Institutionalising sustainable development goals through decentralised local-governments in India

This paper attempts to explore the potentials of decentralised local governments - the Panchayats - in working towards the achievement of global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Having discussed the importance of global development agenda of UN SDGs and their significance for rural development, the paper identifies ten UN SDGs and highlights the actions that the Panchayats can initiate at the grassroots level to realise these goals. The paper concludes that the local governments play a crucial role in achieving the SDGs owing to their strategic position as a link to reduce socio-economic backwardness, promote inclusive development and deepen democracy to the grassroots level.