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Government initiatives to increase Hydrocarbon Production

 The government has been taking various steps to increase hydrocarbon production whichinter- alia include:

  1. Policy for Relaxations, Extensions and Clarifications under Production Sharing Contract (PSC) regime for early monetization of hydrocarbon discoveries, 2014.
  • ii. Discovered Small Field Policy, 2015.
  1. Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP), 2016.
  2. Policy for Extension of Production Sharing Contracts, 2016 and 2017.
  3. Policy for early monetization of Coal Bed Methane 2017
  4. Setting up of National Data Repository, 2017. Further, the National Data Repository (NDR) is now being further upgraded to a cloud-based system for seamless dissemination of Exploration & Production data to global investors.
  5. Appraisal of Un-appraised areas in Sedimentary Basins under National Seismic Programme, 2017;
  6. Re-assessment of Hydrocarbon Resources, 2017.
  7. Policy framework to streamline the working of Production Sharing Contracts in Pre- NELP and NELP Blocks, 2018.
  8. Policy framework for extension of Production Sharing Contracts for Discovered Fields and Exploration Blocks under Pre-New Exploration Licensing Policy (Pre-NELP), 2016 and 2017.
  9. Policy to Promote and Incentivize Enhanced Recovery Methods for Oil and Gas, 2018.
  10. Policy framework for exploration and exploitation of Coal Bed Methane (CBM) from areas under Coal Mining Lease allotted to Coal India Limited (CIL) and its subsidiaries, 2018.
  11. Policy Framework for exploration and exploitation of Unconventional Hydrocarbons under Existing Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs), Coal Bed Methane (CBM) Contracts and Nomination Fields, 2018.
  12. Reforms in Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy for enhancing domestic exploration and production of oil and gas, 2019.
  13. Natural Gas Marketing Reforms, 2020.
  14. Reforms in Model Revenue Sharing Contracts (RSCs) for Blocks under Open Acreage Licensing Programme (OALP), 2023.
  15. Lower Royalty Rates, Zero Revenue Share (till Windfall Gain) and no drilling commitment in Phase-I in OALP Blocks under Category II and III to attract bidders.
  16. Release of about 1 Million Sq. Km. ‘No-Go’ area in offshore which were blocked for exploration for decades. In these erstwhile ‘No-Go’ area, after the release now, so far bids/ expression of interests received for 1,52,325 Sq. Km. area.Two gas discoveries have also been made by ONGC in Mahanadi offshore recently in a block having 94% area in ‘No-Go’ area.  Andaman offshore area has also been opened for exploration and production activities after a long time post removal of restrictions imposed by defence and space agencies in 2022.
  17. Till now, 12 hydrocarbon discoveries have been made in blocks awarded under OALP, one already producing gas (0.44 MMSCMD) and condensate (819 BBL/Day) in Gujarat while other discoveries are under appraisal.
  18. Government is spending about Rs.7500 Cr. for acquisition of seismic data in onland and offshore areas and drilling of stratigraphic wells to make quality data of Indian Sedimentary Basins available to bidders.
  19. Government has also approved acquisition of additional 2D Seismic data of 20,000 LKM in onland and 30, 000 LKM in offshore beyond Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of India.
  20. Production of Coal Bed Methane (CBM) has reached 2 Million Standard Cubic Meters per day and will increase further in coming years. More blocks are being identified for offer in future bid rounds.
  21. Cumulative production from Discovered Small Fields (DSF) till FY 2023-24 are ~5,56,000 bbl Oil and ~139 MMSCM Gas. More fields are being planned for offer in future rounds.

Various steps have been taken to reduce import of crude oil. These inter alia include demand substitution by promoting usage of natural gas as fuel/feedstock across the country towards increasing the share of natural gas in economy and moving towards gas based economy, promotion of renewable and alternate fuels like ethanol, second generation ethanol, compressed bio gas and biodiesel, refinery process improvements, promoting energy efficiency and conservation, efforts for increasing production of oil and natural gas through various policies initiatives, etc. To give a major thrust to Ethanol Blending Programme, Government of India through Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) is establishing 2G Ethanol plants across the country.Also, for promoting the use of Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) as automotive fuel, Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) initiative has been launched.

Major steps taken by Government for Water Conservation and Rainwater Harvesting to reduce Water Stress in the country

 Water conservation through rainwater harvesting is one of the foremost priorities of the Government, stated Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Rajbhushan Choudhary, while giving a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today. Major steps taken by the Government for water conservation and rainwater harvesting to reduce water stress in the country are as follows:

  1. Government of India has been implementing a scheme namely Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) which inter-alia includes water conservation and water harvesting structures.
  2. Financial assistance is given to various States under 15th Finance Commission tied grants which can be inter-alia utilized for rainwater harvesting.
  3. The Ministry of Jal Shakti has been implementing Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) since 2019 on an annual basis. In the current year, Ministry of Jal Shakti is implementing Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA: CTR) 2024, 5th in the series of JSAs, in all the districts (rural as well as urban) of the country. JSA: CTR is a convergence of various Central Government schemes and funds like MGNREGS, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Per Drop More Crop, Repair, Renovation and Restoration Components under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY), Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), Finance Commission grants, State Government schemes, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds etc. One of the major interventions undertaken under the campaign includes constructions and repair or rainwater harvesting structures including rooftop and water harvesting structures.
  4. Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0 has provisions for harvesting the rainwater through storm water drains into water body (which is not receiving sewage/effluent). Through preparation of ‘Aquifer Management Plan’ cities targets to strategize groundwater recharge augmentation by developing a roadmap for improving rain water harvesting within city limits. Through IEC campaign, awareness is created about practices for water conservation like rainwater harvesting.
  5. Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has formulated guidelines for the States to adopt measures suitable to local conditions, such as Unified Building Bye Laws (UBBL) of Delhi, 2016, Model Building Bye Laws (MBBL), 2016 and Urban and Regional Development Plan Formulation and Implementation (URDPFI) Guidelines, 2014 with adequate focus on requirement of rainwater harvesting and water conservation measures.
  6. Government of India is implementing Atal Bhujal Yojana, in 8,213 water stressed Gram Panchayats (GPs) in 80 districts of 7 States, viz., Haryana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The scheme marks a paradigm shift from groundwater development to groundwater management.
  7. Government of India has been implementing “Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY)” with an aim to enhance physical access of water on farm and expand cultivable area under assured irrigation, improve on farm water use efficiency, introduce sustainable water conservation practices etc. PMKSY has three components/ schemes namely Har Khet Ko Pani (HKKP), Repair, Renovation & Restoration (RRR) Scheme of Water Bodies and Surface Minor irrigation (SMI) Scheme.
  8. The Ministry of Jal Shakti has set up the Bureau of Water Use Efficiency (BWUE) under the National Water Mission on 20.10.2022, to act as a facilitator for promotion of improving water use efficiency across various sectors namely irrigation, drinking water supply, power generation, industries, etc. in the country.
  9. Mission Amrit Sarovar was implemented in the recent times with provisions for creation/rejuvenation of at least 75 Amrit Sarovars in every district of the country with the purpose to harvest and conserve water.
  10. Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has completed the National Aquifer Mapping (NAQUIM) Project in the entire mappable area of about 25 lakh sq. km. which has been shared with the respective State agencies for implementation. The management plans include various water conservation measures through recharge structures.
  11. CGWB has also prepared a Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Groundwater- 2020 in consultation with States/UTs which is a macro level plan indicating various structures for the different terrain conditions of the country including estimated cost. The Master Plan has provisions for construction of about 1.42 crore Rain water harvesting and artificial recharge structures in the country to harness 185 Billion Cubic Metre (BCM) of monsoon rainfall.
  12. CGWB, under Ground Water Management and Regulation Scheme, has also implemented several successful artificial recharge projects in the country for demonstrative purpose which enable the State Governments to replicate the same in suitable hydro-geological conditions.
  13. National Water Policy (2012) has been formulated by Department of Water Resources, RD & GR, which inter-alia advocates rainwater harvesting and conservation of water and also highlights the need for augmenting the availability of water through direct use of rainfall.
  14. Department of Land Resources (DoLR) implements Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (WDC-PMKSY) for the development of rainfed and degraded lands in the country. The activities undertaken, inter-alia, include ridge area treatment, drainage line treatment, soil and moisture conservation, rainwater harvesting, nursery raising, pasture development, livelihoods for asset-less persons etc. WDC-PMKSY, through these interventions, seeks to ensure sustainable development through improved natural resource management and better resilience of farmers to climate change.

