Abstract:

                     The millennium declaration adopted by the general assembly of the United Nations in September 2000 reaffirmed its commitment to achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and empower women, improve maternal health, reduce child mortality, combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB, ensure environmental sustainability, and global partnership for development. The frame work has been contextualized for India. The 12th Five Year Plan (2012-2017) goal is to achieve “Faster, More Inclusive and Sustainable Growth” which is in conformity with the MDGs. The paper analyse the progress of India towards millennium development goals. India’s achievement in respect of the MDGs is a mixed bag. For some indicators India is fast, that is, it has already achieved the target level well ahead of the dead line, like halving the percentage of population below the poverty line. In respect of some indicators, India is expected to reach close to the target level by 2015 if not actually meet the target level like ratio of girls to boys in primary and secondary education and tertiary education, at primary level this target has been met already, at the secondary level; India will be close to achieving gender parity by 2015, but at the tertiary level it is unlikely to achieve gender parity by 2015. India is unlikely to reach the targeted level of 109 per 100,000 live births by 2015. The areas of concern are the rest of the indicators especially those relating to share of women in wage employment in the non- agricultural sector, proportion of seats held by women in National Parliament, proportion of population with access to improved sanitation, urban and rural. In respect of these indicators India is lagging behind by a huge margin.

Key words:  millennium, HIV/AIDS, secondary education and tertiary education, Development, Goals.