RAS question
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the UN consist of how many goals?
Correct answer: (D) 17.
The UN-adopted Sustainable Development Goals comprise 17 goals under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Explanation
The Sustainable Development Goals are not a loose list of development themes; they sit at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015. The official UN Sustainable Development page identifies them as the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and lists 169 associated targets. This makes 17 the precise exam answer, while 169 refers to the targets attached to those goals, not to the number of goals. The continuity with earlier global development work is also important: the UN page notes that the earlier Millennium Summit led to eight Millennium Development Goals, which is why 8 is a tempting but outdated option. In India, NITI Aayog is the nodal agency for SDGs.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) 15 is too low because the UN's 2030 Agenda framework is built around 17 Sustainable Development Goals, not 15.
- (B) 8 refers to the earlier Millennium Development Goals, whereas the later Sustainable Development Goals adopted in 2015 number 17.
- (C) 21 confuses the count because the SDG framework has 17 goals and 169 targets, not 21 goals.
Concept
This tests the RAS economy and development-planning theme around global development frameworks and their Indian implementation. It recurs because SDGs link welfare, growth, inequality, environment and institutional planning in a single examinable framework.