Lok Sabha Question No. 2595 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-19
Subject: United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Kalaben Mohanbhai Delkar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2595 ANSWERED ON 19/12/2023

## UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

## 2595. SHRIMATI DELKAR KALABEN MOHANBHAI:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the strategy being formulated by the Government to improve the economic well-being of people in rural areas with the main focus on removing rural poverty and increasing livelihood opportunities in the country;
- (b) whether the Government has achieved the goal of reducing multidimensional poverty in the country as per the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons for not achieving the target, State and districtwise; and
- (d) the number of people in rural and urban areas recovered from multi-dimensional poverty during the last five years?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)

- (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 Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin  (PMAY-G), Pradhan  Mantri  Gram  Sadak  Yojana  (PMGSY),  Deendayal  Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY NRLM), Deen Dayal

Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) and National Social Assistance  Programme  (NSAP).   The  Department  of  Land  Resources (DoLR) is implementing Watershed Development Component (WDC) of the  Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi  Sinchayee  Yojana  (WDC-PMKSY)  with  the primary objective to develop rainfed/ degraded lands.

(b)  to (d): The Resolution of the United Nations General Assembly on 25 th   September,  2015  established  the  17  Sustainable  Development Goals  (SDGs).   SDG  target  1.2  specifically  aims  at  reducing  at  least half  the  proportion  of  men,  women  and  children  of  all  ages  living  in poverty  in  all  dimensions.   NITI  Aayog  has  released  the  National Multidimensional Poverty Index: A Progress Review 2023. As per  this report, 13.5 crore people escaped 'Multidimensional Poverty' between 2015-16 and 2019-20. A steep decline has been reported in the number of multi dimensionally  poor from 24.85% to  14.96% between 2015-16 and  2019-22.  This  indicates  that  India  is   well  on  course  to  achieve the  SDG target 1.2 much ahead of 2030.

The proportion of multidimensional poor in 2019-21 being 19.28% in rural areas compared to 5.27% in urban areas. The estimates indicate that  rural  areas  saw  a  faster  reduction  in  their   Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) value, compared to urban areas. The incidence of poverty  fell  from  32.59%  to  19.28%   in  rural  areas  compared  to  a decline  from  8.65%  to  5.27%  in   urban  areas  between  2015-16  and 2019-21.  The  report  is  available  in  the  public  domain  and  can  be accessed at the following website:

https://niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2023-08/India-NationalMultidimentional-Poverty-Index- 2023.pdf

Apart  from  this,  an  evaluation  of  Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes  in Rural  Development  Sector,  including  Pradhan  Mantri  Gram  Sadak Yojana 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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