[Answered] ADP has improved socio-economic outcomes by reimagining governance, vesting greater ownership and accountability in the district administration, facilitating convergence and collaboration among stakeholders. Discuss.  

Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) was launched in 2018 to improve the socio-economic status of 112 aspirational districts. The selected districts were witnessing the least progress on certain development parameters, such as health; education etc. It is coordinated by NITI Aayog with support from Central Ministries and the State Governments. Furthermore, it is based on an innovative 3C approach of competition, convergence and collaboration.

Improved socio-economic outcomes:

• Model anganwadi centres have been set up across districts to benefit women and children. The number of institutional deliveries has increased, along with a dip registered in the rate of severe acute malnutrition in infants. E.g. Poshan App for an aspirational district in
• Innovation and digitisation have been the cornerstone of transformation in the education sector.
• Emphasis on improving irrigation facilities and yield, as well as farmer education. Several innovative paths have been adopted to create market linkages for indigenous products. E.g. organic black rice in Chandauli, U.P.
• Significant advancement in better connectivity and seamless movement from rural to urban regions.
• Micro-ATMshave been launched in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district to provide financial assistance to women self-help group members.

Issues associated with the ADP:

• Inadequate Coverage: Although the program is highly inclusive in nature, it fails to capture crucial variables like environment and gender.
• Imbalance in implementation: Most districts paid less emphasis on the sectors of Skill Development and Financial Inclusion.
• Budgetary Constraints: This sustains the lack of human resources and the shortage of technical capacities at the district and block levels.
• Coordination Issue:Niti Aayog plays a mentoring role in 27 districts. 12 central government ministries have similarly adopted the remaining districts. Implementation involving multiple ministries leads to a lack of coordination.

The success of the Aspirational Districts Programme has been testified by national as well as international agencies. It is a flagship initiative for improving the lives of citizens residing in the most backward regions of the country. The need of the hour demands overcoming its challenges for ensuring inclusive development.