From tradition to transform: SDGs and the role of the Indian knowledge system in india’s growth through ESE (Environment, Social, and Economic) factors

This study seeks to know the contribution of the Indian Knowledge System in SDGs formation and its achievement. The research also examines the Indian state’s current status of SDGs under ESE factors to know the role of a good ESE score in overall performance under the sustainability index. The study is descriptive in nature, and the research is solely based on secondary data. The author critically analysed NITI Aayog’s sustainability report 2023-24 for evaluating the ESE score and the overall performance of the Indian states. The author found that the Indian knowledge system plays an important role in the state’s growth by their valuable techniques, which protect the natural ecosystem as well as benefit society. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the study is possibly pioneering, especially in the context of India, as it considers IKS roots with current SDGs for the state’s performance improvement. Besides, the NITI Aayog’s sustainability report critically analysed under the ESE factor has also shed light on the context’s uniqueness. Although numerous previous studies have made efforts to study the impact of IKS on individual SDGs, there was no study in this field that attempted to cover all the SDGs simultaneously under a single research study.