Correct Answer: A. <70
The UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3) specifically targets health and well-being. Target 3.1 is a global commitment to reduce the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030. This target was established at the 2015 UN Sustainable Development Summit as part of the 2030 Agenda. The baseline for this target was the 2015 global MMR of approximately 216 per 100,000 live births, making the <70 target a reduction of roughly two-thirds from the 2015 baseline. India, as a signatory to the SDGs, has committed to achieving this target. The current Indian MMR (as per recent NFHS data) stands around 97 per 100,000 live births, placing India on track but still requiring significant effort to meet the <70 target by 2030. This is a factual, internationally agreed-upon metric that forms the basis of global maternal health policy and is a high-yield fact for NEET PG examinations in Public Health and Epidemiology.
Why the other options are wrong
B. < 50 — While <50 per 100,000 live births represents an even more ambitious target, it is NOT the official SDG 3.1 target. This figure may confuse students with the WHO/UNICEF goal for high-income countries or aspirational targets set by individual nations, but the globally agreed SDG 3.1 target is specifically <70. This is an NBE trap designed to catch students who conflate different maternal health targets. C. <130 — The <130 target is historically significant as it was the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5 target for 2015, representing a 75% reduction from the 1990 baseline. However, SDG 3.1 (2015–2030) superseded the MDGs and set a more stringent target of <70. Students may confuse the older MDG framework with the current SDG framework, a common source of error in epidemiology questions. D. < 100 — The <100 figure approximates India's current MMR (around 97 per 100,000 live births as per NFHS-5) but does NOT represent the SDG 3.1 target. This option may trap students who conflate India's baseline or current status with the global SDG target. The SDG target is more ambitious than India's current performance.
High-Yield Facts
- SDG 3.1 target MMR: <70 per 100,000 live births by 2030 (globally agreed UN target).
- Baseline for SDG 3.1: Global MMR in 2015 was 216 per 100,000 live births; target represents 68% reduction.
- India's current MMR (NFHS-5): ~97 per 100,000 live births; still above SDG target but showing improvement.
- MDG 5 vs SDG 3.1: MDG 5 (2015 target) was <130; SDG 3.1 (2030 target) is <70—a more stringent goal.
- Key maternal health indicators tracked: MMR, Maternal Mortality Rate (MMRate), Antenatal Care coverage, Institutional Delivery Rate—all monitored against SDG targets in India.
Mnemonics
SDG 3.1 = 70 Remember: SDG 3.1 target = <70 per 100k live births. Think '70' as the ceiling—anything below is success. Easy to recall as a single number. MDG → SDG progression MDG 5 (old, 2015): <130. SDG 3.1 (new, 2030): <70. The number halved because the goal got stricter. 130 → 70 = doubling the ambition.
NBE Trap
NBE pairs SDG 3.1 with the older MDG 5 target (<130) or India's current MMR (97) to confuse students who conflate historical targets with current global commitments. The trap is: "I know India's MMR is 100, so the answer must be <100"—but SDG 3.1 is a global target, not India-specific.
Clinical Pearl
In Indian clinical practice, the SDG 3.1 target of <70 MMR drives maternal health policy—from RMNCH+A programs to strengthening institutional delivery and emergency obstetric care. India's current MMR of ~97 means we are still 27 points above the target, making every reduction in maternal deaths a step toward SDG achievement. This is why NEET PG questions emphasize the <70 figure: it's the benchmark against which India's maternal health progress is measured globally.
_Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine (SDG section); WHO/UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030 Agenda documentation; NFHS-5 Report (India)._