| New Delhi, 09 September 2010: Two-thirds of the | | | | narrow window of opportunity to generate |
| way to the 2015 finishing line for achieving the | | | | renewed momentum. For us programme |
| eight globally agreed Millennium Development Goals | | | | implementation is the major challenge – and to |
| (MDGs), India is at a crucial turning point with a | | | | make every tier of the administration accountable |
| few successes and some failures. Persistent | | | | to the people. The 2009 India Country MDG |
| inequalities, ineffective delivery of public services, | | | | Report offers a unique insight into which states |
| weak accountability systems and gaps in the | | | | have the greatest challenges and our deliberations |
| implementation of pro-poor policies are the major | | | | over the past two days have brought to the fore |
| bottlenecks to progress said experts meeting in | | | | the importance of integration of MDGs in all levels |
| Delhi to suggest solutions to accelerate progress | | | | of planning, policy formulation and implementation |
| on the MDGs. Greater devolution of power to | | | | of programmes with participation of citizens |
| local governments in rural areas, streamlining of | | | | including the poorest and the marginalized as |
| funds flow, and use of information technology to | | | | important stakeholders, through political |
| reach the unreached and stop leakages were | | | | representation and local governance institutions." |
| among the key recommendations. | | | | Speaking at the opening session Patrice |
| India has been successful in getting children into | | | | Coeur-Bizot, UNDP Resident Representative and |
| primary school, in providing access to water and | | | | UN Resident Coordinator, said: "For those living in |
| in conserving environmental resources. It is | | | | poverty, the MDGs have never been abstract or |
| possible that poverty will be halved by 2015 but | | | | aspirational targets. They offer a pathway to a |
| by no means certain. Major states in India's | | | | better life. Evidence from 50 countries studied in a |
| heartland like Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, | | | | recent UNDP report -- What can we do to |
| Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Uttar | | | | achieve the MDG -- shows that it is possible to |
| Pradesh and Uttaranchal, also the most populous | | | | achieve these goals as successes in even the |
| states, are unlikely to achieve this target if it | | | | poorest countries have demonstrated." |
| remains business as usual. The proportion of poor | | | | India's rights-based laws and flagship development |
| in these states is currently at 64 percent of the | | | | programmes are significant steps in improving the |
| country's poor and this is likely to increase to 71 | | | | lives of millions -- a life with access to adequate |
| percent by 2015. The number of poor in 2015 is | | | | food and income; to basic education and health |
| likely to be 279 million at all-India level. | | | | services; to clean water and sanitation; and to |
| On hunger there are disappointing failures. India | | | | empowerment for women. India's march towards |
| accounts for 50 percent of the world's hungry. | | | | the MDGs is however, hampered by persistent |
| Over 46 percent of Indian children are | | | | inequalities, particularly gender inequality. This has |
| undernourished. Health too is a major challenge -- | | | | resulted in inadequate access to basic services for |
| the very survival of India's women and children is | | | | the vulnerable groups such as scheduled castes, |
| threatened. In 2006, on average 254 women died | | | | scheduled tribes and minorities, and particularly the |
| giving birth to a child for every 100,000 live births | | | | women among these groups. |
| down from 327 in 1990. The states of Assam, | | | | In this context Mr. Coeur-Bizot added, "The |
| Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, | | | | government recognizes these challenges. Its |
| Orissa, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal | | | | commitment is evident from the various |
| had the highest numbers ranging from 480 to 312. | | | | rights-based laws in place -- to guarantee work, |
| Kerala at 95, Tamil Nadu at 111 and West Bengal | | | | through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural |
| at 141 have the best figures. | | | | Employment Guarantee Act, the right to |
| According to the 2010 global MDG report "giving | | | | information, the right to education and the right to |
| birth is especially risky in Southern Asia and | | | | food that is currently on the anvil. For instance |
| sub-Saharan Africa, where most women deliver | | | | India's Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment |
| without skilled care". For India the percentage of | | | | Guarantee Programme is cited in the UNDP report |
| deliveries with skilled care went up from 33 | | | | as an example of a robust social protection and |
| percent in 1990 to 52 percent by 2007-08 still | | | | employment programme that has benefitted 46 |
| short of the developing world average of 63 | | | | million households." |
| percent. | | | | At the roundtable ineffective delivery of public |
| Over 1.5 million children continue to die every year | | | | services, weak accountability systems and |
| before their first birthday. Across India 74 | | | | ineffective implementation of pro-poor policies |
| children died before they reached the age of five | | | | were identified by experts as bottlenecks to |
| for every 1,000 live births in 2005-06 as | | | | achieving the MDGs. Ineffective delivery was |
| compared to 125 in 1990. At this rate India is | | | | hampered by complex procedures, poor utilization |
| likely to miss the target of reducing these figures | | | | of central funds by states, low social sector |
| to 42 for 1,000 live births by 2015. On this | | | | allocations, ineffective systems for monitoring, |
| indicator, Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, | | | | personnel and capacity challenges, rigid |
| Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh are the laggards | | | | administrative structures and slow progress on |
| while Goa, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, | | | | decentralization. |
| Kerala, Sikkim and Tamil Nadu are on the fast | | | | Participants at the MDG meeting identified |
| track and likely to be early achievers. | | | | solutions to fast track progress in sectors that |
| With just five years to the 2015 deadline for | | | | India is lagging. Recommendations included: |
| achieving the MDGs the country as a whole will | | | | streamlining the flow of funds, improving the |
| not be on track for a majority of the targets | | | | quality of data in monitoring reports of |
| related to poverty, hunger, health, gender equality | | | | government programmes and using information |
| and environmental sustainability unless concerted | | | | technology to improve access and to stop |
| national efforts are made by government and all | | | | leakages. For effective implementation |
| sections of civil-society working in tandem. | | | | programme design also needs to be creative and |
| These are some of the findings of the third | | | | innovative to reach the poorest and most |
| Millennium Development Goals -- India Country | | | | marginalized sections as the "one size fits all" |
| Report 2009 that were presented to experts | | | | approach does not work. To improve the |
| participating in two-day roundtable on Achieving | | | | implementation of social sector programmes the |
| the MDGs by 2015: Policy Action for Human | | | | recommendation of the mid-tern review of the |
| Freedoms. For the first time state specific data in | | | | 11th Plan for "…greater devolution of power to |
| the MDG report pinpoints regions that are the | | | | PRIs (local governments in rural areas) and ULBs |
| laggards and those that are on the fast track. | | | | (Urban Local Bodies) together with effective |
| This provides important insights for policy planners | | | | participation by local communities to achieve |
| to target their interventions. | | | | better oversight and accountability…" found |
| Prof. T.C.A. Anant, Secretary, Ministry of Statistics | | | | resonance among the participants. |
| and Programme Implementation, reiterating the | | | | For further information please contact: |
| government's commitment to accelerating | | | | S.Chakrabarti, Deputy Director General, Ministry of |
| progress on the MDGs said, "The stakes are high. | | | | Statistics and Programme Implementation, or Ritu |
| With five years to the 2015 deadline we have a | | | | Mathur at ritu. or Priyanka Khanna at priyanka. |