India is at the door step of the Twelfth five-year plan starting from April 2012, which will see the  country through the 2015 deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It is  imperative therefore, the proximity or distance from the MDG-targets in terms of the statistical  measures demonstrated in the 2009 Mid-Term Statistical Appraisal Report on MDGs needed  another review. The 2010 States of India Report on the MDGs (special edition) provided a review on  the basis of sub-national scenarios. Within a gap of a few months after the release of the 2010  report, we have attempted another country report to fine tune the reflections on some of the critical  issues which ought to be in focus in the Twelfth Plan. With this objective, statistical evidences in  terms of measures of the outcome indicators of the MDG framework as could be available for the  most current years have been used in this report for bringing out the changes that might happen to  the outcome levels in the year 2015. 

Of the 12 targets that India is concerned with, there are 4 targets, each of which involve more than one target objects and thus can be treated as composite targets. For almost all targets, there is more than one indicator. Achieving the overall target therefore, implies achieving all the implicit targets individually in terms of all the indicators. Similar to the earlier reports, this report has also considered the  quantitative benchmarks of some of these targets and regression-based statistical estimation has  been adopted for projection of outcome levels in the terminal year (2015), apart from measuring  temporal changes in terms of the indicators for the non- uantitative targets. 

In the Indian context, an ideal exercise with MDG indicators needs to capture the depth and spread of the catchment population that forms the problem spheres. In international perspective, the dimensions of the indicators at India’s sub‐national levels may be immaterial; but the national monitoring cannot lose sight of the sub‐national scenarios. The sub‐national statistics of this report should be helpful in identifying the locale of the problems, particularly when presented alongside the programmatic elements that address the issues.

The Central Statistical Organisation as the nodal agency entrusted with the responsibility of statistical monitoring of the MDGs, has made use of the data sources as identified by the interministerial mechanism for the earlier India Country reports on MDGs brought out by the CSO. I wish  to place on record our thankfulness and gratitude to all the Central  Ministries/Department/Organisations, which have shared with us important statistical details as well  as inputs regarding their programmes aiming at achieving the MDG-targets  I wish to place on record my sincere appreciation for the team of officers led by Smt. S.  Jeyalakshmi, Additional Director General, Social Statistics Division of my organisation for valuable  contribution in bringing out this report.

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1: - Introduction
Chapter 2: - India’s MDG framework –Goals, targets and indicators
Chapter 3: - Overview –Realizing MDGs: Summary progress report
Chapter 4 - Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Chapter 5 - Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
Chapter 6 - Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
Chapter 7 - Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
Chapter 8 - Goal 5: Improve maternal health
Chapter 9 - Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Chapter 10 - Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Chapter 11 - Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development

Courtesy: mospi.nic.in