ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 16 IN INDIA

INTRODUCTION

Conserving the environment and resources for the future generations is the core principle on which the idea and concept of sustainable development is based. Environment not only includes healthy and pollution free surroundings but also a harmonious and just society. Sustainable development goals are inclusive of this aspect too; SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions aims to achieve harmonious societies across the world, to establish global standards for administering and dlivering Justice and to create a more peaceful world by strenghtening institutions. The statement of the goals says,

“Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels[1]”

“Compassion and a strong moral compass is essential to every democratic society.Yet, persecution, injustice and abuse still runs rampant and is tearing at the very fabric of civilization. We must ensure that we have strong institutions, global standards of justice, and a commitment to peace everywhere[2].”

This article attempts to analyze the implementation of this goal in India. India’s commitment towards achieving sustainable development goals has been unwaivering and evident through its consistent efforts. India being a democratic country, upholds Justice and Rule of Law as its core principles in its Constitution. The article focuses on the target of ‘Reducing all forms ov violence’, measures adopted in global level to achieve this target and steps taken by India to achieve this target. The article also comes up with certain issues and challenges that hurdle the implementation of this goal and possible way-forwards and measures which can be taken to ensure its effective implementation.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 

The article has an analytical approach in studying the implementation of SDG 16 in India. The article analyses how India has promoted and contributed to peace and ensures equal access to justice by strengthening its institutions. The study contemplates upon the indicators of target 16.1 i.e. reducing all forms of violence, compares numbers across the globe and India, and further understands the situation, measures, challenges and teempts to provide insights for solutions to the issues. The study is based upon reports published by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, reports published by National Crime Records Bureau and reports published by the Law Commission of India.

ANALYSIS 

GLOBAL REPORTS AND SCENARIO –

The objective of the 16.1 target is to significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. To measure the progress in this aspect, certain indicators have been developed which are given below –

1. Number of victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population, by sex and age
2. Conflict-related deaths per 100,000 population, by sex, age and cause
3. Proportion of population subjected to (a) physical violence, (b) psychological violence and/or (c) sexual violence in the previous 12 months

As per the UN Global Progress Report on Sustainable Development Goal 16, since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the global intentional homicide rate has declined from 5.9 per 100,000 people in 2015 to 5.2 in 2023. Approximately, the number of intentional homicides across the world was 416,000. The only exception was a spike in 2021, partly due to the economic impact of COVID-19 and to increased organized crime and gang-related violence, and sociopolitical unrest in some countries.[3] The interpretation of this may directly point towards proper functioning of the State institutions and maintainence of law and order in many parts of the world. But, it also points towards the possiblity of the number seen reduced due to the violence/crime not being reported. The UN Global Progress Report supports also verifies this fact; it says that ‘a majority of victims of violent crimes do not report their experience to authorities.’ [4]

The report also provides for region-wise data for rate of homicides, wherein Central and South-Asian region ranks amongst the lowest with a rate of 2.9 per 100,000.[5]

INDIAN SCENARIO  

As per the report published by National Crime Records Bureau under Ministry of Home Affairs, the no. of crimes (murder) reported and registered in 2023 is 2,004. It has reduced by 1.3 % from 2,031 cases in 2022. However, the crime rate for both the years remains constant at 1.8% [6]

This alligns very much with the overall crime rate depicted in global reports and lower crime rate statistics in Central and South Asian region. However, this again, does not eliminate the possiblity of considerable no. of unreported crimes both, in India and across the world. A crime not being reported is equivalent to distrust in the institutions of law and fodders injustice. This irony ultimately violates the very object of SDG 16.

CONFLICT RELATED DEATHS –

GLOBAL STATUS

According to the UN Global Report on Sustainable Development Goal 16, in 2024 at least one life was lost every 12 minutes amid armed conflicts. With a backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Gaza conflict, the numbers are estimated to have increased. This rise is approximately by 40% from the previous year i.e. 2023 with a loss of minimum 48,384 innocent civilian lives. [7]

INDIAN SCENARIO –

As per the annual report for 2023-24 published by the Mnistry of Home Affairs, India faces 4 major conflict challenges which are cross border terrorism in Jammu and Kahmir region, left wing extemism, insurgency in its North-Eastern states and terrorism in the hiterland of the country.

