Kathmandu, Dec. 19 -- The National Planning Commission has reset almost all of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets, scaling back international commitments the government earlier promised to achieve by 2030.

What has surprised experts and officials is that several achievable targets, including those for maternal, neonatal and under-five mortality, have been lowered.

"Almost all of the SDG targets have been revised," said Anita Poudel, an undersecretary at the commission. "The decision to reset targets has been made after comprehensive analysis of the resources necessary to achieve the targets, evolving national and global contexts, economic slowdown and declining international support."

The SDGs, a follow-up on the Millenni...