Water is a State subject and the Central Government supplements the efforts of the States through technical and financial support, the Minister added.

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Carbon Emission in India

 Despite being one of the fastest-growing economies in the World, India’s annual per capita carbon emission is only about one-third of the global average, states Economic Survey 2023-24, which was tabled in Parliament today by Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman.

Delving further into India’s achievements on addressing climate change, the Survey quoted a recent report by the International Finance Corporation, which highlighted that India is the only G20 nation in line with 2-degree centigrade warming. The survey further mentioned that the hallmark of India’s growth strategy is to manage the impact of climate change and at the same time give desired focus to developmental priorities.

Significant Progress Made by India on Climate Action

India achieved most targets of the first NDC well in advance. Nation achieved 40 per cent cumulative electrical power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy sources in 2021 and reduced the emission intensity of India’s GDP from 2005 levels by 33 per cent in 2019– nine and eleven years before the target year of 2030, respectively.

Further, as of 31 May 2024, the share of non-fossil sources in the installed electricity generation capacity has reached 45.4 per cent up from 32 per cent in April 2014. India is also on track to make an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3.0 billion tonnes through tree and forest cover by 2030, with a carbon sink of 1.97 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent having already been created from 2005 to 2019.

India’s GDP between 2005 and 2019 has grown with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of about seven per cent, whereas the emissions grew at a CAGR of about four per cent. i.e., the rate of emissions growth is lower than the rate of growth of our GDP. This shows that India has successfully decoupled its economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions, reducing the emission intensity of its GDP.

India’s total adaptation-relevant expenditure has increased from 3.7 per cent of GDP in 2015-16 to 5.60 per cent of the GDP in 2021-2022, indicating integration of climate resilience and adaptation into development plans.

Low Carbon Development and Energy Composition

India’s energy needs are expected to grow 2 to 2.5 times by 2047 to meet a growing economy’s developmental priorities and aspirations. Considering that resources are limited, the survey pointed out that the pace of energy transition would need to factor in alternative demands on the resources for improving resilience to climate change and for sustained social and economic development.

Challenges for Energy Transition and Way Forward

Highlighting various challenges to India’s development of a low-carbon path, Economic Survey mentioned that expanding renewable energy and clean fuels will increase demand for land and water. Most renewables are land-intensive and demand the highest land use requirements among the different energy sources. Further, the expansion of renewable energy requires battery storage technologies which in turn require the availability of critical minerals and the source of such minerals is geographically concentrated.

Recognising the importance of energy efficiency measures in accelerating clean energy transitions while supporting energy security, the Survey highlighted several initiatives taken by the Government to improve energy efficiency. Some of them include implementing Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) for buildings, Standards and Labelling (S&L) and Star-rated program for appliances, Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) initiative for encouraging the adoption of sustainable lifestyles, Perform, Achieve, and Trade (PAT) scheme for industrial sector, and Charging Infrastructure for Electric Vehicles for transport sector, among others.

All above mentioned initiatives translates to a total annual cost savings of approximately ₹1,94,320 Crore and an annual CO2 emissions reduction of around 306 million tonnes.

Finance for Sustainable Development

The Survey outlines that country has taken many measures to improve the business environment and catalyse greater quantum of resources. The Government undertook the issue of sovereign green bonds amounting to ₹16,000 Crore in January-February 2023 to raise proceeds for public sector projects that would contribute to the efforts to reduce the intensity of the economy’s emissions, followed by ₹20,000 Crore raised through sovereign green bonds in October-December 2023.

Further, RBI has implemented the Framework for Acceptance of Green Deposits for the Regulated Entities to foster and develop a green finance ecosystem in the country. In addition, the RBI promotes renewable energy through its Priority Sector Lending (PSL) rules.

India’s Innovative Green Credit Program

The Survey talks about the Government of India’s Mission LiFE, which is envisaged as a mass movement to address climate change and foster sustainable living based on conservation and moderation principles. It further states that to bolster LiFE’s effort and encourage eco-friendly practices, the Government also supports voluntary environmental actions such as the Green Credit Programme (GCP), which incentivises individuals, communities, private sector industries, and companies to participate in environment-positive activities by offering green credits as rewards.

India leading International Initiatives Addressing Climate Change Issues

The survey extensively talks about India leading several international initiatives towards climate change mitigation and building resilience. The International Solar Alliance (ISA), One World, One Sun, One Grid (OSOWOG), the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), the Infrastructure for Resilient Island States’ (IRIS) and the Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT) are some of such important examples.

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Local to Global

 Taking a critical view of the Western approach of tackling Climate Change, the Economic Survey 2023-24 gives a clarion call to all developing countries to look at climate change problem from a ‘local lens’. It states that a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach will not work, and developing countries need to be free to choose their own pathways since they are tasked with balancing developmental goals with meaningful climate action.

The Economic Survey 2023-24, tabled by the Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament today, clearly states that current global strategies for climate change are flawed and not universally applicable. It states that adopting the practices of the West could prove to be disastrous for India where culture, economy, societal norms are already intertwined with the environment.

The document highlights that India, despite making significant strides in climate action, often faces criticism for not aligning with Western solutions. This criticism stems from a lack of appreciation for India’s unique social and cultural fabric, which is already rich with sustainable development ideas. It further goes on to point out inherent inconsistencies where the prescriptions to tackle Climate Change from the developed world do not hold ground globally. These are:

    • The Western approach does not seek to address the root of the problem, i.e. overconsumption, but rather chooses to substitute the means to achieve overconsumption.
    • The global pursuit of energy-guzzling technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and mining rare earth minerals in large quantities has only contributed to higher fossil fuel consumption. This is directly at odds with the stated objectives of climate change mitigation.
    • Lifestyles in developed countries ignore humans’ underlying relationship with Nature, with other people, with materiality and with themselves.

The Economic Survey 2023-24 stresses that India’s ethos emphasizes a harmonious relationship with nature, in sharp contrast to the culture of overconsumption prevalent in other parts of the developed world, thus offering sustainable solutions to problems plaguing Western societies. For instance:

    • The process of meat production adopted in the developed world presents credible food security risks and a threat of permanently degrading the land, water and natural resources critical for human survival. The reliance on human-edible crops to feed livestock has set into motion a ‘food-feed competition’ as less than half the cereals produced today go towards direct human consumption. These figures are even lower for many developed economies.

The Survey notes that traditional farming practices from the developing world, where several agricultural activities are integrated with livestock rearing, offer one solution to the problem. Repurposing farm waste and by-products from other agricultural activities as animal feed not only lowers the financial and environmental cost of meat production but also brings balance to the natural cycle. Shifting livestock to human-inedible feed can free up significant shares of global arable land to address global hunger, it adds.

