodology - The method of inquiry
Agency and Expert Group on SDG includes primary and secondary research.
Indicators (IAEG-SDG). It is significant to Primary research included interviews with
outline this current process for an overall leading experts, and a national multi-
comprehensive understanding of the stakeholder consultation. Secondary
situation with respect to the SDGs. Around research encompassed an analysis of the
229 indicators were finalised as of statistical capacity of India. Specific Indian
December 2015, with the complete list indicators are analysed through the
scheduled to be released in March 2016. following frame of analysis: methodological
Countries need to put in place appropriate issues in data collection and dissemination,
mechanisms for timely, transparent and and appropriateness of indicators to local
reliable data collection, monitoring context and/or national priorities.
protocols, data analysis and research, as
Part I - Strengthening India’s Statistical
well as sufficient means and resources to
Capacity
carry forward these exercises.
This section explores the role of
About the Study
government agencies in tracking the global
Objectives - The objectives of the present goals, and describes some challenges and
study are two-fold. The first objective is to opportunities in strengthening India’s
describe the existing statistical capacity of statistical capacity. Specific areas of
India while highlighting the challenges, intervention are identified for the use of
gaps and opportunities to track the SDGs. various stakeholders such as statisticians,
The second objective is to explore the civil society organisations, government
extent to which existing Indian indicators statistical agencies, and data analysts.
are aligned with global requirements, i.e.
Who will Track the Global Goals in India?
the IAEG-SDG indicators, as well as in the
local context; to describe challenges in NITIAayog is the nodal government agency
monitoring, measurement and evaluation of for coordinating SDG implementation in
th e i n d i c a to r s ; a n d to p r o v i d e India and monitoring progress. The Ministry

o f S t a t i s t i c s a n d P r o g r a m m e time and effort required to access OGD.
Implementation (MosPI) is the nodal Media reports acclaim India’s OGD
government agency for tracking and platform for its flexibility, robustness and
reporting data on progress towards SDGs. non-involvement of commercial
application. However, a key challenge is the
India’s Overall Statistical Capacity
absence of metadata for many datasets.
India scored 77.8 in 2015 on a scale of 0-
Ease of Understanding - Due to the large
100 in World Bank’s Statistical Capacity
range of poverty estimates derived from
Indicator. It is encouraging that India
varying methodologies and sources, the
performed better than comparable
general public often does not understand
developing nations; China scored 70.0 and
what to make of poverty in India. Moving
Brazil scored 65.6 in the same year. A 2004
forward, as India progresses towards
study by the International Monetary Fund
achieving the SDGs, it is important that
found thatIndia’s macroeconomic statistics,
indicators used reflect the target they
on balance, follow international statistical
represent to the greatest extent possible,
recommendations. This indicates that the
for objective representation and ease of
reforms required to strengthen India’s
interpretation.
statistical capacity are not major structural
or systemic reforms but smaller (but crucial) Periodicity - Surveys conducted one-time
fine-tuning reforms. and not repeated periodically make it
difficult to analyse trends. Progress towards
India is one of the few countries conducting
SDGs has to be benchmarked, with target
a Census, nation-wide sample surveys and
indicator values for intermediate years
various thematic periodic surveys at the
between 2016 and 2030. This has been a
state and national level. Hence the
major problem in India.The last two
statistical capacity and its strengthening
National Family Health Surveys were in
would not require major structural reforms
2005-06 and 2014-15 respectively,
at the national level. However, in the context
indicating almost a decade long gap in the
of the SDGs, a large onus of assessing the
collection and dissemination of critical data
implementation will be on the States and
on the population’s health outcomes.
the data collected at the district level will be
NSSO conducts surveys every year on a
extremely significant. Therefore statistical
range of socio-economic indicators;
capacity needs to be improved at the
however survey topics are repeated only
bottom rung – the district level.
once in five years. Therefore, data on
several important indicators is availableEnsuring Data Transparency, Ease of
only once in five years.Understanding and Periodicity
Plugging Data GapsTransparency - India‘s Open Government
Data (OGD) Platform at is
Both of India’s largest surveys – the NSSO
a web portal with the aim to allow
and Census surveys – are household-
government agencies to publish datasets,
based, which means that within-household
documents, services, tools and
disaggregated data is not available in India
applications collected by them for public
for many crucial indicators. For example,
use. The government also runs portals that
there is not even basic information available
collate data on specific themes in one
on women’s ownership of assets.Similarly,
place.Such initiatives have reduced the
www.data.gov.in

