Attaining the Millennium Goals in India

Agenda | Presentations | MDG Report 

NEW DELHI, June 18 2004 -- At the United Nations Millennium Summit in September 2000, the international community agreed to a comprehensive vision of development, enshrined in what is today referred to as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs place human development at the center of social and economic progress, and emphasizes the value of global partnerships for development.

Although there are on-going efforts worldwide to achieve the MDGs by 2015, progress on this front has been slow and uneven. Similar development targets have also been set by policy makers in India, and in some ways these are more ambitious than those stated in the MDGs. The realization of these targets in India is vital not only for attaining human development and economic growth within the country, but given its enormous size, they are critical for reaching the MDGs worldwide. 

It is against this backdrop, that the World Bank New Delhi office hosted a workshop entitled “Attaining the Millennium Development Goals in India: Role of Public Policy and Service Delivery" at the Imperial Hotel, New Delhi, on June 17-18, 2004.

The objective of this conference was to provide national and international perspectives on the challenges facing India’s attainment of the Millennium Development Goals. The conference featured the presentation of a recent World Bank report entitled "Attaining the Millennium Development Goals in India” and showcased the vision of the country’s key policy makers for attaining these goals. The conference also provided a glimpse of the 10th Plan roadmap to achieving the MDGs, an overview of the United Nations’ support to these goals, and views of key policymakers in this area. Concrete examples of policy interventions for achieving the MDGs in India were discussed through case studies.

Conference Agenda

Plenary Session
I. Attaining the Millennium Development Goals in India
II. APanel on Domestic Perspectives on the MDGs
III. Case Studies Parallel Sessions
IV. Panel on Other MDG Targets
V. Case Studies Parallel Sessions
Closing Session

June 16, 2004
6:30 – 10:00 pm                      
Early Arrival Registrations

June 17, 2004
8:00 – 9:00 am            
Registration and Coffee

Plenary Session
09:15 – 09:20 am                    
Welcome by Mr. Michael Carter, Country Director for India, World Bank

09:20 – 09:40 am                    
Opening Address
Ms. Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister, Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi

09:40 – 09:50 am                    
Introductory Remarks by Mr. Praful Patel, Vice President, South Asia Region, World Bank

09:50 – 10:10 am                    
Keynote Speaker
Mr. D.C. Gupta, Secretary (Finance)

10:10 – 10:15 am                    
Vote of thanks by Mr. Julian Schweitzer, Sector Director, South Asia Human Development Sector, World Bank

10:15 – 11:00 am                    
Coffee Break

Session I        
11am – 12:15 pm       
Attaining the Millennium Development Goals in India

Session Chair:            
Dr. Ranjit Bannerji (Joint Secretary, Ministry of Finance)     

·        Presentation of paper entitled “Attaining the Millennium Development Goals in India” by Dr. Anil B. Deolalikar.

·        Presentation on “The Tenth Plan and the MDGs” by Dr. Pronab Sen, Advisor Perspective Planning, The Planning Commission, Government of India.

·        Presentation on “India and the MDGs: The UN System’s Supporting Role” by Dr. Maxine Olson, Resident Representative, United Nations Development Program, New Delhi.

·        Speech by Dr. Jeffrey D. Sachs, Quetelet Professor of  Sustainable Development, Columbia University.

12:15 – 12:45 pm                    
Questions and Answers

12:45 – 2:00 pm                      
Lunch

Session II       
2:00 – 3:30 pm           
A Panel on Domestic Perspectives on the MDGs

Session Chair:            
Sector Manager, South Asia Human Development Sector, World Bank (TBC)

·        Presentation on “Improving The Effectiveness Of Health Delivery Systems Focusing on Child and Maternal Mortality” by Mr. Prasanna Hota, Secretary (Family Welfare).

·        Presentation on “Roadmap to Achieving Education MDGs” by Ms. Kumud Bansal, Secretary (Elementary Education and Literacy).