    • Similarly, the adoption of nucleated families akin to the Western model of living places significant land and resource requirements on the environment, as the growth in urban nucleated settlements gives rise to the tendency of ‘urban sprawl’. Furthermore, these living spaces are highly inefficient, dominated by concrete, closed spaces, less ventilation and exacting higher energy costs during the summers.

A shift towards the ‘traditional multi-generational households’ would create the pathway towards sustainable housing, notes the Survey. Sourcing materials and labour locally for the construction of houses, central courtyards with well-ventilated spaces, and avenues for natural lighting and cooling would all exert a positive externality on the environment by lowering resource and energy requirements. Such a household would also prove immensely beneficial for the elderly, it states.   

In order to profess a solution to these issues, the Economic Survey brings in perspective Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of Mission LiFE. It embodies a ‘Lifestyle For Environment’ seeking to address the ‘wants’ of the people without letting them hurt Nature. The approach seeks to bring individual responsibility to the forefront of the fight against climate change, as sustenance is at the core of Indian ethos.

The Mission encompasses a comprehensive but non-exhaustive list of 75 LiFE Actions for adoption by individuals to live more sustainably. At its heart, it promotes mindful consumption instead of overconsumption, encourages a circular economy and the reuse of waste products, eating local plant-based cuisines with a low ecological footprint, saving water and energy, notes the Survey. 

The document quotes the International Energy Agency and states that adoption of the kinds of actions and measures targeted by the LiFE initiative worldwide would reduce annual global carbon di-oxide emissions by more than 2 billion tonnes in 2030 (20% of the emissions reductions needed by 2030) and in consumer savings of about USD 440 billion.

In conclusion, the Survey document upholds the tenets of Mission ‘LiFE’ and notes that the global movement on climate change must be accommodative of sovereign choices and economic needs, but centered on individual behavior. ‘It’s time to rebuild societies with equanimity’, it adds.

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Adopting Building Information Modelling (BIM)

 In recent years, various aspects of infrastructure development have been integrated with technology to improve the efficiency of infrastructure plans, designs, and assets, states the Economic Survey 2023-24 tabled by Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, in Parliament today. The survey says that some of the most significant uses of technology made possible through PM GatiShakti, Bhuvan, BharatMaps, Single Window Systems, PARIVESH portal, National Data Analytics Platform, Unified Logistics Interface Platform, Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation (PRAGATI), India Investment Grid (IIG) and many similar dashboards and data stacks for almost all ministries.

TELECOMMUNICATION SECTOR

The Economic Survey notes that the usage and underlying technologies of telecommunications have undergone massive changes, especially in the past decade. It says that the Telecommunications Act 2023 was enacted to amend and consolidate the laws on telecommunication services and networks, assignment of spectrum and related matters.

Highlighting the importance of test labs for ensuring the functionality, reliability and interoperability of telecommunications devices, the Survey observes that these specialised facilities are equipped with advanced testing infrastructure to evaluate the performance of various telecommunications equipment such as routers, switches, base stations, and communication protocols. It observes that more than 69 labs have been designated as conformity assessment bodies for EMI/EMC, safety evaluations, technical requirements and RF testing of telecom products.

The Survey further notes that the Government has introduced guidelines for the Spectrum Regulatory Sandbox (SRS), or Wireless Test Zones (WiTe Zones), as part of the Millennium SRS initiative to foster innovation, enhance ease of doing business, promote “Make in India” in the telecommunications sector. The survey states that, “This initiative provides a simplified regulatory framework to facilitate Research and Development (R&D) activities, promote exploration of spectrum bands and drive technological advancements”. WiTe Zones have been categorised into urban or remote areas for experimentation across various frequency bands, with eligibility extending to academia, R&D labs, telecom providers and others, says the Survey.

ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SECTOR

The Government has envisioned the India AI programme as a mission-centric approach for leveraging transformative technologies to boost inclusion, innovation, and adoption for social impact,mentions the Survey 2023-24.

According to the Survey, pillars of India AI include AI in Governance, AI IP & Innovation, AI Compute & Systems, Data for AI, Skilling in AI, and AI Ethics & Governance.  “As part of building ‘AI in India and AI for India’, the first edition of the IndiaAI was released in October 2023”, notes the Survey.

Being the founding member of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), the Survey says that India has contributed to the GPAI goals and objectives and is working on various domestic initiatives for the responsible development, deployment, and adoption of AI. Further, it states that the Union Cabinet has approved an allocation of over ₹10,300 crore towards the comprehensive IndiaAl Mission to democratise access to Al innovation pillars and ensure global competitiveness of India’s Al ecosystem. “Under the Digital India programme, initiated in July 2015 to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy, various digital initiatives have been undertaken for the delivery of citizen-centric services”, the Survey mentions.

BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING (BIM)

For complex infrastructure projects in India,  the Economic Survey states, adopting Building Information Modelling can reduce the average project delays of 39 months, reduce infrastructure construction costs up to 30 per cent, maintenance costs up to 20 per cent, information and systemic inefficiencies up to 20 per cent, construction sector related carbon emission up to 38 per cent, water consumption up to 10 per cent and improve investments in construction R&D by one per cent, and result in over four million skilled professional employment and about 2.5 million additional construction sector jobs by reinvesting savings in additional infrastructure.

The motto of BIM is to construct digitally before constructing physically, notes the Survey. It says that NITI Aayog has identified the challenges, solutions and enablers related to BIM implementation. “Based on a roadmap for creating an ecosystem towards faster adoption of BIM in India, guidance, and strategies are being provided to infrastructure projects, including Central Vista, New Parliament, and Central Secretariat”, it mentions further.

The Economic Survey states that the BIM is now being extensively utilised and leveraged by some ministries and departments like the National Capital Region Transport Corporation, all metro rails, select complex industrial and tourism projects, various airports, along with organisation-wise acceptance at Central Public Works Department and extensive digitalisation in the form of Data Lake across NHAI that is now being extended to the entire Ministry of Road

Transport & Highways.

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Serivce Sector Growth in India

 Discussing the sector wise performance of major services, the Economic Survey 2023-2024 tabled in Parliament today by the Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, highlighted“Two significant transformations are reshaping India’s services landscape: the rapid technology-driven transformation of domestic service delivery and the diversification of India’s services exports”.

India’s services sector encompasses a wide array of economic activities, which can be broadly classified into two categories:

  1. Contact-intensive (physical connectivity-based services): includes trade, hospitality, transport, real estate, social, community and personal services.
  2. Non-contact-intensive services (Information Technology services, tech start-ups and Global Capability Centres): comprises financial, information technology, professional, communication, broadcasting, and storage services. The sector also incorporates public administration and defence services.

 

Physical connectivity-based services

Myriad services are that are offered to ensure the seamless movement of goods, people, and information across diverse infrastructure networks encompass a broad spectrum, ranging from passenger transport via trains, buses, taxis, and airlines to freight transport facilitated by shipping companies, freight forwarders, and courier services.

 

  1. Roadways: A considerable portion of India’s cargo is transported via road. Accordingly, through various initiatives user convenience on National Highways (NH) has been enhanced:
    • Toll digitisation has drastically reduced waiting times at toll plazas, from 734 seconds in 2014 to 47 seconds in 2024.
    • Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has devised a comprehensive ‘4E’ strategy – Engineering (roads and vehicles), Enforcement, Emergency Care, and Education – to elevate road safety standards on NHs.
    • The Government has utilised the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan portal for network planning and congestion projections.

 

  1. Indian Railways: Indian Railways (IR) hosts many services to enhance user experience, efficiently manage the train system and build capacity for a Viksit Bharat.
    • Passenger traffic originating in IR was 673 crore in FY24 (provisional actuals), increasing by about 5.2 per cent compared to the previous year.
    • IR carried 158.8 crore tonnes of revenue-earning freight in FY24 (excluding Konkan Railway Corporation Limited), showing an increase of 5.3 per cent over the previous year.
    • To upgrade the passenger experience, railways have introduced Wi-Fi facilities at 6108 stations, bridging the digital divide between rural and urban citizens.

