Sustainable Development Goals Need for India to Refocus on Measurement and Monitoring

The first and most important Global Goal set in the Charter of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the United Nations in 2015, is “NO POVERTY.” Countries estimate the extremely poor population based on the International Poverty Level (IPL), which uses Global Purchase power parities (PPP) set by the World Bank International Comparison program. Some claims state that India has made substantial progress in fighting extreme poverty during the last few decades. Published data shows there is no headcount below the National Poverty line. This paper attempts to study the relevance of the national statistical data sets on the limits and levels for the poverty line in India as against the international poverty level, taking into consideration of the Purchasing Power Index, Gross GDP, and per capita GDP, Gross National Income, and Per capita Income, minimum wedge regulations, and the critical parameters for the Hunger Index.