GALAXY International Interdisciplinary Research Journal_______________________ ISSN 2347-6915

GIIRJ, Vol.1 (2), DECEMBER (2013)

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA - PERSPECTIVES

KEWAL KRISHAN GUPTA*; DR. SUSAN CHIRAYATH**

*PH.D SCHOLAR,
KARUNYA SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT,
KARUNYA UNIVERSITY, COIMBATORE.

**PROFESSOR AND RESEARCH GUIDE

KARUNYA SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT,
KARUNYA UNIVERSITY, COIMBATORE.

ABSTRACT
India is booming and sustainable development becomes increasingly more important.
According to a United Nations report, India’s population currently encompasses about 1.2
billion people and is expected to grow by another 300 million people within next couple of
decades. With cities generating two thirds of countries economic out put, an increasing
number of Indians are leaving rural areas to seek employment in cities. By 2030, it is
predicted that sixty eight Indian cities will have more than one million inhabitants and six
megacities with more than ten million each. The rapid growth of cities causes a large number
of challenges, including insufficient power supply, unreliable public transport, limited access
to adequate medical treatment. To meet the challenges of continuing growth, without
destroying environment and social harmony, city planning for sustainable development is
crucial.
Side by side village people, who form two third of population but a meager twenty percent of
Indian economy to support them, throw an equally formidable challenge on the nation for
sustainable growth of the country as a whole. Villages are to be provided with facilities like
good schools, good primary health centers, good sanitation, adequate supply of drinking
water and electricity ,good connectivity-both roads as well as internet. Villagers should be
provided with job opportunities to improve their living standards. Agriculture on which they
mostly depend must be supported with research to improve yield. The farmers should get
remunerative price for their produce. In any case the food items produced by them sell at very
high prices in the towns and cities. There is a constant demand for wheat, rice vegetables and
fruits in the cities and even in foreign lands. So why farmers should be deprived of rightful
prices. It is for the government and society at large to ensure this.
So to make the development truly sustainable, the village population and the the city’s poor
population has to be provided with decent standard of living. The environment has to be
protected. The women and other weaker sections of the society have to be empowered. In
other words, the development has to be inclusive and also environmentally and socially
sustainable.

KEY WORDS : Inclusive Development, Environmental Degradation, Biomass,

Globalization, Epidmiology, Intellectual Property Rights, Economic Heterogeneity, Women
empowerment.

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GALAXY International Interdisciplinary Research Journal_______________________ ISSN 2347-6915
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INTRODUCTION :
In 1972, the then Prime Minister of India, Mrs Indira Gandhi emphasized, at the UN
Conference on Environment at Stockholm, that the removal of poverty is an integral part of
goal of an environmental strategy for the world. The concepts of interelatedness, of a shared
planet, of global citizenship and of spaceship earth can not be restricted to environmental
issues alone. They apply equally to shared and interlinked responsibilities of environment
protection and human development.
History has led to vast inequalities leaving almost three fourth of the world’s population
living in less developed and developing countries and one fifth below the poverty line. The
long term impact of past industrialization, exploitation and environmental damage can not be
wished away. Taking a cue from the history of post industrial revolution, it is only right that
development in this new century is more conscious of its long term impact. The problems are
complex and choices difficult. Our common future can only be achieved with a better
understanding of our common concerns and shared responsibilities.

When we talk of human development and removing poverty from the face of the earth, it is
mainly from the developing and least developed nations. More than fifty percent of world’s
poor people live in India and China alone. So eradication of poverty is squarely our national
problems, although it has international angle.
Following are some perspectives and approaches towards achieving a sustainable
development in the new century.

POVERTY ERADICATION AND SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS:

Poverty and degraded environment are closely interrelated, especially where people depend
for their livelihood, on the natural resources base of their immediate environment. Restoring
natural systems and improving natural resource management practices at the grass root level
are central to a strategy to eliminate poverty.

The survival needs of the poor force them to continue to degrade an already degraded
environment. Removal of poverty is therefore, prerequisite for protection of environment.
Poverty is the root cause for hunger and malnutrition. The problem is further compounded by
the inequitable access of the poor to the food that is available with the Governmental
agencies. The bill to food security which is introduced by the Central Government in the
Parliament is a major step towards removal of hunger and malnutrition from the masses. Side
by side, it is also necessary to strengthen Public Distribution of our country to overcome the
inequality to access.
Diversion of lands of the poor, particularly adivasees towards economically useful purposes
(Dams, Hydel Power stations, mining, factories etc.) deprives the poor of the resource base
which has traditionally met many of their sustenance needs.
Market forces also leads to the elimination of crops that has been traditionally been integral
to the diet of the poor, thereby threatening food security and nutrition.
The process of sustainable development should be guided by principles of inclusive social
development and protection and conservation of environment. The inclusive and social
development will come only when people displaced from their lands and environmental
resources are provided new opportunities in the vicinity of their lost habitats. Their family
members should be absorbed and given jobs in the new projects.