 

  1. Ports, Waterways and Shipping: The port sector is leveraging the Sagar Setu application to streamline daily vessel and cargo operations, aspiring to become a central hub for all maritime engagements.
    • Sagar Setu is also integrated with all the 13 major ports of India, along with 22 non-major ports and 28 private terminals.
    • There is a push for promoting river cruise tourism on national waterways. There has been a staggering 100 per cent surge in overnight cruise trips during FY24.

 

  1. Airways: India is the third-largest domestic aviation market and the aviation sector in India has shown substantial growth, with a 15 per cent YoY increase in total air passengers handled at Indian airports reaching 37.6 crore in FY24.
    • In FY24, the domestic air passenger traffic handled increased by 13 per cent YoY to 30.6 crore, and international air passenger traffic handled increased by 22 per cent YoY to 7 crore.
    • Air cargo handled at Indian airports increased by 7 per cent YoY to 33.7 lakh tonnes in FY24.
    • The Government has approved 21 greenfield airports nationwide and operationalised new terminal buildings to increase passenger handling capacity backed by a solid capex plan.
    • To promote regional equity, the ‘Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik’ (UDAN) scheme launched in 2016 facilitated the travel of over 141 lakh domestic passengers across various 579 Regional Connectivity Scheme routes connecting 85 unreserved and underserved airports since its inception.
    • Initiatives like Digi Yatra are enhancing efficiency through technology
    • Women constitute 15 per cent of the country’s pilots, which is almost three times higher than the global average, thus presenting greater opportunities for women in the sector. In the year 2023, a total of 1622 commercial pilot licenses were issued, of which 18 per cent were issued to women.

 

  1. Tourism: The tourism sector in India is rapidly expanding, with India being ranked at the 39th position in the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI) 2024.
    • Showing positive signs of revival post-pandemic, the tourism industry witnessed over 92 lakh foreign tourist arrivals in 2023, implying a YoY increase of 43.5 per cent.
    • India has significantly earned foreign exchange receipts amounting to over ₹2.3 lakh crore through tourism, indicating a 65.7 per cent YoY increase.
    • Swadesh Darshan 2.0, focuses on integrated tourism destination development, targeting 55 destinations across 32 states and Union Territories.

 

  1. Real Estate: Real estate and ownership of dwellings have accounted for over 7 per cent of the overall Gross Value Added (GVA) in the past decade, highlighting their integral role in the economy.
    • In 2023, residential real estate sales in India were at their highest since 2013, witnessing a 33 per cent YoY growth, with a total sale of 4.1 lakh units in the top eight cities.
    • The housing sector’s growth has been due to several key factors namely the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U), policy reforms like the Goods and Services Tax, Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy (SWAMIH), PMAY(U)-Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme interest subvention.
    • According to a report by CRISIL, the housing loan market in India grew at a CAGR of approximately 13 per cent from FY18 to FY23. The housing loan market in India is expected to continue growing at a CAGR of 13 to 15 per cent reaching ₹42 lakh crore to ₹44 lakh crore by FY26.

 

Information Technology Services, Tech start-ups and Global Capability centres

Over the past decade, information and computer-related services have become increasingly significant, with their share of total GVA rising from 3.2 per cent in FY13 to 5.9 per cent in FY23. Despite the pandemic-induced economic downturn, this sector achieved a real growth rate of 10.4 per cent in FY21. The flourishing growth of IT services has also supported the expansion of Global Capability Centers (GCCs) and the tech start-up ecosystem in India.

Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in India have grown significantly, from over 1,000 centres in FY15 to more than 2,740 units by FY23. These centres contribute to economic growth by providing high-quality employment. Revenue from India’s GCCs has increased from USD 19.4 billion in FY15 to USD 46 billion in FY23, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.4 per cent.

Technology start-ups in India have risen remarkably from around 2,000 in 2014 to approximately 31,000 in 2023. As per NASSCOM, the sector witnessed the inception of roughly 1000 new tech start-ups in 2023. Also, as per NASSCOM, India’s tech start-up ecosystem ranks third globally and has performed considerably better than the USA and the UK. The Start-up India Initiative and Start-up hubs across ministries and departments of the Government of India along with National Deep Tech Start-up Policy, the Drone Shakti Program and custom duty exemptions for EV-related capital goods and machinery have aided the growth of tech start-ups. Targeted efforts such as accelerating & strengthening the deep-tech ecosystem, strengthening domestic capital flow and leveraging initiatives such as Start-Up India have been undertaken to tap the potential of start-ups.

 

  1. Telecommunications: The overall tele density (number of telephones per 100 population) in India increased from 75.2 per cent in March 2014 to 85.7 per cent in March 2024.
    • Internet subscribers jumped from 25.1 crore in March 2014 to 95.4 crore in March 2024, of whom 91.4 crore are accessing the internet via wireless phones.
    • The internet density also increased to 68.2 per cent in March 2024.
    • The cost of data has declined substantially, vastly improving the average wireless data usage per subscriber.
    • India is amongst the fastest-growing 5G networks in the world. The Bharat 5G Portal propels India’s 5G capabilities and fosters innovation, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing within the telecom sector.

 

  1. E-Commerce: The Indian e-commerce industry is expected to cross USD 350 billion by 2030.

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Integrated and sustainable development in rural India

 The integrated and sustainable development in rural India is at the heart of the Government’s strategy. The focus is on holistic economic betterment through decentralized planning, better access to credit, empowerment of women, basic housing, and education, among others. This was stated by the Economic Survey 2024 tabled by Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman in the Parliament today.

Enhancing the Quality of life in rural India

The Economic Survey stated that quality of life in rural areas has progressed in terms of basic amenities, education, health and financial inclusion. In terms of basic amenities, 11.57 crore toilets were constructed under the Swachh Bharat Mission- Grameen and 11.7 crore households were provided with tap water connection under Jal Jeevan Mission as of 10th July 2024. The Survey reports that in the PM-AWAS-Gramin, 2.63 crore houses were constructed for the poor in last nine years (as of 10th July 2024) .

In addition, 35.7 crore RuPay debit cards have been issued under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) as of 26th June 2024  leading to enhanced financial inclusion in rural areas. In the health sector, 1.58 lakh sub centres and 24,935 primary health centres have resulted in enhancement of quality of life in the  rural areas.

Strengthening and modernising the safety net of MGNREGS

The Economic Survey 2023-24 observed that to ensure elimination of leakages in MGNREGS (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme), geotagging before, during and after the work is being done and 99.9 per cent payments are through National Electronic Management System.

The Survey stated that MGNREGS has made significant progress in terms of person-days generated and women participation rate with person-days generated increasing from 265.4 crore in 2019-20 to 309.2 crore in 2023-24 (as per MIS) and women participation rate increasing from 54.8 per cent in 2019-20 to 58.9 per cent in 2023-24.

The Economic Survey also points out that MGNREGS has evolved into an asset creation programme for sustainable livelihood diversification, as seen in the rise in the share of individual beneficiary ‘works on individual land’ from 9.6 per cent of total completed works in FY14 to 73.3 per cent in FY24.

Nurturing rural entrepreneurship at the grassroots

The Government continues to provide a fillip to rural entrepreneurship by implementing a bouquet of vibrant schematic interventions with a distinct focus on seamless access to affordable finance and generating lucrative market opportunities. Schemes and programmes like Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM), Lakhpati Didis initiative, and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) have enhanced livelihood generation and easy access to finance in rural areas.

