Lucknow, 16 September 2026: The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday organised two high‑level workshops aimed at accelerating progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to education, health and nutrition, the Planning Department said. The sessions, held in Lucknow, assembled senior state officials, development partners, academics, experts and practitioners to translate evidence into operational policy and programme measures.
Workshops focus on integrated planning and evidence
The events, held under the banner Empowering Futures: Accelerating SDGs through Education and Health & Nutrition, were convened to examine key SDG indicators and identify bottlenecks and solutions for improving access, quality, equity and service delivery across sectors, the Planning Department said in an official summary.
According to Principal Secretary, Planning, Alok Kumar, the objective was to promote cross‑sector dialogue that can inform better decision‑making and support sustainable, inclusive development outcomes in the state.
“The broader aim is to translate evidence into actionable policy and programmatic strategies aimed at improving access, quality, equity, and service delivery,” said Alok Kumar, Principal Secretary, Planning.
Health and nutrition session highlights
The first session concentrated on SDGs linked to health and nutrition. Additional Chief Secretary, Health & Family Welfare, Amit Kumar Ghosh, emphasised the need for effective utilisation of data, technology and innovation to achieve improved outcomes. Complementing this, Additional Chief Secretary, Child Development and Nutrition, Leena Johri, urged strengthening Anganwadi services and ensuring robust implementation of existing schemes to better maternal and child nutrition.
Former NITI Aayog member V.K. Paul stressed the importance of investment in health, nutrition and education as central to human development, according to the Planning Department’s account. Panel discussions also included contributions from experts and practitioners such as Shweta Khandelwal, Ravi Parhi, Vinod Kumar Agrawal, Anupama Shandilya and Ashutosh (surname not provided in the release).
Participants and themes
- Who attended: senior government officials, development partners, experts, academics and practitioners.
- Primary themes: data and technology use in health; strengthening Anganwadi services; implementation of child and maternal nutrition schemes; integrating evidence into policy.
- Objective: convert diagnostic evidence into implementable policy and programme strategies to accelerate SDG targets in Uttar Pradesh.
The Planning Department said the workshops were designed to foster cross‑sector planning and collaborative approaches among departments, with the aim of improving both the reach and quality of services related to the targeted SDG indicators.
| Workshop | Main focus | Key officials mentioned |
|---|---|---|
| Education (part of Empowering Futures) | Policies to boost access, quality and equity in education | Principal Secretary, Planning (Alok Kumar); other experts and partners |
| Health & Nutrition | Data‑driven health outcomes; Anganwadi strengthening; scheme implementation | Additional Chief Secretary, Health & Family Welfare (Amit Kumar Ghosh); Additional Chief Secretary, Child Development & Nutrition (Leena Johri); V.K. Paul |
Implications for policy and practice
By foregrounding evidence and cross‑sector dialogue, the state aims to refine programme delivery and resource allocation for SDG indicators. Officials signalled an emphasis on digital tools and analytics to monitor performance and guide interventions, while also reiterating the role of on‑ground systems such as Anganwadi centres for nutrition outcomes.
The workshops reflect the state government’s renewed attention on aligning departmental plans with SDG timelines and indicators. Follow‑up actions and specific targets were not detailed in the Planning Department summary; officials and development partners present are expected to convert the deliberations into actionable roadmaps in subsequent planning rounds.
For students, parents and practitioners looking for further details on the outcomes, the Planning Department’s official releases and subsequent departmental notifications will provide the formal policy steps and implementation timelines as they are finalised.
