Mathur Ritika Passi

Where the Aayog could add value is to be an
Independent Evaluator of the performance
of the Union and state governments versus
the SDGs, and to suggest policy and process
change, including on the technology used for
monitoring the indicators and the manner in
which resources are allocated and used for
achieving the goals.
Leverage the strength of Non-State Actors
India has 70,000 non-state actors, which
have volunteered to partner with the Union
government in various developmental
projects. But the extent to which decisionmaking
and consultation in government
is functionally participative needs to be
assessed better, so that partnership becomes
more than a “ticking the box” activity.
domestic, public institutional architecture
and processes for effective delivery of
complex goals whilst simultaneously
charting a new path on which other
developing countries could innovate local
solutions. We have the human and fiscal
resources and the leadership skills. What
we need is to adopt the PAMS approach—
Prioritise efforts, Allocate resources
strategically, Motivate employees and make
Systemic changes. Someone needs to walk
through this wide open entry point to
convert today’s “aspirational” goals into
real achievements by 2030.
Benefit from ‘Digital India’
The Digital India initiative is an effective
entry point to enhance access to
information, evoke broad participation,
ensure transparency and increase
accountability. The power of digitally
connected social media was illustrated by
the one million comments received by the
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on
its April 2015 consultation paper on net
neutrality. The depth of the response is
reported to have clogged up the agency’s
work for weeks.
It is unfortunate, in this context, that the
digital medium has not yet been universally
incorporated into the functioning of the
Union government. Reliance on hard copy
as the medium of communication and
decision-making continues. In developed
economies it is the use of technology by
government that enables adaptation to suit
local conditions, and provides the scale
for generating the revenues required by
the private sector to provide services and
products at competitive prices. In India the
wider public sector has lagged, rather than
led, this process.
India is well placed to implement the
SDGs. We have the economic and
demographic scale and the historical
momentum to our benefit. How
productive this process proves for the world
and for India will depend significantly on
the government’s perception of its role and
responsibilities in this multilateral effort.
We can use this opportunity to reform our
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