Digitisation initiatives for rural governance

Digitisation initiatives like e-Gram SWARAJ, SVAMITVA Scheme, Bhu-Aadhaar have improved rural governance. Under SVAMITVA Scheme, drone survey of  2.90 lakh villages has been completed and 1.66 crore property cards have been prepared. The Economic Survey points out that 200 per cent increase in rural internet subscriptions between 2015 and 2021 can reduce the distance between the village and the administrative headquarters leading to regional developments.

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Service Sector in India

 “Through the vicissitudes of the last three decades, the services sector stood as the bulwark of India’s economic growth. Aided by the focus on policy and procedural reforms, physical infrastructure and logistics, all significant business, personal, financial and infrastructure-based services have emerged strongly from the pandemic… However, the transformation lies in the fast-paced shift towards digital services like online payments, e-commerce, and entertainment platforms, as well as the increase in the demand for high-tech services as inputs in other productive activities.” This was highlighted in Economic Survey 2023-2024 tabled in Parliament by Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman today.

The services sector continues to be a significant contributor to India’s growth, accounting for about 55 per cent of the total size of the economy in FY24, states Economic Survey. The significant domestic demand, rapid urbanization, expansion of e-commerce platforms generated heightened requirements for logistics, digital related services are important factors which have determined the domestic demand of services. The Economic Survey further states that the Government has played a crucial role in fostering the growth and competitiveness of India’s services by creating an enabling environment, promoting investment, enhancing skills and facilitating market access.

Gross Value Added (GVA) in the services sector

The contribution of the services sector to the overall GVA has increased significantly in the last decade. Globally, India’s services sector witnessed a real growth of more than 6 percent and the services exports constituted 4.4 per cent of the world’s commercial services exports in 2022.

For a decade before COVID, the services sector’s real growth rate consistently exceeded the overall economic growth. Post-COVID, the services sector’s growth, spurred by non-contact intensive services, primarily financial, information technology and professional services, outpaced overall GVA growth in FY23 and FY24, reclaiming its role in driving the economy’s upward trajectory.

The Survey further states that as per the Provisional Estimates, the services sector is estimated to have grown 7.6 percent in FY24. The gross GST collection reached ₹20.18 lakh crores in FY24, marking 11.7 per cent increase from the previous year, underscoring robust domestic trading activity.                                                                                                                                   

Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI)- Services

Business activity in the services sector in the country transcended the obstacles of the pandemic and other disruptions worldwide. In March 2024, services PMI soared to 61.2, marking one of the sector’s most significant sales and business activity expansions in nearly 14 years. As can be seen from Chart XI.6 (below), the services PMI has remained above 50 since August 2021, implying continuous expansion for the last 35 months.

Trade in the services sector

Post-pandemic, services exports have maintained a steady momentum and accounted for 44 per cent of India’s total exports in FY24 the survey notes. India ranked fifth in services exports, with other countries being the European Union (excluding intra-EU trade), the United States, the United Kingdom, and China.

India’s growing reputation as the preferred destination for Global Capability Centres (GCCs) by multinational corporations has significantly boosted software and business services exports.  India’s share in digitally delivered services exports globally increased to 6.0 per cent in 2023 from 4.4 per cent in 2019. This rise in services exports, coupled with a fall in imports, led to an increase in net services receipts on a YoY basis during FY24, which helped cushion India’s current account deficit.

Financing Sources for Services Sector Activity

The services sector fulfils its financing needs domestically through

  1. Credit from domestic banks and capital markets: FY24 witnessed an upward trajectory of credit inflow in the services sector, with YoY growth rates surpassing the 20 per cent mark each month since April 2023.

  1. Internationally through Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs): The services sector accounted for 53 per cent share in total external commercial borrowing (ECB) inflows in FY24. The sector received inflows of USD 14.9 billion in FY24, thereby registering a YoY growth of 58.3 per cent.

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MSME in India

 The Economic Survey tabled by the Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament today, highlights the importance of the MSME sector in the Indian economy with an all-India manufacturing output of 35.4 percent.

According to the survey, Gross Value Added (GVA) per worker increased from ₹1,38,207 to ₹1,41,769 and Gross Value of Output (GVO) per establishment increased from ₹3,98,304 to ₹4,63,389 showing  increased productivity and labour efficiency. The Survey highlights the success of the Udyam Registration portal that has received 4.69 Crore registrations as of 05 July 2024, playing an instrumental role in formalizing MSMEs by providing a simple, online, and free registration process based on self-declaration. The Survey notes that there has been significant growth between FY20 to FY24 in the amount and number of guarantees for MSMEs with Union Budget 2023-24 allocating ₹9,000 Crore to the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust, aiming to enable an additional ₹2 Lakh Crore in credit with reduced costs.

According to Survey, keeping in view India’s vision of becoming ‘Aatmanirbhar’, Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Schemes for 14 key sectors were announced with an outlay of ₹1.97 Lakh Crore to enhance India’s manufacturing capabilities and exports. Further survey states that over ₹1.28 Lakh Crore of investment was reported until May 2024, which has led to production/sales of ₹10.8 Lakh Crore and employment generation (direct & indirect) of over 8.5 Lakh. Survey states export boosted by ₹4 Lakh Crore, with significant contributions from sectors such as large-scale electronics manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, food processing, and telecom & networking products.

Survey highlights, to give an impetus to the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative, the Union Budget of FY24 announced that states would be encouraged to set up a “Unity Mall” in their capitals or most prominent tourism centre or the financial capital for the promotion and sale of their ODOPs. Survey also states that “PM-Ekta Malls” aims to link the artisans of ODOP and consumers. Survey  states that these malls are creating a vibrant marketplace for the nation’s unique products, aiming at both domestic and foreign markets. In addition to this survey ‘ODOP Sampark’ workshops were conducted in 15 States to facilitate collaboration between the Centre and local sellers and revive indigenous industries. According to the survey, ODOP showcased India to the world at the G20 events organised across the country during India’s G20 Presidency, where the artisans, sellers and weavers got visibility on the global stage.

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Skill Development in India

 India’s education policies and skill policies should adopt a laser-like focus on learning and skilling outcomes and need to be aligned with each other, as well. This is one of the six major pillars for realizing the collective goal of ViksitBharat@2047 in the medium term, as stated in the Economic Survey 2023-24, tabled by Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament today. Terming that the NEP (New Education Policy) 2020 provides a good framework to realise this objective, the Survey says new skilling initiatives and revamping the existing skilling initiatives should continue to be of high priority to the Government.

Skills are acquired on the foundations built by the education system, especially at the schools. Therefore, schooling should focus on the basic requirement of foundational literacy and numeracy and the realisation of grade-appropriate learning outcomes, adds the Survey. The Survey also calls upon the industry to take lead in skill creation saying it has much to gain from taking the initiative with academic institutions rather than leaving it only up to the governments to do the heavy lifting. Indeed, it should be the other way around, says the Survey.

The Economic Survey 2023-24 states that the government is taking measures to create the job and entrepreneurial opportunities that are in sync with the aspirations and abilities of India’s youth. Highlighting the significant improvement in the proportion of skilled people across all socio-economic classifications, the Survey mentions that 4.4 per cent of the youth in the age cohort of 15-29 years have received formal vocational/technical training, while another 16.6 per cent received training through informal sources.

 

The Economic Survey says that the skill development is at the centre of changes happening in education and labour markets amid the global megatrends, such as automation, action against climate change, the digitalisation of products and services, which are changing the nature of work and skills demands. It says that with one of the youngest populations, a median age of 28, India can harness its demographic dividend by nurturing a workforce that is equipped with employable skills and prepared for the needs of the industry.

