Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Indian State of Odisha : challenges and opportunities

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) form the edifice of sustainable future and an inclusive growth. Indian state of Odisha has made significant progress in human development in the recent years, however, in comparison to several other Indian states it still lags behind. This study aims to discern the future prospects and challenges for achieving the SDGs in the state of Odisha and the policy support that currently exists or is needed in this context. To achieve this objective, an econometric analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between public social sector spending and the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) in order to assess the investment requirements for achieving the SDGs. The results of this study suggest that an increase in public spending on the social sector has a statistically significant effect on reducing the MPI and therefore could facilitate the achievement of the SDGs in the state. Given the substantial financial requirements and the current economic uncertainty the state might have to explore alternative means of financing. Better governance and higher efficiency in the implementation of policies/programs assume more importance in the current setting.