By DR ARPITA SUBHADARSHINEE
“Ask not what your country can do for you — rather ask yourself what you can do for your country."- JOHN F KENEDDY
Today, the world is a home to the largest generation of the important drivers of global change and innovation i.e. the youth, contributing about 43% of the global population. A temper of will, quality of imagination, predominance of courage, appetite for adventure makes this huge cohort a vibrant, constructive force which can address global issues and create a more just, equitable and a peaceful world.
The empowered youth from diverse backgrounds like food to fashion to finance are the forerunners of assessment, awareness, action and advocacy for sustainable development. They are the main stakeholders, policy makers, powerful resource in handling responsibilities, revolutionizing fellow men and a catalyst for change.
Sustainable development is an overarching paradigm of the United Nations. This concept was described by the 1987 Brundtland Commission Report as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations.” Thus, it envisages a future agenda that balances the four pillars i.e. social, economic, cultural and environmental objectives.
Through a wide process, UN Sustainable Development framework consisting of 17 Goals and 169 interlinked Targets within these Goals are framed in an ambitious, pragmatic and concrete way to renew and integrate efforts to meet the national and global aspirations in a defined time frame by 2030. The vision involves social sphere like gender equality, education and health, economic issues like growth, infrastructure and sustainable consumption, environment through climate change and peaceful partnerships for sustainable development.
The SDG’s are the source of inspiration that guarantees poverty alleviation, protection of environment with social, monetary, and natural sustainability. The
SDGs intend to tackle hunger, AIDS, and gender discrimination. The COVID-19 pandemic though has hampered the efforts to accomplish the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the citizens should join hands make it a successful program for our future generation to live in harmony.
The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals has been an important yardstick for measuring the progress in tackling the challenges by 2030. To fulfil those demands and goals, the universality of the data from the countries around the world and the methodologies accelerate the progress to help make the SDGs possible.
The statistical tools, Data engineering, data analysis, information technology, research methods are the various standards of measurements for data compiling, decision making and action.
Statistics is a constructive measure in achieving SDGs in concrete ways. Data from the developing countries help in critically analysing the extent of poverty stricken areas, measuring various tools of reducing poverty, mapping the poor urban slums, gap between the rich and poor, geographical securities, basic access to the poor, employment of the youth, export of public goods and services that in turn determines the economic security of a country.
Various ministries like the GODAN, the Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition program and the government nutrition data help in analysing the inflation, food prices, food security, pesticide control, environmental factors like weather and soil for crops, livestock, farming etc.
The beneficiaries also get benefitted through the application based technology of finding the healthcare providers and pharmaceuticals and getting the right medication and advice.
Statistics help the Government agencies and NGOs through the Census and health data to highlight the shortcomings in the quality based school education, sanitation, maternal health, menstrual hygiene of the girls in turn contributing in the social reforms of a nation.
Global warming and climate change has been the burning issue in today’s world where the GPS and satellite data come into play in predicting the weather changes, management of drought stricken areas, floods, disaster, forecast the power output from the renewable wind and solar sources etc. and ensure that
the essential resources are deployed effectively in emergency situations at the right time.
The proper functioning of the government and its transparency are determined by the extensive, diverse and timely data from the effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all strata.
Statistics being a communication tool it has impacted a lot in explaining the global issues through the policy makers, civilians, private sector and media and help in navigating the task of national coordination, reporting the SDG indicators, tracking progress at various levels and quality assurance
The concept of “smart cities” in India also involves meticulous sensors like the urban planning, transportation, urban infrastructure, traffic, refreshments, parking, migrants etc.
The statistical tools boost the economic growth by improving transparency in governance by exposing the mismanagement in corruption and ensure environmental sustainability that can tackle upcoming pollution, health hazards and conserve natural resources
The data also play a key role in promoting a sustainable environmental analysis through publications which allows us to better understand how to achieve the environmental dimension of development and establishing the focus on the relationship between the SDGs and nature.
Being a tool for accountability and an impact assessment, the use of structured and standardized formats emphasize the importance of comparision of data across sectors and countries that make it easier to assess the impact of development initiatives over time, geographies and finances with a noted progress over time against the SDGs, both within each country and between countries, and revealing the insecurities in income, wealth and access to services and establish international cooperation.
In India, the magnitude of the SDG demands a strong policy that is inclusive, participatory, gender-responsive, comprehensive, knowledge-based with priorities to education, health and employment.
United India is where-
Poverty and Illiteracy are history,
Education becomes the priority
Agriculture and Health work in symphony, Women and Children live in harmony,
Wildlife, Heritage and Technology live with integrity
By DR ARPITA SUBHADARSHINEE
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