The Survey mentions that India has not only recognised the potential of its young workforce but also the issues associated with skilling such a vast population. It says the National Policy on Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (NPSDE) focuses on bridging gaps, improving industry engagement, establishing a quality assurance framework, leveraging technology, and expanding apprenticeship opportunities. This, in combination with the National Education Policy (NEP), holds tremendous potential for bridging the education-employment gap in India, adds the Survey.

The Survey mentions that sixty-five per cent of India’s fast-growing population is under 35, and estimates show that about 51.25 per cent of the youth is deemed employable. However, it must be noted that the percentage has improved from around 34 per cent to 51.3 per cent in the last decade, the Survey adds.

Noting that productive jobs are vital for growth and inclusion, the survey says India’s workforce is estimated to be nearly 56.5 Crore and will continue to grow until 2044. It estimates that the Indian economy needs to generate nearly 78.51 lakh jobs annually in the non-farm sector to cater to the rising workforce. However, to create these many jobs, there is a need to create the conditions for faster growth of productive jobs outside of agriculture, especially in organized manufacturing and services, even while improving productivity in agriculture, the Survey adds.

The Survey calls for maximizing the outcomes from various skilling initiatives through convergence, and utilization of synergies with other employment-centric programmes which can further mutually benefit the two verticals. Linking skill development with Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme and employment-linked incentive schemes in high growth potential sectors like toy, apparel, tourism, logistics, textiles, leather sector etc. would aid upgrading of skills as production moves up the value chain. On the apprenticeship promotion front also, there remains considerable scope to add flexibility to the regulatory framework, the Survey noted.

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Top Tourist Places in Bhopal

Here are the top tourist locations in and around Bhopal 
– Upper Lake (Bhojtal): A beautiful man-made lake built in the 11th century to cure skin diseases.
– Van Vihar: A zoological space adjacent to the Upper Lake in Bhopal, near Shymala Hills.
– IGRMS (Museum of Humankind): A museum that depicts the evolution of man and humankind.
– Lower Lake (Chhota Talaab): The Lower Lake is separated from the Upper Lake by an over bridge called Pul Pukhta or Lower Lake Bridge.
– Bhimbetka: A world heritage site housing one of the oldest cave paintings in the world.
– Gohar Begum’s Building: A beautiful structure built in 1820 by the first woman ruler of Bhopal.
– Birla Museum: A museum that perfectly preserves the remnants of Madhya Pradesh’s glorious pre-historic era.
– Shaukat Mahal: A building with a blend of Indo-Islamic and European styles of architecture.
– Jama Masjid: A mosque with a beautiful shrine and two tall minarets, boasting of classic Islamic architecture.
– Moti Masjid: A mosque built in the year 1860 by Sikander Begum with impressive architectural design.

National Youth Awardees and National Service Scheme Awardees

 Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya held an insightful interaction with the National Youth Awardees and National Service Scheme (NSS) Awardees in New Delhi today. The session aimed to celebrate the achievements of these young leaders and discuss strategies to enhance the MY Bharat platform, ensuring it becomes more accessible and beneficial to the youth of India.

Dr. Mandaviya commenced the interaction by acknowledging the extraordinary contributions of the awardees, who hail from different States across India and have made significant impacts in diverse areas such as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Climate Change, Urban Planning, Youth Empowerment, Drug Abuse prevention, among others. He emphasized the importance of recognizing and nurturing young talent to build a robust future for the nation.

Addressing the participants, Dr, Mandaviya said, “The youth of India are our future decision-makers, and I am excited about our collective journey towards empowering them”.

A significant part of the discussion focused on innovative and collaborative ideas for constructive youth engagement on the MY Bharat platform. Dr. Mandaviya invited suggestions from the awardees on how to make the platform more interactive, informative, and engaging. The awardees proposed ideas such as incorporating more digital tools, making it a one stop solution for all youth-related initiatives, and creating mentorship and internship programs to guide aspiring young leaders.

Dr. Mandaviya encouraged continuous dialogue between the youth and the Ministry to ensure that the needs and aspirations of young Indians are adequately addressed.

Dr. Mandaviya reiterated the government’s commitment to empowering the youth through various schemes and programs. The interaction concluded with a collective vision to make the MY Bharat platform a cornerstone for youth engagement and development. Dr. Mandaviya expressed his optimism about the future and his belief in the transformative power of the youth in driving India towards progress and innovation.

The interaction was also attended by Secretary, Department of Youth Affairs and senior officials of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports.

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Schemes and key Initiatives under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs for the next 100 days

 In a daylong meeting in New Delhi today, Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Shri Jual Oram and Minister of State, Shri Durgadas Uikey reviewed the progress of schemes and strategized on key initiatives of the Ministry for the next 100 days.

The meeting commenced with a comprehensive presentation on the Ministry’s schemes and initiatives, followed by an overview of the budget.

Key schemes and initiatives discussed in the meeting were:

  • Scholarships schemes for tribal students
  • Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha AbhiyaN (PM-JANMAN)
  • Pradhan Mantri Adi Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAAGY)
  • Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS)
  • Livelihood Schemes
  • Grants under Proviso to Article 275 (1) of the Constitution
  • Support to Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs)
  • Support to voluntary organisations (NGOs)
  • Major initiatives taken in the health sector, and
  • Other ancillary matters handled by various divisions of the Ministry

Shri Oram emphasised the importance of these initiatives in fostering an inclusive and equitable society. Shri Uikey echoed these sentiments, highlighting the collaborative efforts needed to drive these initiatives forward. Secretary (Tribal Affairs), Sh. Vibhu Nayar,  along with senior officers, provided valuable insights and detailed plans to ensure timely and effective implementation.

The meeting concluded with a unanimous commitment of the Ministry to work tirelessly for the outlined goals for empowering tribal community.

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DG India Index 2023-24

 

  • Significant progress in goals on eliminating poverty, providing decent work, economic growth, climate action and life on land.
  • Targeted interventions by the Government such as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Ujjwala, Swachh Bharat, Jan Dhan, Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY, Ayushman Arogya  Mandir, PM-Mudra Yojana, Saubhgaya, Start-up India etc. had impact and led to rapid improvement.
  • All States have shown an improvement in overall score
  • Overall SDG score for the country is 71 for 2023-24, significant improvement from 66 in 2020-21 and 57 in 2018 (Baseline report).
  • Scores for States range from 57 to 79 in 2023-24, marking a substantial improvement from  the  year  2018  range  of  42  to  69.
  • Significant  progress  in Goals 1 (No Poverty), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 13 (Climate  Action) and 15 (Life  on  Land)
  • Goal 13 (Climate Action) records highest increase in score from 54 in 2020-21 to 67 in 2023-24 followed by Goal 1 (No Poverty) from 60 to 72
  • A graph showing the number of the country's scoreDescription automatically generated32 States and UTs in the front-runner category with 10 new entrants -Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu

 

  • Between 2018 and 2023-24, fastest moving States are Uttar Pradesh (increase in score by 25), followed by J&K (21), Uttarakhand (19), Sikkim (18), Haryana (17), Assam, Tripura and Punjab (16 each), Madhya Pradesh and Odisha (15 each)

 

SDG India Index 2023-24, the fourth edition of the country’s principal tool for measuring national and subnational progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) was released today by NITI Aayog. The Index was launched by Shri Suman Bery, Vice Chairperson, NITI Aayog in the presence of Shri B. V. R. Subrahmanyam, CEO, NITI Aayog; Shri Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator in India; Dr. Yogesh Suri, Senior Advisr, NITI Aayog and Ms. Isabelle Tschan Harada, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP.