water and toilets are two critical concerns SDG 2 (Zero Hunger)
for women, but gender-disaggregated data
The Sustainable Development Goal 2 deals
on access to these essential services is not
with targets of food consumption and
available.
production to ensure food security. The
Another data gap is non-availability of data consumption indicators are captured by
at the sub-state level. There are other data NSSO survey, the main source of
gaps in India in various sectors. In the information and data. The NSSO survey
health sector, information on preventive, captures changes in the dietary
promotive, rehabilitative and palliative consumption of food and nutrition by the
services;access/use of primary care Indian population. There are concerns
services, mental health, injuries, nutrition, about the length and extensive nature of the
chronic disease treatment, acute illness in NSSO survey that can lead to under/over
children, etc. is not available. In energy, the estimation of nourishment in India due to
most prominent gaps in availability of errors of recalling, fatigue and over-
energy data in India are with respect to multiplication.
consumption sectors and decentralised
It is also important for India to measure the
small scale generation sources, and also
availability of and access to food (inclusive
data on grid electricity quality and reliability.
of micro-nutrient) for all its population.Apart
Major data gaps on economic indicators are
from farmers directly growing their own
also faced in monetary policymaking.
food, Public Distribution System in India is
Sector-wise methodological studies are
responsible for availability of and access to
recommended to ascertain how to best plug
food to all its citizens. This requires
data gaps in each sector.
indicators to measure the efficiency and
Available technology may be leveraged or effectiveness of Public Distribution System.
new technologies innovated to plug data
Ministry of Agriculture is the nodal ministry
gaps. Big data – the flood of information
for collecting and reporting on agriculture
made possible by interactions on the
production targets in the IAEG-SDG list of
internet – may be used to gather individual
indicators. The unavailability of
data points directly from people, albeit with
disaggregated data on different classes
due caution as big data may or may not
and categories of labour constrains the
possess desirable statistical properties.
assessment of the labour productivity of
Global partnerships should be leveraged
each class and thus measures of the overall
for countries to cross-learn and work
well-being of the marginal groups like
together to enable the data revolution
marginal and small farmers.
needed for effectively tracking SDGs.
The indicators for the production target in
Part II - Analysis of the Indian Indicator
the IAEG-SDG list are inadequate with
Framework
respect to the conditions of India. It is
The indicators that have been finalised by important to track value of food production
IAEG-SDG as of December 2015 were per unit resource used – water, land,
analysed to identify Indian counterparts, energy. Without this, one cannot track the
point out methodological issues and extensive natural resource consumption by
explore the appropriateness of indicators to agriculture sector which in turn impacts the
local context and/or national priorities. achievement of other goals using natural

