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Sustainable Development and Climate Change 205

6.3 India is no exception to the unprecedented crisis unleashed by the pandemic. It is faced
with remarkable challenges emerging from the need to provide substantive economic stimulus,
address livelihood losses, introduce and implement wide ranging economic reforms. The need
to develop sustainably, however, remains at the core of the country’s development strategy.

INDIA AND THE SDGs

6.4 India has taken several proactive steps at both the national and the sub national level to
mainstream the SDGs into the policies, schemes and programmes of the Government. In 2020,
the highlight of India’s SDG initiatives has been the Voluntary National Review (VNR) presented
to the United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development which is
the highest international platform for review and follow-up of the SDGs under the auspices of the
United Nations Economic and Social Council. The reviews are voluntary and country -led and
are aimed at facilitating the sharing of experiences, including successes, challenges and lessons
learned. NITI Aayog presented India’s second VNR to the HLPF in July 2020, which highlighted
the country’s accomplishments and the way forward on its journey towards achieving the SDGs. In
addition to the progress achieved in various sectors, the VNR Report also presented the Indian model
of SDG localisation, perspectives from various stakeholder consultations, strategies of integrating
businesses with the implementation of SDGs, and ways to strengthen the means of implementation.
6.5 Consultations with over 1000 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have been the cornerstone
of the VNR Report preparation process. The consultations involved fourteen specific groups
(Figure 1). The focus of the consultations was the principle of “Leaving No One Behind”, which
lies at the heart of SDGs.
Figure 1: Stakeholder Consultations Process

Source: NITI Aayog
6.6 These stakeholder consultations provided a platform for engagement and feedback
on India’s progress towards the SDGs. This platform was widely acknowledged among the
participants as a conduit for institutionalised dialogue. For state and market action to keep up