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GALAXY International Interdisciplinary Research Journal_______________________ ISSN 2347-6915
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Women, while continuing to perform, their traditional domestic roles are increasingly
involved in earning livelihoods. They are often the principal or the sole breadwinner. A major
thrust at the policy level is necessary to ensure equity and justice for them.
Literacy and basic education are
essential for enabling the poor to access the benefits offered by development initiatives and
market opportunities. Basic education is therefore a pre condition for sustainable
development.
A sizeable (about 60 percent according to some estimates ) proportion of the population is not
integrated into the market economy. Ensuring the security of their livelihoods is an
imperative for sustainable development.

CHANGING UNSUSTAINABL PATTERNS OF CONSUMPTION AND

PRODUCTION
With increasing purchasing power, wasteful consumption linked to market driven
consumerism is stressing the resource base of developing countries as well as developed
countries, further. It is important to counter this unsustainable trend through education and
public awareness.

In several areas, desirable limits and standards for consumption need to be established and
applied through appropriate mechanism including education, incentives and legislation.
Several traditional practices that are sustainable and environmental friendly continue to be
regular part of the lives of the people in developing countries. Examples are cycling, walking,
Khadi dresses, Jaggrey making etc.
These need to be encouraged rather than replaced by more modern but unsustainable
practices and technologies.
Development decision regarding and infrastructure are a major determinant of consumption
patterns. It is, therefore, important to evaluate and make developments decisions which
structurally lead to more sustainable society.
Technologies exist through which substantial reduction in consumption of resources is
possible. Efforts to identify, evaluate, introduce and use of these technologies must be made.
Also simple living should be encouraged. We can certainly live a broad minded and selfless
life even without using modern gadgets like Air Conditioners, Washing Machines,
Automobiles, Music Systems etc.
Subsidies often lead to lethargy and people will not make efforts to struggle and improve
their standard of living.

PROTECTING AND CONSERVING NATURAL RESOURCE BASE OF

ECONOMICAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
The integration of agriculture with land and water management and with ecosystem
conservation is essential for both environmental sustainability and agricultural production.

An environmental protection perspective must guide the evaluation of all developmental

projects, recognizing the role of natural resources in local livelihoods. The recognition must
be informed by a comprehensive understanding of the perception and opinion of the local
people about their stakes in resources base.
To ensure the sustainability of natural resources base, the recognition of all stake-holders in it
and their roles in its protection and management is essential.

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The indigenous communities, women and people living below poverty line are generally
weaker and do not enjoy same power as their opposite counterparts.
There is a need to establish well defined and enforceable social rights and to ensure equal
access to land, water and other natural and biological resources for these disadvantaged
groups.

Further, water governance arrangements should protect ecosystem and preserve or restore the
ecological integrity of all natural water bodies and their catchments. This will maintain wide
range of ecological services that healthy ecosystems provide and the livelihoods that depend
upon them.
Biomass is and will continue for a long time to be a major source of fuel and energy,
especially for the rural poor. Accepting this fact, the appropriate mechanisms must be
evolved to make such consumption of biomass sustainable through both resource
management and promotion of efficient and minimally polluting technologies and
alternatives which will progressively reduce pressure on biomass, which cause environmental
degradation.
The traditional approaches to natural resource management such as protection of sacred
mangroves, ponds, water harvesting systems etc. should be revived to recapture the
ecological wisdom.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN GLOBALIZED WORLD

Globalization as it is taking place to- day, is increasing the divide between the rich and the
poor. It has to be steered so that it serves not only commercial interests but also social
imperatives of development.
Global business thrives on and therefore encourages and imposes high levels of homogeneity
in consumer habits. On the other hand, the global products and services to be locally
appropriate and sustainable, it must be guided by local considerations which lie in cultural
diversity and traditions. Therefore, significance of diversity and need to preserve it, is an
important precondition for globalization to be sustainable.
Globalisation is sustained by a vast, globally spread manpower. Their security is sometimes
threatened by global distortion( e.g. sanctions against countries not conforming to
international norms in human rights or environment related matters).Therefore, Mechanism to
safeguard trade and livelihoods, especially in developing countries, must be evolved and
negotiated to make globalization an effective vehicle of sustainable development.

