Eluru: Poverty is not lack of money, but it is lack of opportunities, said Prof G Kuppuram, formerly adjunct professor at Turkana University, Kenya.

He was delivering the keynote address at the two-day international conference on ‘Sustainable Development Goals to Revitalise and Transform India,’ held at St Theresa’s College for Women here on Tuesday and Wednesday. The meet brought together eminent scholars and leaders to deliberate on India’s pathway to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Prof Kuppuram emphasised the urgent need for India to integrate traditional knowledge systems with modern sustainability frameworks. He also discussed Government policies like NITI Ayog for sustainable development goals. He said women in Kenya are having more professional skills. He called for grassroots-level participation and stronger institutional accountability to meet the SDG targets by 2030.

In the first technical session, Prof CSN Raju of Acharya Nagarjuna University spoke on the critical link between information access and extreme poverty. He stressed that lack of access to reliable information continues to trap millions in poverty, and that digital literacy and open data are essential tools for empowerment and inclusive development.

Prof Manimekhalai, Director, Centre for Women’s Development Studies, ICSSR, New Delhi, highlighted the gender dimensions of sustainable development. She pointed out that without addressing gender inequality and ensuring the active participation of women in policymaking, India’s SDG progress would remain incomplete.

Prof Tamma Koti Reddy, Vice-Chancellor of ICFAI School of Social Sciences, Hyderabad, underscored the role of academic institutions in driving the SDG agenda. He advocated for curriculum reforms, interdisciplinary research, and collaborative platforms to make sustainability a central part of India’s educational and development policy. At the beginning of the conference, a book was published summarising research papers from professors and researchers from India and abroad.

The conference concluded with a call for collaborative action among academia, civil society, and government to localise the SDGs and create a sustainable and equitable future for all. The conference was organised by the department of social sciences, commerce and Centre for women studies in collaboration with IQAC. Correspondent and superior Mother Ernistine Fernandes, Principal Dr Sr Mercy, Vice-Principal Dr Sr Sunila Rani, PG Director and Controller of examinations Dr Sr M Suseela and all the staff appreciated the organisers.