India may not fully achieve Millennium Development Goals: Govt

New Delhi, Aug 10 (PTI) The Indian government on
Wednesday said the country may not fully achieve the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) ratified by the United
Nations with regard to health and nutritional indicators.
"While most of the targets under MDGs are likely to be
achieved, however, (with regard to) some health and
nutritional indicators, India may not fully achieve the
targets," Minister of State for Planning, Science and
Technology and Earth Sciences Ashwani Kumar told the Lok Sabha
in a written reply.
MDGs are international development goals that United
Nations member states and numerous international
organisations, including India, have agreed to achieve by the
year 2015.
These include eradicating extreme poverty and hunger;
achieving universal primary education; promoting gender
equality; reducing the child mortality rate and ensuring
environmental sustainability.
The government, the minister said, has taken steps to
improve health services and increase the nutritional level of
children through programmes like the National Rural Health
Mission (NRHM), Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and
Mid-Day Meal Scheme.
The 11th Five-Year Plan, Kumar said, "is based on the
strategy of promoting inclusive growth, for which 27
monitorable targets have been specified."
"These targets in a way reflect the philosophy of MDGs to
which all the nations are committed to," the minister said.