Lucknow, September 16: Uttar Pradesh Government is promoting the use of data, technology and innovation while strengthening programmes in the fields of health, nutrition and education to accelerate the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this direction, a programme titled “Sashakt Bhavishya: Accelerating Sustainable Development Goals through Education, Health and Nutrition” was organised on Wednesday at Hotel Clarks Avadh, Lucknow. The event brought together senior state government officials and experts from the fields of health, nutrition, education, digital health, artificial intelligence, skill development and public policy to exchange ideas and share experiences.
Principal Secretary, Planning, Alok Kumar stated that health, nutrition and education are the key pillars for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. He noted that effective strategies can be developed by sharing successful efforts and innovations. He emphasized that better use of data, technology and innovation can make the outcomes of schemes more effective.
During the first session of the programme, discussions were held on challenges related to health and nutrition and their solutions. Additional Chief Secretary Amit Kumar Ghosh underlined the need for the effective use of data, technology and innovation to achieve better outcomes.
Additional Chief Secretary, Child Development and Nutrition, Leena Johri emphasized strengthening Anganwadi services and ensuring the effective implementation of schemes to improve the health and nutrition of children and mothers. Former NITI Aayog member Dr. V.K. Paul described investment in health, nutrition and education as important for human development. The panel discussion deliberated on challenges such as preventable deaths, underweight children and stunted physical development. Himanshu Burad, Piyush Antony, Dr. Kanika Agrawal and Dr. Alok Saxena shared their views on strengthening health infrastructure and data systems through AI.
The second session focused on education and skill development. Additional Chief Secretary, Basic and Secondary Education, Parth Sarathi Sen Sharma described quality education as the foundation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Principal Secretary, Vocational Education and Skill Development, Dr. Hari Om highlighted the need to link skill development with education to enhance employment opportunities and better prospects for youth.
Shankar Narayanan, Vinod Karate, Sunil Kumar, Prem Ranjan Singh and Vishnukant Pandey discussed enrolment, retaining children in schools, digital skills and improved learning outcomes. Prof. Balwant Singh Mehta, Dr. Krishna Kumar Singh, Dr. Ananya Samajdar, Pranav Bansode and Deepak Kumar Singh shared their views on changes in skills, employment and careers in line with the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Deliberations were also held on accelerating Sustainable Development Goals related to vocational education and skill development.