 

  

 

SDG India Index 2023-24 measures and tracks national progress of all States and UTs on 113 indicators aligned to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation’s (MoSPI) National Indicator Framework (NIF). The SDG India Index computes goal-wise scores on the 16 SDGs for each State and UT. Overall State and UT scores or Composite Scores are generated from goal-wise scores to measure the aggregate performance of the sub-national unit based on its performance across the 16 SDGs. These scores range between 0–100, and if a State/UT achieves a score of 100, it signifies it has achieved the targets. The higher the score of a State/UT, the greater the distance covered to the target.

India’s commitment to the SDGs since adopting the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development is reflected in concerted efforts on SDG localisation spearheaded by NITI Aayog, which works closely with States and UTs. NITI Aayog has the twin mandate to oversee the adoption and monitoring of the SDGs in the country and promote competitive and cooperative federalism among States and UTs. Together with States and UTs, NITI Aayog has focused on the institutionalisation of the SDGs – not only to look at sustainable development as a standalone or parallel framework, but also to make them an integral part of national and subnational thinking about development through institutional ownership, collaborative competition, capacity development, and following a whole-of- society approach.

The launch of the SDG India Index in 2018 provided the impetus for the localisation push, reaffirming States and UTs as key stakeholders in this transformative journey. The SDG India Index has been consistently improved over the years to provide a comprehensive and comparative analysis of progress on the goals. By fostering collaborative competition, the Index not only highlights achievements, but also encourages States and UTs to learn from each other to close outcome-based gaps. Grounded in the globally accepted SDSN methodology, the development of the Index followed extensive consultations with the States and UTs (the primary stakeholders); MoSPI; Union Ministries; and UN agencies. The Index represents the articulation of the comprehensive nature of the Global Goals under the 2030 Agenda while being attuned to the national priorities.

 

Key highlights and results from the fourth edition of the SDG India Index:

  • The composite score for India improved from 57 in 2018 to 66 in 2020-21 to further to 71 in 2023-24

 

  • India has taken significant strides in accelerating progress on the SDGs between the 2020-21 and 2023-24 editions of the Index. Noteworthy advancements have been A graph showing the number of the country's scoreDescription automatically generatedobserved in Goals 1 (No Poverty), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 13 (Climate Action). These are now in the ‘Front Runner’ category (a score between 65–99).

 

  • Among these, Goal 13 (Climate Action) has shown the most substantial improvement, with its score increasing from 54 to 67. Goal 1 (No Poverty) follows closely, with its score rising significantly from 60 to 72. The progress underscores the effects of the focused programmatic interventions and schemes of the Union and State Governments in improving the lives of citizens.

 

  • Since 2018, India has witnessed substantial progress in several key SDGs. Significant progress has been made in Goals 1 (No Poverty), 3 (Good Health and Well-being), 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) and 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

 

  • Government’s focus on ensuring food & nutrition security, health, education, electrification, housing for all, sanitation, clean cooking fuel & energy has significantly contributed to the improvements. 

 

  • Key interventions facilitating SDG achievements include:
    • Over 4 crore houses under the PM Awas Yojana (PMAY),
    • 11 crore Toilets & 2.23 lakh Community Sanitary Complexes in rural areas
    • 10 crore LPG connections under PM Ujjwala Yojana,
    • Tap water connections in over 14.9 crore households under  Jal Jeevan Mission
    • Over 30 crore beneficiaries under Ayushman Bharat -Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana
    • Coverage of over 80 crore people under the National Food Security Act (NFSA)
    • Access to 150,000 Ayushman Arogya Mandir which offer primary medical care and provide affordable generic medicines
    • Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) of ₹34 lakh crore made through PM-Jan Dhan accounts.
    • The Skill India Mission has led to over 1.4 crore youth being trained and upskilled and has reskilled 54 lakh youth
    • PM Mudra Yojana sanctioned 43 crore loans aggregating to ₹22.5 lakh crore for entrepreneurial aspirations of the youth besides Funds of Funds
    • Start Up India and Start Up Guarantee schemes assisting the youth
    • The Saubhagya scheme for access to electricity
    • Emphasis on renewable energy resulted in an increase in solar power capacity from 2.82 GW to 73.32 GW in the past decade.
    • Between 2017 and 2023, India has added around 100 GW of installed electric capacity, of which around 80% is attributed to non-fossil fuel-based resource.
    • Improvement in digital infrastructure with reduced internet data costs by 97% which has in turn positively affected and fostered financial inclusion

State and UT results

  • The SDG India Index 2023-24 reports a positive trend in the performance of States and UTs in their SDG journey. The scores for States now range from 57 to 79, while UTs score between 65 and 77. This represents an improvement over the 2020-21 scores, where the range was 52 to 75 for States and 62 to 79 for UTs.

 

 The performance of State and UTs in terms of their overall score is given below:

 

  • The Index records a significant increase in the number of States and UTs achieving Front Runner status. This year, 32 States/UTs have scored between 65 and 99, up from 22 in the 2020-21 edition. Notably, there are 10 new States and UTs in the Front Runner category. These include Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

 

  • The SDG India Index 2023-24 demonstrates the increase in composite scores across all States, with improvements ranging from 1 to 8 points. Leading the way in terms of score improvement are Assam, Manipur, Punjab, West Bengal, and Jammu and Kashmir, each achieving a positive change of 8 points since the 2020-21 edition.

 

  • Progress on the SDGs over the last four editions of the Index:

 

 

  • Index methodology:
    • The methodology of the Index involves a series of steps. The first step consists of compiling raw data for the selected indicators and identifying data gaps (if any). Subsequently, target values for 2030 are established for each indicator, providing clear benchmarks for evaluating progress. The raw data is then normalised, transforming it into a score ranging from 0 to 100. The Goal score for each SDG is computed by taking the arithmetic mean of the normalized scores of its relevant indicators. The composite SDG India Index score is derived as an average of all Goal scores. The index and indicators are updated incorporating the latest developments in data availability.
    • Goal 14 has not been included in the calculation of the Composite Score for the Index as it solely pertains to the nine coastal States.

 

  • The SDG India Index 2023–24 is also live on an online dashboard. The dashboard provides user friendly visualizations to identify crucial development outcome based gaps at the national and subnational levels.

 

  • NITI Aayog has the mandate for coordinating the adoption and monitoring of SDGs at the national and sub-national levels.           

 

  • The results demonstrated in the Index are not only significant at the national and subnational levels, but have the potential to inform other countries in their pursuit of accelerating progress on the SDGs. This is due to the sheer scale of transformation brought forth through focused interventions and schemes in India which provide valuable lessons for the rest of the world.

 

  • NITI Aayog is committed to supporting all the States and UTs in the localisation and acceleration of SDGs, an important barometer to measure progress towards Viksit Bharat @ 2047. The SDG India Index stands as a key milestone for measuring our progress and will help steer discussions, deliberations, and decisions in the journey ahead.

 

  • The Goal wise progress of states since the baseline is given in the Annexure.

 

Annexure

GOAL-WISE RESULTS

Goal 1 – No Poverty

 

A map of different countries/regions with different colored areasDescription automatically generated

 

Goal-1 (No Poverty) improved by 12 points from 2020-21 (Index 3) to 2023-24 (Index 4), advancing from Performer to Front Runner category.

  • Multidimensional poverty nearly halved from 24.8% to 14.96% between 2015-16 and 2019-21.
  • Multidimensional poverty for 2022-23 further likely dropped to 11.28%, with 24.8 crore people moving out of multidimensional poverty between 2013-14 and 2022-23.
  • 99.7% were offered employment of the persons demanding employment under MGNREGA in 2023–2024.
  • 95.4% households live in pucca/ semi-pucca houses as per NFHS-5 (2019-21).
  • 41% of households have at least one member covered under health insurance or health scheme as per NFHS-5 (2019-21), an improvement from 28.7% in NFHS -4 (2015-16).