resources (SDGs 6, 7, 11) and the ones that the method of collecting data from one
aim to improve the health of these natural member of the household.
resources (SDGs 14,15). Water use
?The NSS survey list of food has a total of
efficiency to track the progress of irrigation
209 elements including cereals,
status is critical in this case, for which the
vegetables, cash crops, etc. Dropping
Ministry of Water Resources has begun to
or combining certain items will reduce
set up mechanisms for collecting adequate
data collection fatigue of surveyor and
data. The Ministry is in the process of
the one being surveyed.Asuggestion of
conducting base line assessment of water
combining food items that can which
use efficiency of various micro and macro
have similar base food may be helpful in
irrigation projects.
this case. The grouping of food items
There is no indicator in the IAEG-SDG list and the specificity of the food list must
for the total use of fertilisers and the also ensure that intake and
efficiency of fertiliser use. The Department consumption of micro-nutrient is not
of Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture collects missed.
the data for the use of chemical fertiliser,
?Implementation of Food Insecurity
which is an important indicator in the Indian
Experience Scale Survey in India that
context.
collects data for a 12 month period as
Based on the analysis, the following is a opposed to 7 day and 30 day recall
summary of recommendations. periods used by NSSO. Method and
timing of both surveys need to be
?Concern of seasonality on food
designed such that any abstract
consumption is a critical factor in a
multiplication error can be prevented.
country with huge rural-urban
temporary migration records. The ?It is recommended that the government
NSSO survey design (that is he revise the method of collecting
predominant source of information on agriculture land data in the Agriculture
food and nutrition status) should take C e n s u s a g a i n s t t h e g l a r i n g
into account spatial and temporal discrepancies with NSSO survey data.
variation in order to prevent distortions This may involve changing the
of the sample. approach of collecting data, or
developing systems to ensure changes
?The NSS survey collects information of
in land use pattern are informed at the
all family members from one
patwari or district level.
representative family member who may
not be aware of the actual food SDG 6 (Safe Drinking Water and
consumption outside home of all other Sanitation)
members. In rural India, there are
The Indian definition of ‘safe drinking water’
studies that show that one member may
requires amendment, as there is evidence
not aware of the food consumption of
to suggest that what Indian authorities call
the entire household as incidences of
‘safe’is often not safe.
food outside home are higher in such
areas due to movement for labour work. The practice of focusing on only ‘access’
Addressing this will require change in indicators does not highlight concerns

relating to quality and efficiency of service • The Strategic Plan (2011-22) of the
delivery. The poor performance of water Ministry of Drinking Water and
access models – in particular inadequate Sanitation proposes the development of
operations and maintenance, and slippage a Management Devolution Index based
of habitations – is a pertinent problem and on selected indicators that measure the
requires monitoring. depth of management devolution for
use in allocation of incentive grants.
Further, there is a need to track the
Such an Index should be developed
existence, adequacy and effectiveness of
soon in consultation with stakeholders,
the end-to-end sanitation chain in India as
and mainstreamed into planning
current indicators do not adequately
processes.
address the safe collection, transportation
and disposal of waste. • It is recommended that the existence,
adequacy and effectiveness of the end-
In the area of sewage and effluent
to-end sanitation chain in India be
treatment, there is scope to measure
tracked. This can be accomplished by
performance metrics of facilities.
slightly amending existing indicators in
the Census and NSSO surveys. ForBased on the analysis, the following is a
starters, the percentage of populationsummary of recommendations.
that defecates in the open despite
• The characterisation of groundwater access to a toilet may be measured.
sources as ‘safe’ should be abandoned, Further, the extent to which toilets
unless evidence from scientific tests constructed under the Swachh Bharat
exists to back the claim. Data on water Mission are covered by a reliable water
quality indicators are readily available supply and a safe disposal mechanism
as they are tracked using IMIS by the for waste may be measured.
Ministry of Drinking Water and
• Given India’s inadequate end-to-endSanitation. Such data should now take
management of sewage, additionalthe centre stage in policy planning.
indicators pertaining to the performance
• Since per capita adequacy of water in and usage of wastewater are required,
India is a major concern, it is namely i) percentage of STPs adhering
recommended that the government to operations and maintenance
track per capita availability of water and standards prescribed under the
consumption of water, disaggregated Environmental (Protection) Rules for
by use, and benchmark progress discharge into streams, ii) percentage
towards contextually appropriate of conventionally treated sewage for
threshold values. irrigation of crops not eaten raw, and iii)
percentage of STPs in which treated
• A useful indicator that captures the
effluent conforms to prescribed quality
effects of adequate operations &
standards. These indicators, however,
maintenance, and source sustainability
are likely to be expensive to physically
of water resources is slippage. It is
measure. One possible solution is to
recommended that slippage, which
have STPs self-report this information.
directly reflects the aforementioned
variables, be tracked actively as an • Installed capacity for effluent treatment
indicator. in CETPs is the only currently available

