Page 46 - PDI_Report

Background

UN General Assembly adopted Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in September 2015

“Today we are also taking a decision of great historic significance. We resolve to build a better
future for all people. As we embark on this collective journey, we pledge that no one will be left
behind.

Our journey will involve Governments, local authorities, and all people. Millions have already
engaged with, and will own, this Agenda. It is an Agenda of the people, by the people and for the
people –and this, we believe, will ensure its success.”

“We also underscore that sustainable development goals should be action-oriented, concise and
easy to communicate, aspirational, global in nature and universally applicable to all countries,
while taking into account different national realities, capacities and levels of development and
respecting national policies and priorities. We also recognize that the goals should address and
be focused on priority areas for the achievement of sustainable development.”

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) include a list of 169 targets. In July 2017, the United Nations General Assembly also
approved the Global Indicator Framework - a list of 232 unique indicators which are divided across the 17 goals and relate to their
corresponding targets. At present, there are 231 unique indicators in the GIF.

What is LIF?
Based on the 17 Sustainable Goals adopted by UN and 169 Targets, and 231 Global indicators, India has developed its National
Indicator Framework (NIF) which consists of presently 286 statistical indicators, for measuring progress for the country as a whole.
Data for all the National Indicators are not readily available. For some Indicators, the NIF is making use of proxy indicators that are
reasonably good alternatives, that can inform the progress on those Targets. Consequently, the SDG India Index brought out by NITI
Aayog is working with 100-115 Indicators in the last 4-5 years since 2018.

Moving level down from the NIF, NITI Aayog and MoSPI has been guiding the States in developing the State Indicator Framework,
and the District Indicator Framework, respecting the region-specific priorities, the difficulties in measurability of the indicators in the
NIF across all States and in its relevance at State and District levels, etc. Desirable outcomes that need to be measured in the NIF, are
recognized as not linearly applicable or available at the level of all States and Districts. Few States have started to look at what a
Block Indicator Framework could be. Given the differing extent of devolution of powers to the three tiers of the PRIs, and
considering that action at the grassroots can bring substantial changes, and especially with the involvement of the three tiers of
Government, broadly on the basis of NIF and more on the lines of ‘Think Globally and Act Locally’, to achieve the SDGs at
grassroots level in Gram Panchayats, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India has taken the SDGs in the form of 9
Themes, localizing the SDGs, making them highly relevant and easily relatable and appealing to the Gram Panchayats. The
Local Indicator Framework (LIF) that has been developed as part and parcel of the Localising of SDGs (LSDGs) and the 9 Themes
thereunder, is applicable directly to Gram Panchayat level. The LIF is thus seen from the perspective of the Gram Panchayats and
what the SDGs mean to them reflected in the LSDGs with the 9 Themes. The listed Indicators taken under the Themes make it
simple and contextual to Panchayat and the community, and is developed as measurable indicators providing both a measure and a
framework for planning and action. The LIF will provide the Gram Panchayats with an assessment of GP wise status on development

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PDI Committee Report - 2023: Local Indicator Framework 20