·        Presentation on “Promoting Gender Equality and Empowering Women” by Ms. Kasturi Gupta Menon, Secretary (Women and Child).                     

3:30 – 4:00 pm                        
Coffee Break

Session III     
4:00 – 6:00 pm           
Case Studies Parallel Sessions
   
Participants break out into four parallel case study sessions.  Venues and Case Studies will be made available during registration.

Room A    Case 7       The Health Minister’s Decision: How Best to Reduce Maternal Mortality: M Rosenmöller, Dileep Mavalankar

Room B    Case 4       Bollywood, Television and same Language Subtitling (SLS), A Pancea or Sugar Pill for India’s Massive Literacy Challenge: Rama Velamuri, Brij Kothari

Room C    Case 17     Rural Women's Development and Empowerment Project: Rajesh Agrawal, Shreelata Rao

Room D    Case 11     The Learning Guarantee Program in North-East Karnataka: K Ramachandran,  Kameshwari

6:30 – 10:00 pm                      
Cocktails and Dinner

June 18, 2004
Session IV     
9:00 – 10:00 am         
A Panel on Other MDG Targets

Session Chair:       
Mr. Hans Knijnenburg, Head (Development Cooperation Department), Royal Netherlands Embassy (tentative)

·        Presentation on “Confronting the Challenge of HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases in India” by Mr. J.V.R. Prasada Rao, Secretary (Health).

·        Presentation on “Poverty Alleviation and Development in Indian Slums” by Mr. M. N. Mathur, Economic Adviser (Department of Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation)

·        Presentation on “Delivery of Rural Services and Infrastructure Critical to the MDGs” by Mr. Sanjeet Singh, Deputy Secretary (Rural Development).

10:00 – 10:30 am                   
Questions and Answers

10:30 – 11:00 am                    
Coffee Break

Session V       
11:00 am – 1:00 pm   
Case Studies Parallel Sessions
                                                 
Participants break out into four parallel case study sessions.  Venues and Case Studies will be made available during registration.

Room A    Case 12     Access to Medicine Initiatives in Tamil Nadu: Jaume Ribera, Lalitha Naryanan

Room B    Case 9       Computer Assisted Learning Centres (CALC) in Karnataka: Rama Velamuri, K S Raman

Room C    Case 6       Mahila Samakhya: Rajesh Agrawal, Deepa Das

Room D    Case 16     Mid-day meal Schemes in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat: K Ramachandran, P. Subramaniyam

Session VI     
1:00 – 1:30 pm           
Closing Session

·        Comments and the way forward by Dr. Ranjit Bannerji, Joint Secretary (Finance)

·        Concluding Remarks by Mr. Julian Schweitzer, Sector Director, South Asia Human Development Sector, World Bank

1:30 – 3:00 pm             Lunch and Farewell

Presentations

These are Microsoft PowerPoint presentations. 

“Improving The Effectiveness Of Health Delivery Systems Focusing on Child and Maternal Mortality” by Mr. Prasanna Hota, Secretary (Family Welfare) [presentation]

“Attaining the Millennium Development Goals in India” by Dr. Anil B. Deolalikar [presentation]

Rural Women's Development and Empowerment Project: Rajesh Agrawal, Shreelata Rao [presentation]

“Roadmap to Achieving Education MDGs” by Ms. Kumud Bansal, Secretary (Elementary Education and Literacy) [presentation]

The Health Minister’s Decision: How Best to Reduce Maternal Mortality: M Rosenmöller, Dileep Mavalankar [presentation]

“Delivery of Rural Services and Infrastructure Critical to the MDGs” by Mr. Sanjeet Singh, Deputy Secretary (Rural Development) [presentation]

“Promoting Gender Equality and Empowering Women” by Ms. Kasturi Gupta Menon, Secretary (Women and Child) [presentation]

“The Tenth Plan and the MDGs” by Dr. Pronab Sen, Advisor Perspective Planning, The Planning Commission, Government of India [presentation]