Lok Sabha Question No. 1325 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-30
Subject: Sustainable Development Goals
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Dr. Bachhav Shobha Dinesh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1325

## ANSWERED ON 30/07/2024

## SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

## 1325 DR. BACHHAV SHOBHA DINESH:

## Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENTbe pleased to state:

- (a) the strategies being made by the Government for the economic welfare of the ruralmasses in addition to focusing on eradicating rural poverty and increasing livelihoodopportunities;
- (b) whether the Government has achieved the target of reducing multidimensional  poverty  asper  the  Sustainable  Development Goals of the United Nations;
- (c)
- if so, the details thereof, State and district-wise;
- (d) if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (e) the number of people moved out of multidimensional poverty in the rural and the urbanareas during the last five years?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN)

(a) : The  Ministry  of  Rural  Development  (MoRD),  Department  of Rural Development (DoRD) has adopted multi-pronged strategies to improve the economic well-being of people in rural areas with the main focus on increasing livelihood opportunities, empowering rural women, providing social safety net skilling of rural youth, infrastructure  development  etc  through  its  Programmes.  In  this regard,  the  Government  is  implementing  a  number  of  targeted programmes such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Pradhan MantriAwasYojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), Pradhan Mantri Gram SadakYojana (PMGSY),

DeendayalAntyodayaYojana  -  National  Rural  Livelihoods  Mission (DAY NRLM), DeenDayalUpadhyayaGrameenKaushalyaYojana (DDUGKY),  Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs), National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) and Watershed Development Component  (WDC)  of  the  Pradhan  MantriKrishiSinchayeeYojana (WDC-PMKSY). (b) to (e) : The Resolution of the United Nations General Assembly on 25 th September, 2015 established the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDG target 1.2, that aims to reduce 'at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions' by 2030. NITI Aayog  recently  published  a report, 'National Multidimensional Poverty Index: A Progress Review 2023', estimating  multidimensional  poverty  at  national,  state  and  district level. The report highlights that India's headcount ratio of multidimensional poor has nearly halved from 24.85% in 2015-16  to 14.96% in 2019-21, resulting in 13.5 crore people escaping multidimensional poverty. This indicates that India is well on course to achieve the SDG target 1.2 much ahead of 2030. NITI Aayog also released a discussion paper 'Multidimensional Poverty in India since 2005-06  capturing  the  estimates  of  multidimensional  poverty  from 2005-06  to  2022-23.  According  to  the  discussion  paper,  India  has registered  a  significant  decline  in  multidimensional  poverty  from 29.17%  in  2013-14  to  11.28%  in  2022-23,  resulting  in  24.82  crore people escaping multidimensional poverty in last nine years. The report also highlights that India's headcount ratio of multidimensional  poor  has  reduced  from  32.59%  in  2015-16  to 19.28% in 2019-21 in rural areas and from 8.65% in 2015-16 to 5.27% in  2019-  21  in  urban  areas.  The  report  doesn't  provide  the  ruralurban  split  of  the  number  of  people  escaping  multidimensional poverty.  The  estimates  indicate  that  rural  areas  saw  a  faster reduction in multidimensional poverty compared to urban areas. The report is available in the public domain and can be accessed at the following website: https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2023-08/India-National-

Multidimentional-Poverty-Index-2023.pdf

Apart from this, an evaluation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes in Rural Development  Sector, including Pradhan Mantri  Gram SadakYojana was carried out by NITI Aayog in 2020 which found, inter-alia, that the scheme is well aligned with India's international goals and is seen to contribute to SDGs 2 & 9 as it addressed the issues of poverty, hunger and infrastructure for growth. Further, the goal  of  WDC-PMKSY  is  to  ensure  sustainable  improvement  in productivity  and  livelihood  /  income  potential  of  land,  in  particular rainfed cultivated areas and culturable wastelands.

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