The report gives the following data 

1. Left-Wing Extremism – total 202 incidences and 37 civillian deaths in 2023
2. Cross border terrorism in Jammu & Kashmir – total 125 incidences and 10 civillian deaths in 2023
3. Insurgency in North-Eastern states – total 125 incidences and 13 civillian deaths

ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION 

This indicates a positive change in India’s security policy and maintenance of law and order. It also highlights India’s enhanced national security mechanisms since the past 2 decades. Recent Pahalgam attack in Kashmir in April 2025 raised questions on security of civilians tourists in Kashmir, but overall the deaths in armed or violent conflicts in India are very low and in control.

VIOLENCE – PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SEXUAL 

GLOBAL STATUS

The Global Report on Sustainable Development Goal 16 says out of all experiences of violence faced by people, the type of violences men and women face are different. The relevant text from the report says “Available data shows women and men are not impacted by the same type of violence. The median prevalence of sexual violence in countries with data is 3.0 per cent for women compared to just 0.4 per cent for men. However, the median prevalence of physical violence is 4.1 per cent for men as compared to 3.2 percent for women.”

Women face sexual assault and violence more than men. Men face more of physicial violence such as roberry, physical assault and hurt. However, in case of mental torture, agony and harassment, the subjectivity of human perception and abstractness of mental processes make it difficult to assess and measure the loss for providing Justice.

INDIAN SCENARIO 

• Crimes such as hurt, grevious hurt, acid attacks and attempt to murder can be classified under the heading of physical violence. As per the 2023 report published by National Crime Records Bureau, the total no. of cases under the mentioned categories went upto 6,37,000 (approximately).
• Crimes such as rape, sexual assault, assault to disrobe, vouyerism come under the realm of sexual violence. Such cases in India in 2023 as per the report were around 2.5 lakh
• In Indian Criminal Laws, psychological violence has not been explicitly defined and penalised. However some offenses such as cruelty, abetment to suicide, doemstic violence can be classified under the realm of psychological violence. As per the report, such cases in 2023 were approximatley 2 lakh.
• However, an important gap here to be noticed is that the cases of sexual and psychological violence are of offences committed against women. This is because these laws are gender biased and promote an affirmative bias towards women. On the other hand, the global reports although highlight women facing more sexual violence than men, also includes male victims of sexual and psychological violence.

INDIA’S WORKING – RELEVAT LEGISLATIONS, ROLE GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONS 

Since the adoption of  Agenda for Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, India has made several changes in its policies, resource allocation, and development planning. It has integrated its road towards being a developed nation with achievement of global goals; adehering to its principle of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the world is a big family) and its responsibility towards both, its people and the nations of the world. India’s SDG index has shown promising progress – India ranks 99^th among the countries of the world in achieving the 2030 target.

According to the SDG India Index 2023–24 released by NITI Aayog, India’s composite score improved from 66 in 2020–21 to 71 in 2023–24, indicating a positive trend across various SDGs. Specifically, SDG 16, which encompasses targets like reducing violence, ensuring access to justice, and building accountable institutions, saw a rise in its goal-wise score from 81 in 2020–21 to 82 in 2023–24. This improvement reflects enhanced institutional frameworks and a commitment to justice and peace. Particularly in context of target 16.1 – reducing all forms of violence, India’s contributing factors leading to progress are discussed as follows –

1. Improved Internal Security mechanisms – Increase in the number of patroling units, proper trained forces and efficient police departments.
2. Women Safety units – Trained and efficient security personel for women safety
3. New criminal laws – Changes with respect to certain provisions regarding investigation and trial time period to ensure speedy delivery of Justice, strict and more comprehensive measures and laws regarding new forms of offenses such as organized crime, cyber crime, etc.
4. Public awareness campaigns and community-based programs such as street plays, social awareness conferences at youth level.
5. Strengthening grassroot level institutions by equipping and educating them with technology and increasing accisiblity to legal remedies and justice.

ISSUES AND CHALLENGES – CRITICAL ANALYSIS

India also faces certain challenges and issues with respect to achievement of SDG 16 and administration of Justice.

