Representatives from 32 Indian states and union territories have taken part in a national workshop focused on linking public budgets more clearly to Sustainable Development Goal outcomes.
NITI Aayog organised the Kolkata workshop with the West Bengal Government and technical support from the United Nations Development Programme. Sessions examined how spending can be tagged to specific goals and targets, built into annual budget processes and checked through reporting and audit.
Officials also discussed a practical guide developed by NITI Aayog, India’s Comptroller and Auditor General and UNDP. Haryana, Odisha, Meghalaya and West Bengal shared experiences with implementing or institutionalising SDG budgeting.
Budget tagging does not itself guarantee better outcomes. Its purpose is to make allocations more visible, identify gaps and support evidence-based planning by connecting expenditure with measurable development priorities.
Source: Press Information Bureau, Government of India.
Image disclosure: This is an AI-generated conceptual editorial illustration with fictional participants. It is not a photograph of the Kolkata workshop or any named official.
