Sustainable Development Goals — Prelims Strategy

Prelims Strategy

Distinguish goals, targets and indicators. The 2015 Agenda contains 17 goals and 169 targets; indicators measure progress toward aspects of those targets. A goal is not an individual data series, and a national index can select and aggregate indicators without reproducing the entire global framework unchanged.

Read index scores carefully. India's 71 in the 2023–24 SDG India Index is a composite score under that framework, not proof that 71% of the 169 targets have been achieved. Comparisons across editions require attention to revised indicators and methods. A rank can also change because other jurisdictions change, even if the underlying score remains stable.

For policy questions, identify the mechanism connecting an intervention to a goal. A sanitation facility is an output; reliable use and reduced exposure are further steps toward health-related outcomes. Do not assume that labelling a project with several SDGs establishes synergy. Ask whether it improves one dimension while imposing a cost on another, and retain the relevant population, period and denominator in any statistical claim.