HEALTH AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:

For a healthy, productive and fulfilling life every individual should have the physical and
economic access to a balanced diet, safe drinking water, clean air, sanitation, environmental
hygiene, primary health care, education and satisfying avocation.
Citizen of developing countries continue to be vulnerable to a double burden of diseases.
Traditional diseases such as malaria and cholera, caused by lack of environmental hygiene
and unsafe drinking water respectively, have not yet been controlled. In addition people are
now falling prey to modern diseases such as cancer and AIDS and stress related disorders.

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GALAXY International Interdisciplinary Research Journal_______________________ ISSN 2347-6915
GIIRJ, Vol.1 (2), DECEMBER (2013)

Many of the widespread ailments among poor in developing countries are occupation related
and are contracted in the course of work done to fulfill the consumption demands of the
affluent both within the country as well as outside.
The strong relationship between health and state of environment in developing countries is
becoming increasingly evident. This calls for greater emphasis on preventive and social
medicine and on research in both occupations.
Because of the close link ,there needs to be greater integration between the Ministries of
Health and Environment and effective coordination and cooperation between them.
Basic health and educational facilities in developing countries need to be strengthened. The
role of public health services must give preventive health care equal emphasis as curative
health care. People should be empowered through education and awareness to participate in
managing preventive healthcare related to environmental sanitation and hygiene.
Most developing countries are repositories of a rich tradition of natural resource based health
care. This is under threat on one hand on mainstream medicine and on the other hand from
the degradation of natural resource base itself. Traditional medicine in combination with
modern medicine must be promoted while ensuring conservation of the resource base and
effective protection of IPR’s of traditional knowledge.
Developing countries should also strive to strengthen the capacity of their health care systems
to deliver basic health services and to reduce environmental related health risks by sharing
the health awareness and medical expertise globally.

MEANS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF ARORESAID SUGGESTIONFINANCE

Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) is declining. The commitments made by

industrialized countries at Earth Summit in Rio a decade ago, remain largely unmet. This is
cause for concern for which has been voiced by several developing countries. Industrialised
countries must honour their ODA commitments.

The new instrument and mechanism e.g. the Clean Development Mechanism that are trying
to replace ODA need to be examined closely for their implications for developing countries.
In view of declining trend in ODA, developing countries must explore how they can finance
their sustainable development efforts such as by introducing a system of ecological taxation.
Private investment can not replace development aid and subsidy as it will not reach sectors
relevant for poor. Such investments can at best be additional to and not replacements for,
development assistance.

Conditions attached to financial assistance need to be rigorously scrutinized, and assistance

accepted, only if conditionalities are favourable. Financial support for sustainable
development must not be negatively influenced by political considerations external to the
objective of the assistance.

TRADE
Trade regimes, especially WTO, are sometimes in conflict with sustainable development
priorties. Imperatives of trade and concerns related to environment equity and social justice,
however need to be dealt with, independently.
Environmental and Social clauses which are implicitly or explicitly part of international
agreements must not be used selectively to erect trade barriers against developing countries.

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Developing countries will suffer a major trade disadvantage if efforts to put in place globally
acceptable Process and Production methods(PPMs) are successful .Instead existing disparities
between the trade regimes and multilateral environmental agreements such as those between
Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS),Regime and Convention on Biologically
Diversity (CBD) should be thoroughly addressed. Mechanism to resolve such conflicts
between multilateral agreements should be set up.

TECHNOLOGY
Developing countries need not follow conventional path to development with regard to
technologies but must use to their advantage the cutting edge technology options now
available to leapfrog and put the tools of modern technology to use. Mechanism must be put
in place to make available the latest technologies at reasonable cost to developing countries.
Technology transfer must be adopted by an understanding of its implications in social,
economic and environmental context of the receiving societies.
Technologies must be usable and beneficial to local people. Wherever possible, existing local
technologies must be upgraded and adapted to make them more efficient and useful. Such
local adaptions should also lead to upgradation of local technical skills.
Local innovations and capacity building for developing and managing locally relevant and
appropriiate technologies must be encouraged and supported.
Integrating highly sophisticated modern technologies with traditional practices sometimes
produces,the most culturally suited and acceptable solutions which also make them more
viable. This trend should be encouraged.

SCIENCE AND EDUCATION

The paramount importance of education in effecting social change is well recognized.
Mainstream education must now be realigned to promote awareness, attitudes, concerns and
skills that will lead to sustainable development. Basic education which promotes functional
literacy, livelihood skills, understanding of immediate environment and value of responsible
citizenship is a precondition for sustainable development. Such education must be available
to every child as a fundamental right without discrimination on the basis of economic class,
geographical location or cultural identity. Adequate resourses and support for education for
sustainable development are essential. An understanding must be promoted among key
decision makers of potential of education to promote sustainability, reduce poverty train
people for sustainable livelihoods and catalyse necessary public support for sustainable
development initiatives.
The empowerment of women and girls must be supported by actions to improve their access
to basic and higher education, training and capacity building. The emphasis should be on
gender mainstreaming.
Greater capacity needs to be built up in Science and Technology through improved
collaboration and partnerships between scientists ,government and all stakeholders.

