Niti Aayog’s SDG index launch postponed due to Model Code of Conduct: Officials

The launch of government think tank Niti Aayog’s third edition of India’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) index, scheduled for Wednesday, has been postponed due to Election Commission (EC)’s model code of conduct that came into effect after it announced the schedule for state assembly elections on February 26, officials familiar with the development said.

Niti Aayog, on Wednesday morning, announced that the launch of the SDG index has been postponed due to “unavoidable circumstances”.

“The launch of the SDG index and dashboard, including the press conference, which was earlier scheduled on March 10, 2021, has now been postponed to a later date. We will share the new date with you soon,” Niti Aayog said.

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EC had announced the poll schedule for West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry on February 26, following which the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) kicked in. As per the schedule, voting for the assembly elections to these four states and one Union Territory will be held between March 27 and April 29.

As per India’s second SDG index released in 2019, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana were top performers in the race to achieve the SDGs including the eradication of poverty and inequality. Bihar, Jharkhand, Arunachal Pradesh, and Meghalaya ranked last.

“The report launch had to be postponed due to the Code of Conduct,” a senior Niti Ayog official said, requesting anonymity. According to another official aware of the development, NITI Aayog sent a request to the Commission for permission to release the report on Wednesday morning. “The Commission is yet to take a call on the matter,” the second official said.

HT reached out to Niti Aayog, Prime Minister’s Office and the Election Commission, but there has been no official response on the reasons for the change of the launch date.

Niti Aayog on Monday had announced vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar would launch the SDG India Index & Dashboard, 2020-21 in the presence of senior government and United Nations officials. The index measures the progress at the national and sub-national level in the country’s journey towards meeting its “global goals” and targets and serves as an advocacy tool to propagate the messages of sustainability, resilience, and partnerships, as well, the think-tank noted. First launched in December 2018, the index has become the primary tool for monitoring progress of the SDGs in the country and has simultaneously fostered competition among the states and Union Territories.

HT on January 12, 2020 had reported that India will for the first time include marginalised groups as key focus areas in assessing the impact of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to officials aware of the matter. This was done ahead of the presentation of the country’s second Voluntary National Review (VNR) on the implementation of the SDGs before the United Nations (UN). VNR serves as a basis for an international review of the SDGs progress. The VNR report was sent to the UN in July 2020. India is a signatory to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and participates in the international review. The VNRs are presented at the UN’s High-Level Political Forums (HLPF), which have met annually since 2016. India submitted its first VNR in 2017.