NEW DELHI, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Indian government's ace think-tank on directional and policy inputs -- the National Institute for Transforming India (or NITI Aayog) and the United Nations on Friday signed the Sustainable Development Framework for 2018-2022, or UNSDF 2018-2022.

The framework is a reflection of the "commitment and efforts" made by India towards attaining the sustainable development goals (SDGs), said an official statement.

Members of the NITI Aayog and heads of UN agencies in India were present at the signing ceremony.

Speaking on the occasion, NITI Aayog's vice-chairperson Rajiv Kumar said that 2018-2022 will be a crucial phase in India's development story since the year 2022 would mark the 75 years of the country's independence.

Partnership instruments such as the framework signed on Friday assume even more significance to accelerate the pace towards building a "New India" by 2022, an India which is free of poverty and equal for all, he added.

According to the document, the UN will support the Indian government on south-south cooperation, in partnership with India's ministry of external affairs.

The programmes included affordable housing for the poor, increasing access to clean energy in rural off-grid areas, protecting all children from vaccine-preventable diseases, quality education for all children and skilling for young people, especially young girls, ending stunting and improving the child gender ratio.