indicator that is somewhat aligned with capita or household electricity
the IAEG-SDG indicator for the target in consumption thresholds for rural and
question. However, performance urban areas may be set and adherence
metrics including capacity utilisation to these thresholds measured
should be tracked more frequently by
• To measure affordability of energy,
CPCB or SPCBs (the last CPCB study
percentage of per capita income (or
was in 2005). Alternatively, CETPs
household income) spent on energy
should be asked to self-report this
may be measured. The government
information.
may want to set threshold values for this
SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) indicator to monitor that affordable
electricity is available to all. The
The first challenge for a researcher or
government threshold for this indicator
policymaker is the definition of electricity
should be applied only for low income
access in India, which allows villages that
households (as it may not have much
are not adequately electrified to still count
meaning for high-income households)
as electrified. Another challenge is to
to ensure that these households are not
reconcile the divergence of data available
paying more than their due share for
from NSSO and Census surveys.
electricity.
Further, given India’s local context of
• To measure reliability of electricity,
unreliable intermittent power supply and
number of hours of load shedding per
low per-capita energy consumption, there is
day (or per month) disaggregated by
a need to move beyond access indicators
region may be used as an indicator.
and measure other aspects of energy
consumption such as energy affordability, • To assess “modernity” of energy
reliability and modernity. access, the government should first
define what kind of “modernity” it aims
Disaggregated data on renewable energy
for and accordingly choose indicators
share by source of renewable energy is not
for monitoring and evaluation.
easily available in India.
• In addition to energy intensity,
With regard to energy efficiency, ‘energy
emissions intensity should also be
intensity’ and ‘emissions intensity’ present
closely monitored in line with India’s
themselves as important variables. The
INDC commitments.
IAEG-SDG framework only includes the
former. • The government should also closely
monitor the Energy Sustainability
Based on the analysis, the following is a
parameters generated by the World
summary of recommendations.
Energy Council, and ensure that these
scores improve as India makes• To ensure timely availability of reliable
progress towards SDG 7.data and avoid divergence of data
available from NSSO and Census
SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic
surveys, the NSSO and Census
Growth)
questionnaires may be aligned.
There are two major employment and
• To measure access to electricity, per
unemployment surveys in India, conducted

by the NSSO and Labour Bureau part time work for usually active
respectively. The surveys have similar workers, number of hours of work per
concepts and definitions; therefore the day etc.) may be included in the
question arises whether both need to be Employment and Unemployment
conducted, especially in the same year as Surveys of NSSO and Labour Bureau.
has happened in the past. Methodological studies should be
undertaken to identify specific
India’s informal economy can be described
indicators and data.
in terms of enterprises and/or conditions of
employment. There is scope to include • To track the much-desired formalisation
probing questions to ascertain the of the informal enterprise, an “ease of
conditions of employment of people in doing business by MSMEs” index may
employment surveys. be formulated by including a few
probing questions in India’s existing
Some wage surveys in India are conducted
enterprise surveys. These questions
quite infrequently, and in some cases one
should provide insights on the degree of
wage survey is found to be duplicating the
formalisation in MSMEs’ regular
effort of another.
activities. One such question, for
example, could be whether theFurther, with regard to child labour,
enterprise has a bank account.statistics are simply derived from age-wise
distribution of workers, demoting child
• Further research on methods to
labour to a mere economic phenomenon
estimate earnings of the self-employed
and ignoring its social and human rights
is recommended.
characteristics.
• An International Labour Organization
Based on the analysis, the following is a
(ILO) study notes that the occupations
summary of recommendations.
covered in the Occupation Wage
Survey were identified almost 40 years• Reflection is recommended on whether
ago and have not been revised to reflectit is necessary to conduct both NSSO
changes in rural occupations. A revisionand Labour Bureau surveys for the
is therefore required at the earliest.same indicators on employment and
unemployment, especially in the same
• The Occupational Wage Survey is the
year as happened in 2011-12.
only source of occupation-wise wage
data. However, it seems to be quite• Labour market data, particularly
irregular and there appears to be a largeemployment and unemployment data,
delay between the administration ofshould be tracked at least quarterly. The
survey and publishing of the findings,frequency of data collection should
often rendering the findings irrelevant.match the frequency with which
There is a need to determine theimportant policy decisions relevant to
appropriate frequency of this surveythe sector are made.
and administer the survey according to
• More probing questions on the nature of this frequency. It is also recommended
working conditions, job security, safety that the time taken to compile and
and durability of employment(for publish data be reduced.
example, non-regularity of work and

