Government identified aspirational districts

neerajsingh18

Jul 2

Government identified aspirational districts

Team Ambitiousbaba are here with a Current Affairs Special Series. In this series, candidates will be introduced to current affairs topics daily, which will not only improve their general awareness but also will ensure that the candidates do not lack in any current affairs topic. Today's Current Affairs topic is "Government identified aspirational districts"

The Union Government of India has discovered 213 'low performing districts' and 500 'backward blocks' to pace the growth of the aspirational district model (ADM). It built a strong pitch with states for the same at a recent meeting of chief secretaries.

In a meeting on June 15-17 chaired by the Prime Minister at Dharamsala concluded with an ambition of the aspirational districts programme to better key social indicators in backward areas. It most immediate challenges to the mission such as frequent transfers of district officials and huge vacancies.

About aspirational districts programme:

The aspirational district programme was founded and started in 112 districts across 26 states and a Union Territory in 2018.

Now, the centre is identifying double the number of districts and stretching to the block level. At the meeting Prime Minister of India was asking for the posting of the best young officers to aspirational districts and asking states to extend the programme to block and city levels.

Aspirational Districts Programme | NITI Aayog

The Union government has been making the list since January when it demanded all central ministries to identify 'low performing districts'. An inter-ministerial committee was established to stretch the exercise down to the block level and 500 of these have been named for the scale up.

Identification process:

The union government has listed out 213 'low performing' districts out of which 163 districts are included to be 'unique' given their specific constraints. This list made out from the data from fifteen ministries like health, education, skill development, rural development & agriculture to telecom, MEITY and financial services.

The findings were released by NITI Aayog at the meeting with chief secretaries which intended to scale up the 'aspirational districts model of data based governance and ranking' to all districts and blocks.

Important indicators:

Health, nutrition and education might be the 'Key Performance Indicators' and Indian states have been directed to add on any other relevant criteria as well.

NITI Aayog has broadcast a handbook to state governments on repeating the ADP template for improving under-developed blocks. The Centre also suggested on ranking the performance of blocks every quarter.

Challenges:

The short tenure of officers and severe shortage of staff in district teams across departments of health, education and agriculture are the biggest challenges which are also red-flagged by The NITI Aayog.