Throughout COVID-19 disaster, India has equipped important medication over 80 nations. (Representational)
United Nations:
India’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, articulated by way of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s imaginative and prescient of an “Aatma Nirbhar Bharat”, doesn’t suggest a “self-sufficient or isolationist” India and the nation stays supportive of the multilateral world financial order, as challenges introduced by the pandemic can solely be addressed by way of multilateralism and world solidarity, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar mentioned.
India introduced its 2nd Voluntary Nationwide Evaluation (VNR) on Sustainable Growth Objectives at a digital session of the Excessive-Stage Political Discussion board on Monday.
Presenting India’s VNR, Mr Kumar mentioned the Indian authorities’s response to the pandemic has been articulated by way of PM Modi’s imaginative and prescient of an “Aatma Nirbhar Bharat” or a self-reliant India.
“That is in no sense implying a self-sufficient or an isolationist India. Alternatively, we stay supportive of the multilateral world financial order, whose strong, resilient and speedy response capabilities to main disruptions is established past doubt,” Mr Kumar mentioned in his tackle to the Excessive-Stage Political Discussion board.
Mr Kumar was accompanied by Adviser within the NITI Aayog, Sanyukta Samaddar throughout the VNR presentation.
He careworn that the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown up a number of new challenges for nations.
“All member nations are additionally confronted with a number of urgent challenges, together with local weather change, the scourge of dehumanising poverty, human trafficking and pure disasters. These might be efficiently addressed solely and solely by way of multilateralism and world solidarity,” he mentioned.
Underscoring that the virus doesn’t recognise any distinctions, Mr Kumar emphasised that “we must always all obliterate all divisions and distinctions amongst us, and are available collectively to attempt to convert the prevailing scenario into a possibility for accelerating our progress in the direction of reaching the SDG targets.”
Mr Kumar mentioned that India’s responses to COVID-19-induced financial downturn has been operationalised by way of a stimulus bundle of USD 276 billion, which is 10 per cent of India”s GDP and contains a number of reform and aid measures throughout sectors to guard lives and livelihoods.
“Little doubt challenges stay. We’re dedicated to addressing them successfully and expeditiously. Our 2nd VNR highlights lots of these good practices which have labored in essentially the most difficult areas of our nation. These examples can present a foundation for mutual studying amongst nations. The position of worldwide cooperation is extra important than ever earlier than,” he mentioned.
Referring to PM Modi’s articulation that “folks, planet and income are interlinked”, Mr Kumar mentioned nations need to “earnestly” give attention to the triple backside line of optimising monetary, social and ecological returns in no matter they do. “We’ve got to constantly attempt for doing properly by doing good. It may be achieved,” he mentioned.
Outlining the numerous progress made by India in the direction of the SDGs and Agenda 2030 by way of numerous flagship and bold programmes and initiatives, Mr Kumar mentioned the nation has been in a position to elevate 270 million folks from multi-dimensional poverty, the regulation on the Proper to Training guarantees training for all and the Prime Minister’s housing programme guarantees a roof over each head by 2025 and piped water to each residence.
He added that electrical energy has already reached all of India’s villages and 80 million households have entry to wash gas, 110 million bathrooms have been constructed, 385 million new financial institution accounts have been opened and the federal government launched the world”s largest medical health insurance programme “Ayushman Bharat” that covers 500 million residents.
The JAM Trinity (Jan-Dhan, Aadhaar and Cell) has enabled the federal government to shift all of the beneficiaries in almost 480 schemes for direct profit transfers.
“Given our in depth variety, regional priorities and … plurality, we’ve needed to localise the SDGs. One measurement merely doesn’t match all of the folks,” Mr Kumar mentioned, including that the federal government is actively partnering with state governments and union territories for vertical and horizontal coverage coherence for reaching SDG targets.
Mr Kumar informed the high-level discussion board that India”s 2nd VNR preparation course of has been “actually participatory” and included session with companies, civil society organisations, academia, suppose tanks, professionals and startups.
“It’s certainly an entire of society endeavour,” he mentioned.
The NITI Aayog partnered with civil society organisations for a consultative course of that noticed greater than 50 nationwide and sub-national consultations led by civil society organisations from 14 inhabitants teams.
Mr Kumar additionally highlighted India’s management within the Worldwide Photo voltaic Alliance and The Coalition for Catastrophe Resilience Infrastructure, UN Conference to Fight Desertification and the Paris Local weather Settlement.
Additional, throughout the COVID-19 disaster, India has prolonged humanitarian aid and equipped important medication over 80 nations the world over.
“We could also be far off from one another bodily however we stay linked… The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered disruptions to our plans and timelines. Due to this fact, we’ve to double and triple our efforts for reaching the Agenda 2030,” he mentioned.
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