Global multi-lateral efforts to solve developmental issues resulted in the adoption of a universal development framework called “Transforming our World: 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” at the Sustainable Development Summit in 2015 by 193-member countries of the United Nations. The Agenda included 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets to be achieved by 2030. These goals officially came into effect in 2016. Consequently, to monitor and review the progress of implementation of the goals across the world, regions, and countries, a measurement framework known as the Global Sustainable Development Indicator Framework consisting of 232 indicators was adopted by the United Nations Statistical Commission. These indicators are quantitative benchmarks that measure the progress of development across economic, social and environmental dimensions in the context of the SDGs.
India, also a signatory to this effort, has adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as the guiding principle for its National Development Agenda. The National Institution for Transforming India Aayog (NITI Aayog) is the nodal agency coordinating the implementation of the SDGs in India. NITI Aayog has mainstreamed the global goals and targets to the context of India, and the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has developed a National Indicator Framework for measuring the progress of the nationally defined targets. The State Governments have been entrusted with the mandate of implementing, monitoring and reviewing the goals in their respective States. Tamil Nadu has achieved noteworthy success in implementing the SDGs. The Government of Tamil Nadu began implementing the Vision 2030 Agenda in 2016, with the Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission (TN-SPC) coordinating its implementation. The Government of Tamil Nadu set up a High-Power Committee to oversee implementation of the SDGs in Tamil Nadu. The Government of Tamil Nadu also constituted eight Working Groups (WGs) to review and monitor the implementation of the goals and achievement of targets.