• A new definition of child labour that there is no metric that is followed by a
looks at the issue from a social and government agency. Town planning policies
human rights angle in addition to an need to expand to include holistic usage of
economic angle is recommended. public spaces.
• It is recommended that at least a Based on the analysis of indicators under
decennial survey of time use, SDG 11, following is a summary of
particularly of children, be attempted, recommendations:
learning from the pilot experience of the
• A “bottom-up” approach, where local
Time Use Survey.
data can be fed upstream, through a
• Disaggregated data on children’s sometimes complex system of statistics
involvement in various hazardous as well as policies and strategies, is
occupations and processes (as defined required. This would contribute to
by the Child Labour (Protection and further strengthening the cities as
Regulation) Act) is not available but is stakeholders and significant actors for
important. It is recommended that sustainability work. Importantly, this
collection of this data be integrated into also can be seen as an important step
existing NSSO surveys. forward in terms of the inclusion of local
and regional policymakers, as well as
SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and
citizens all over the world, in this work.
Communities)
• Many indices on mapping and tracking
India’s urban population grew from the 290
urban development has been
million reported in the 2001 census to an
developed by diverse stakeholders
estimated 340 million in 2008, and could
Siemens with cities Index, in our own
soar further to 590 million by 2030. This will
interviews with Centre for Sustainable
pose an unprecedented policy and
Development and urban index is in the
managerial challenge.
process, academic institutions such as
ISB has also released their smart citiesThere is no universal definition of
index and green city index, CSO and‘affordable housing’ in India and thus,
national level data collectors need toestimating the demand and shortfall is a
also observe the methodologies, keychallenge. Further, the definition of
findings from these respective sources.‘convenient access’ to public transport
Especially in the context when therequires thorough expansion since it is not
government has released the list of firstmade clear by the concerned government
20 smart cities, the responsibility toagency. Hence, tracking of this indicator will
measure the urban development haspose an immense challenge.
increased for CSO and statistician.
Aspects of participatory decision-making in What metrics they will follow needs to be
the case of land use for housing, closely observed.
development, agriculture, etc. are virtually
• A direct engagement with the issue ofabsent. There are policies that aim to deal
land value and land-value “capture” as awith these issues, but there is scope for
means of financing and maintainingexploring this indicator in greater detail.
inclusive and accessible public spaces
With regard to access to open public space, to achieveTarget 11.7.

