• Recently, Finance Minister mentioned that 95 % of 112 aspirational districts have made significant progress in major indicators. However, some blocks continue to under-perform.
• Thus, in order to achieve success in aspirational blocks and address these inequalities, Prime Minister recently launched the Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP).
• ABP improves governance by converging existing schemes, defining outcomes, and monitoring them on a constant basis.

Aspirational Blocks Programme

• Launched during the Second National Conference of Chief Secretaries in January 2022.
• Launched on the lines of the Aspirational District Programme (ADP).
• ADP was launched in 2018 across 112 under-developed districts of India.
• Aim: Improving performance of districts lagging on various development parameters.
• Vision: To improve the quality of life of citizens in the most backward districts of the country.
• 500 blocks have been identified on the basis of the recommendations of a four-member committee constituted by the government.
• It will cover 500 districts across 31 states and Union Territories initially.
• 50 % of blocks are in 6 states: Uttar Pradesh (68), Bihar (61), Madhya Pradesh (42), Jharkhand (34), Odisha (29) and West Bengal (29).
• In each of them, the ABP will focus on monitoring 15 key socio-economic indicators (KSIs) categorised under health and nutrition, education, agriculture and water resources, financial inclusion and skill development, basic infrastructure and social development.
• NITI Aayog, in partnership with states, will release quarterly ranking of these blocks based on their performance.
• Under the leadership of the district administration, the officers at the block level will improve critical last-mile service delivery.
• They will focus on improving the infrastructure at the block level to aid social welfare development.

Genesis of the concept of ‘Block Development’ in India

• Community development programme was launched in India in 1952 to improve India’s agricultural programme, rural health and hygiene, and rural education.
• Development blocks ensure that a larger than proportionate share of development reaches the marginalised and vulnerable sections of the population by building social and economic infrastructure.
• It adopted customised approaches towards improving socioeconomic indicators based on the context of the region and the most emergent needs.
• This method also brings the decision-making process closer to the grass roots.

Positive outcomes of Aspirational District Programme

• In the last five years, many aspirational districts have bettered their performance, across several indicators, then the state average values.

Examples:

• Paschimi Singbhum (district in Jharkhand) which is left-wing extremism-affected area has raised registration of pregnant women within the first trimester.
• Districts such as Gumla in Jharkhand, Karauli in Rajasthan, Namsai in Arunachal Pradesh, and Dhalai in Tripura have increased percentage of institutional deliveries.
• Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir has increased the percentage of secondary schools with functional electricity.
• Many districts like Dhenkanal in Odisha saw increase in Child immunisation rate.
• Deploying self-help groups in rural Ranchi to promote financial inclusion and literacy using UPI and BHIM apps.
• Supporting residents in Barwani (Madhya Pradesh) with incentives to ensure that pregnant women reach the public health institution for ante-natal and post-natal care.
• Completely digitising court services to improve speed and access to justice in rural Osmanabad (Maharashtra).

Need of ABP

• Some blocks continue to underperform in important areas like health, skills development, nutrition etc.
• Reasons for this can be: difficult terrain, lack of resources, historical injustice, social marginalisation and community vulnerability, among others.
• In order to achieve 100% significant progress in major indicators such as health, nutrition, financial inclusion, and skill development India needs programme like ABP.

Benefits from ABP

• Blocks development will positively catalyse economic development.
• This will help in the achievement of critical targets identified under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• It will enable the blocks to contribute to India’s GDP.
• It will protect the rights and uphold the dignity of citizens by increasing their awareness and enhancing access to government schemes.
• It will provide a common platform for all block administrations to showcase their best practices and learnings.
• The ADP has shown that if development is taken as a “Jan Andolan” and progress of a district is constantly monitored, success would follow.

The way India achieved success in Aspirational District Programme, Aspirational Blocks Programme will surely convert aspirational blocks into well-developed blocks. A “viksit” block is the foundation for a “viksit” Bharat. This forward-looking programme will leverage the three Cs of convergence, collaboration, and competition to achieve this vision.