Bengaluru, Jun 3 (PTI) A new consciousness of love and respect for nature and simple lifestyle should be awakened, said Karnataka Governor Thawaar Chand Gehlot on Tuesday.
He was speaking as the chief guest at the Bengaluru Sustainability Conference on 'Advancing Sustainable Development Goals: Enhancing the Impact of Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships through Knowledge Sharing and Collaboration'.
The conference is held in collaboration with OP Jindal University and RV University in Bengaluru.
"In recent times, the increasing concern about pollution has made us think about environmental protection. Especially, the lack of oxygen has made everyone realise that environmental protection should be our top priority," said the Governor.
According to him, sustainable development has always been a core principle of India's philosophy and ideology.
"India has been trying to move towards the path of sustainable development for a long time and has been incorporating its core principles in its various development policies," he added.
He also pointed out that many of the programmes being implemented by the Government of India are in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, including Make in India, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, National Rural Drinking Water Programme, National Health Mission Scheme - Rural and Urban, Digital India, Deendayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana, Kaushal Bharat and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana.
"But the states also play an essential role in the overall success of the Sustainable Development Goals in our federation," he added.
Although Bengaluru, known as India's 'Silicon Valley', is today at the forefront of innovation, science and technology, Gehlot said the city is also facing challenges such as rapid urbanisation, climate change and increasing pressure on resources.
"It is heartening that the aim of this conference is to unleash the power of multi-stakeholder collaboration, with a special emphasis on how knowledge sharing and cross-sector collaboration can help overcome persistent barriers and increase collective impact," he said.