 

Goal 2 – Zero Hunger

 

 

Improvement in overall composite score of Goal 2 moving from Aspirant category in SDG India Index 3 (2020-21) to Performer category in the SDG India Index 4 (2023-24)

  • 99.01% of beneficiaries covered under National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013
  • Improvement in productivity of rice and wheat from 2995.21 kg/ha in 2018-19 to 3052.25 kg/ha in TE 2021-22
  • Increase in Gross Value Added (GVA) (constant prices) in agriculture per worker from ₹ 0.71 lakhs in 2018-19 to ₹ 0.86 lakhs in 2022-23

 

Goal 3- Good Health and Well-being

 

 

  • Overall score improved substantially from 52 in 2018 to 77 in 2023-24
  • Maternal Mortality Rate per 1,00,000 live births stand at 97
  • Reduced under 5 mortality rate (per 1,000 live births) from 36 in 2016-18 to 32 in 2018-20. 
  • 93.23% children aged 9-11 months are fully immunized
  • 87.13% tuberculosis cases notified against target
  • 97.18% of total deliveries reported in health institutions

SDG 4 – Quality Education

 

  • Adjusted Net Enrolment Rate (ANER) for elementary education is 96.5% for 2021-22, up from 87.26% in 2018-19, with 14 States and UTs achieving 100%.
  • Pupil Teacher Ratio is 18 for 2021-22, thus achieving the target of 30. 
  • 88.65% of schools have access to both electricity and drinking water.
  • 100% parity between females and males in Higher Education (18-23 years)

 

Goal 5 – Gender Equality

 

 

  • Overall score improved significantly from 36 in 2018 to 49 in 203-24.
  • Sex ratio at birth (females per 1,000 males) stands at 929
  • Improved ratio of female to male earnings (regular waged salaried employees) from 0.74 in 2018-19 to 0.76 in 2022-23
  • Improved ratio of female to male Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) (15-59 years) from 0.33 in 2018-19 to 0.48 in 2022-23
  • 74.1% of married women have their demand for family planning met by any modern method as per NHFS -5.
  • 53.90% of women own a mobile phone that they themselves use (aged 15-59 years) as per NHFS -5.
  • 88.70% of married women participate in three household decisions as per NHFS -5.

 

SDG 6 -Clean Water and Sanitation

 

  • Significant improvement in score from 63 in 2018 to 89 in 2023-24
  • All individual household toilets have been constructed against target and all districts have verified to be ODF under SBM(G).
  • 99.29% of rural households have improved their source of drinking water. 
  • 94.7% of schools have functional toilets for girls.
  • Overexploitation in blocks/mandals/taluks has reduced from 17.24% in 2017 to 11.23% in 2022.

 

Goal 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy 

 

  • Highest score amongst all SDGs also significant improvement from 51 in 2018 to 96 in 2023-24
  • 100% households have access to electricity under Saubhagya Scheme.
  • Significant improvement in households have clean cooking fuel (LPG + PNG) connections from 92.02% (2020) to 96.35% (2024)

 

Goal 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth

 

  • 5.88% of annual growth rate of India’s GDP per capita at constant prices in 2022–2023
  • Reduction in unemployment rate (15-59 years) from 6.2% in 2018-19 to 3.40% in 2022-23
  • Increased Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) (%) (15-59 years) from 53.6% in 2018-19 to 61.60% in 2022-23
  • 95.70% of households have one member with a bank or post office account
  • 55.63% of accounts in Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) are held by women

 

SDG 9  – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

 

  • Improvement in score from 41 in 2018 to 61 in 2023-24
  • 99.70% of all targeted habitations are now connected with all-weather roads under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, an improvement from 47.38% in 2017-18.
  • 93.3% of households own atleast one mobile phone.
  • 95.08% of villages have 3G/4G mobile internet coverage.

 

Goal 10 – Reduced Inequalities

 

 

  • 45.61% seats of Panchayati Raj Institutions held by women.
  • 28.57% representation of SC/ST persons in state legislative assemblies.

 

SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities

 

  • Significant improvement in score from 39 in 2018 to 83 in 2023-24
  • Installed sewage treatment capacity as a percentage of sewage generated in urban areas has increased from 38.86% in 2018 to 51% in 2020-21. 
  • The percentage of municipal solid waste processed has increased from 68% in 2020 to 78.46% in 2024.
  • 97% of wards have 100% door to door waste collection.
  • 90% of wards have 100% source segregation under SBM (U).

 

Goal 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production

  • 91.5% of biomedical waste generated is treated in 2022.
  • 54.99% hazardous waste recycled/utilized of total hazardous waste generated in 2022-23– an increase compared to 44.89% in 2018-19.

 

Goal 13 – Climate Action

 

 

  • Drastic improvement of 13 points in overall composite score of Goal 13 from 54 (Performer category) in SDG India Index 3 (2020-21) to 67 (Front Runner category) in the SDG India Index 4 (2023-24)
  • Disaster preparedness score as per Disaster Resilience Index stands at 19.20
  • Improvement in electricity generation from renewable energy from 36.37% in 2020 to 43.28% in 2024
  • 94.86% of industries comply with environmental standards

 

Goal 15 – Life on Land

 

 

The score increased from 66 in Index 3 (2020-21) to 75 in Index 4 (2023-24). The number of States/UTs in Front Runner category increased from 17 in 2020-21 to 32 in 2023-24.

  • Nearly 25% geographical area under forests and tree cover – as per India State of Forest Report 2021.
  • 1.11% increase in carbon stock in forest cover – as per India State of Forest Report 2021.

 

Goal 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

 

  • 95.5% of the population is under Aadhaar coverage as of March 2024.
  • 89% of births registered of children under five years as per NFHS-5 (2019-21)
  • 71.3% charge sheeting rate of IPC crimes as per NCRB 2022.

Report is available online (https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2024-07/SDA_INDIA.pdf)

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Eco-friendly solvents offer solutions for sustainable and diverse silk industry

 Researchers have found an eco-friendly approach that can eliminate the use of toxic chemicals in silk processing. 

Traditionally, toxic chemicals like sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide, sulfuric acid, and lithium bromide have been used to extract silk proteins, fibroin and sericin from various types of raw silk fibers, an important step in the process of making silk from cocoons.

A team at Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST) Guwahati, an autonomous institute of Department of Science & Technology, has identified Ionic Liquids (ILs) which can be promising sustainable alternatives to the toxic chemicals currently in use for the silk protein extraction process.

The team led by Dr. Kamatchi Sankaranarayan has identified 4 different ILs that can be effective in extracting silk proteins from raw fibres.

This new research, published in Chemistry Select by Wiley Publishers, has potential for use in sericin extraction from both mulberry (Bombyx mori) and non-mulberry silks, such as Muga (Antheraea assamensis) and Eri (Philosamia ricini), indigenous to Northeast India.

 

 

The researchers explored six different ILs and found some of them were particularly effective in removing sericin without damaging the silk protein structure. The ones showing greatest promise included 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMIM.Cl), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMIM.BF4), and Tetraethylammonium bromide (TEAB). TEAB appeared to be highly effective due to its ability to destabilize sericin proteins.

The research holds great significance for the silk industry. Not only does it offer a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional chemical methods, but it also paves the way for efficient sericin extraction from non-mulberry silks, potentially leading to new applications for these unique fibers.

This is the first instance of using ILs for sericin extraction from non-mulberry silks, highlighting the potential of this new approach for a more sustainable and diverse silk industry.

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