• The measuring indicator for India to There is currently no periodically measured
monitor public spaces needs effective indicator in India on food loss or food waste.
examining and will require a There are two possible tracks for estimating
combination of geospatial data and food loss as described above – one is the
user-perception surveys, especially physical measurement of food loss at each
when the indicator in consideration is a stage of the supply chain, and the other is
quantitative one that would specify the the GFLI method which estimates overall
area of public space in proportion to a food loss by observing physical factors that
city’s total space. contribute to food loss.
There is a need to develop a national To report on the current SDG target, India
information system and knowledge base needs to have robust administrative
with a focus on urban poverty and slums for records to supply information that is
better planning, policymaking, project required to calculate the GFLI. Whether
formulation, implementation, and India has the required data for this can only
monitoring and review, especially in the be analysed after the development,
area of slum development. This is in validation and publication of GFLI.
accordance with the objective of the
Data on recycling in India is scarce. There is
Eleventh Five-Year Plan, which adopted the
no established practice of periodic
concept of “inclusive growth” as the key
measurement of waste generated and
development pattern for the country.
recycled.
SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and
The Public Procurement Bill, 2012 is under
Production)
discussion in the parliament, which seeks to
The study develops a matrix to identify and regulate and ensure transparency in
map existing policies that address procurement by the central government
sustainable consumption and production and its entities. However, the focus of the
(SCP), and to identify gaps in the existing bill is to bring transparency in the
policy framework. The matrix includes six procurement procedures. Comparing it with
sectors and three categories of policy the expectations laid by the UNEP analysis
instruments – regulatory, economic and of indicators, it is clear that to fulfil the target
planning. Policies mapped in the matrix on sustainable public procurement the bill
address the four critical SCP concerns should aim to promote responsible
(critical thresholds, resource decoupling, c o n s u m p t i o n , r e d u c e a d v e r s e
impacts decoupling, social benefits). environmental impacts and enhance social
benefits.
With regard to material footprint, it is found
that pressures on raw materials do not The ethos of the target on corporate
necessarily decline as affluence grows but sustainability requires thorough integration
o n l y g e t s e x p o r t e d t o o t h e r of sustainability into the corporate
developing/under-developed countries. sustainability reporting mechanisms.
This demonstrates the need for policy-
Based on the analysis, a summary of
makers to consider new accounting
recommendations is as follows.
methods that more accurately track
resource consumption.

• The Ministry of Statistics, Planning and • India may adopt a useful data collection
Implementation (MoSPI) may utilise the tool created by the World Bank for urban
matrix developed in this study for solid waste management. Intended to
mapping the policies in the sector that be used at the city level, the tool covers
regulate, incentivise and plan for SCP varied activities including waste
patterns. collection, recycling, transfer station,
landfill/dump (open or closed),
• As pressures on raw materials do not
composting, and waste-to-energy
necessarily decline as affluence grows
initiatives.
but only gets exported to other
developing/under-developed countries, • India’s public procurement policy,
it is recommended that policymakers currently under discussion in
consider new accounting methods that Parliament, should aim to promote
more accurately track resource responsible consumption. It should
consumption. incentivise sustainably produced goods
and hence contribute in influencing
• There are two possible tracks for
manufacturing patterns in business.
estimating food loss as described above
This element is missing in the current
– one is the physical measurement of
public procurement bill. Further, the
food loss at each stage of the supply
public procurement policy should not
chain, and the other is the GFLI method
only aim for reducing adverse
which estimates overall food loss by
environmental impacts but also
observing physical factors that
enhancing social benefits.
contribute to food loss. In the Indian
context, it is important for both tracks to • While corporate sustainability reporting
be used to estimate food loss for at least is widely practiced in the country, the
one year, to see the extent to which the Ministry of Corporate Affairs should
two tracks converge or diverge in their formulate a universal Corporate
estimates for that year and thereby Sustainability Reporting Framework
establish the reliability of GFLI in comprising of selective indicators drawn
capturing the actual physical losses of from global and domestic reporting
food. practices. The sustainability reporting
should be directly mandated from the
• It is recommended that CPCB initiate a
government and its applicability should
system for periodic studies of MSW
be extended to all business entities.
management in a sample of cities, with
Further, a relook into the prescribed
earmarked funds for the purpose. All
annual reporting format under Section
studies should be made available in the
135 of the CSR Act, 2014 is suggested.
public domain.
Currently, the format has a restricted
scope of measuring project based• Data on safety, hygiene and worker
modalities. It should be extendedwelfare should also be tracked within
towards the SDG principles and includeexisting sector-specific surveys and
certain indicators which enable aalso general employment surveys
company to align its CSR initiative withdescribed in the SDG 8 section.
the relevant SDG target, i.e. target 12.6.

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Tracking the Global Goals in India

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