1. Unreported cases –

The real threat to justice is the denial of injustice. Many cases in India and globally go unreported and unregistered. This indicates the inaccesiblity to authorities and distrust in the institution of law. Many a times liniency and inaccountablity by authorities in criminal cases leads to breach of public trust, and victims are coaxed into voluntarily tolerate the repurcussions of the incident.

2. Corruption –

Malpractice of corruption and bribery has left no nation free from itself. Wherever there are vested and selfish interests, indivisuals tend to place themselves above the greater good, and at times above the law too. Corruption and bribery is also one of the reasons people avoid availing institutional ways of getting justice, and often committ crimes in a fit of anger and to seek revenge.

3. Miscarriage of Justice –

Certain judgements of Indian courts are called as ‘black’ or ‘dark’ judgements by the society. For example the judgements of Tukaram vs. State of Maharashtra (1979)[8]

Wherein the prosecutrix was a 14 year old girl and the accussed were two policemen, the Supreme Court aquitted the accused and held that “since there were no visible marks of injury and the girl did not raise an alarm, the intercourse must have been consensual”

In another dark judgement of State of Maharashtra v. Madhukar Narayan Mardikar (1991)[9] wherein the accused was a policeman, the High Court of Bombay held that “the testimony of the victim is unreliable due to her easy virtue character”. The Supreme Court overruled the judgment, but the judgement of the high court was highly condemned by the public.

In such cases, the reasoning of the court tends to violate the ethics and morals of the society. It tends to dissaapint the public, which hopes for Justice from the judiciary.

4. Issue of pendancy of cases –

In India, more than 5 crore cases are pending in all courts (from lower courts to the Supreme Court). This affirms the notion of ‘Justice delayed is Justice Denied’, and acts as a hinderance to victims wanting to avail provisions for getting justice.

REFORMS AND WAY FORWARDS –

Some reforms can be made to ressolve these issues, and take more effective measures to achieve SDG 16 –

1. To amend laws in civil disputes

In cases of civil disputes, laws can be amended which mandate the parties to avail the alternative dispute resolution methods to settle the matter before appearing before the court. This will ease the burden on litigation and the Judiciary, which can efficiently ressolve criminal cases.

2. Directing incentives towards law and order authorities –

Some studies show that one of the reasons of bribery being demanded by public authorities their low income. By incentivising their income, a rise in their performance efficency can be speculated. Apart from this, stringent anti-corruption laws and their enforcement and time-to-time accountablity reports to the public can act as preventive measures against corruption.

3. Judicial Reforms –

Strengthening the Judiciary to face the challenges of increasing no. of cases by empowering it with fast track recruitment of Judges and improvement in Judicial infrastructure – increasing number of courtrooms, realistic plannig of hearing schedules, e-filing technologies etc[10].

CONCLUSION 

India is seen winning its quest towards being a developed nation. Even before committing to the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, India has aspired to making justice accessible, reducing violence and promoting rule of law by strengthening its institutions. Rule of Law Justice are it’s core principles, embeded in the basic structure of its Constitution. However, when the values of inegrity and fraternity are forgotten, any human whose mind gets occupied by selfishness, doesn’t think of harming others- may it be corruption or ignorance, may it violence or silence. This goal is not for a nation’s progress alone, its for te entire mankind to live by the values and virtue which it was born with – it is to teach a human to follow humanity.

Reference(S):

[1] https://data.unicef.org/sdgs/goal-16-peace-justice-strong-institutions/.

[2] https://globalgoals.org/goals/16-peace-justice-and-strong-institutions/.

[3]Global Progress Report on Sustainable Development Goal 16: 2023 report

https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/global-study-on-homicide.html

[4] Global Progress Report on Sustainable Development Goal 16: 2023 report – UNODC based on responses to the United Nations Survey of Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice Systems

https://w3.unece.org/SDG/en/Indicator?id=71.

[5] Global Progress Report on Sustainable Development Goal 16: 2023 report –

UNODC estimates based on responses to the United Nations Survey of Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice Systems and data from other sources, such as the WHO Mortality Database, reviewed by Member States.

[6] National Crime Record Bureau Statistics 2023 Volume I

 [7] Global Progress Report on Sustainable Development Goal 16: 2023 report

[8] AIR 1979 SC 185

[9] AIR 1991 SC 207

[10]Law Commission of India Report no. 245 (2014)