POPULATION
The official realization that population is not merely about numbers but about health and
quality of life of people in general and women in particular is a welcome sign.
Our 1220 millions of people are more of a liability and we look towards aid and subsidies to
support them. Most of them are illiterate and hence are dependent on the society and other
donor nations. Give them education and see the changes. Same people will become
performing assests.

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Similarly our middle class people should be encouraged to support the poor people of our
country particularly, responsibility for educating their children can be undertaken by them.If
this type of attitude comes to our rich and middle class , things will change swiftly in our
society.
The society at large should respect the rights of the women over their bodies and
reproductive system. This recognition must permeate society in general, religious, judicial
and law enforcement institutions in particular, through continual campaigning and dialogue.

STRENGTHENING GOVERNANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AT

LOCAL , NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVELS

LOCAL
Effective management of resources requires participation of all stake holders.At the local
level, strengthening democratic institutions generally leads to better and more sustained
management of natural resources.
To enhance effectiveness of people’s participation in local governance, committees
comprising of both elected and executive members of local bodies and representatives of
community groups must be formed. Appropriate capacity building would enable them to
undertake local development activities according to community priorities.
All members of society are stakeholders of sustained development. Women make up half of
this group. Affirmative action to ensure this representation and power to women in local
governance are necessary to make them effective and equal partners in the development
process.
Social groups which have been traditionally discriminated against must be represented in
local governance and empowered to ensure that they become effective and mainstream
partners in development.
Childern are a valuable asset of every society. It is responsibility of not only of parents but of
community that children realise their potential fully, grow up in a healthy, enriching and
fulfilling environment. Ensuring the provision of such an environment is a major challenge of
governance at local level.
The occupational, cultural and economic heterogeneity of population is on the whole a major
asset in making development sustainable but there are times of crisis when the same
heterogeneity can become basis of conflict and social insecurity. It is imperative to evolve
participatory mechanism of governance involving citizen groups and local authorities which
will provide effective means of conflict resolution.

NATIONAL
Sustainable development is achieved through optimal gains from several variables rather
maximising those from single one. This requires government departments, by convention
sectorally organized, to work together or in some cases as a single multidisciplinary
authority.
The richness of skills available in society must be harnessed through partenership, involving
institutions, in civil society such as NGOs, Corporate bodies, academic and research
institution,

trade unions etc. which must be made an integral part of planning and implementation for
sustainable development.

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There is on one hand, surfeit of laws, many of them outmoded and irrelevant, on the other
hand, effective enforcement is lacking in respect of laws relevant to contempory concerns and
conducive to governance. This calls for a thorough review of laws, elimination of those
which are out moded and simplification of those which are relevant.
Internal reviews as well as learning from international experience should be the basis of
identifying and filling gaps in existing laws. It must however be recognized that laws in
themselves do not provide solutions unless there are mechanism to effectively enforce them.
Many policies were framed either before sustainable development became a major concern or
in a sectoral perspective.These need to be reviewed from the point of view of sustainable
development.
Areas lacking policies should be identified and adequate policies compatible with imperatives
of sustainable Development framed taking in to account successful example of policies and
initiatives in similar areas.
INTERNATIONAL
There is both a need and scope for regional and global cooperation in sustainable
development. Some of the areas of common concerns are marine and riparian issues,
transboundary environmental impacts, management of bio resources, technology sharing and
sharing of sustainable development experiences.
Efforts must be made especially by developing countries, to work towards synergizing
experiences and raising shared regional concerns as a strong united front in international
forums. Mechanisms must be put in place to facilitate such international exchange of
domestic and global experiences in sustainable development.
There must be mechanisms for monitoring the compliance by countries to their obligations
under various environmental agreements. Currently, there is multiplicity of institutions with
fragmented responsibilities. A better governance regime is required to ensure cooperation and
compliance.

References:
(1) Millennium Development Goals Report – 2009 (UNITED NATIONS).
(2) Millennium Development Goals Report – 2010 (UNITED NATIONS).

(3) Millennium Development Goals Report – 2011 (UNITED NATIONS).

(4) Millennium Development Goals Reports – 2012(UNITED NATIONS).
(5) Sustainable Development by Anup Shah in Global issues, April 08, 2012.
(6) Environmental and Economic Development :
Sustainable Development ( June9, 2009) published in The Views Paper.

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