Approach:

Introduction: Define the program.

Body: Mention achievements of the program with a focus on new ways of achieving outcomes in governance. Mention further limitations or the scope for improvements.

Conclusion: Connect the improvement areas to the vision of Antyodaya (Upliftment of most marginalised sections)

Answer:  

Aspirational districts program (ADP) is an outcomes-focused flagship initiative of NITI Aayog to improve the status of human development outcomes in India through the convergence of central and state schemes; the collaboration of central and state-level Prabhari officers with district collectors; and competition among district through monthly delta ranking (3C Approach). ADP is driven by a mass movement with a focus on Sabka Sath and Sabka Vikas.

ADP with its achievements and novel methods presented a new template of governance:

• Substantial outcomes by a new paradigm:
  1. Measuring current state through key performance indicators by aspirational districts’ ranking, recognising that focus needs to be beyond economic progress linking social challenges with growth by scientifically designed objective parameters.
  2. Focus on underdeveloped pockets to address disparities such as by selection of districts where the most improvement is needed.
  3. Embedding of developmental partners with the government (integration with district administration) rather than as external players with expectations to improve governance by innovation like community kitchens in a tribal district in Maharashtra.
  4. The 3 C approach brings vertical and horizontal tiers together enabling impactful government and non-government partnerships. Focus on outcomes enables local experimentation based on the appreciation of ground realities. Driving competition to improve outcomes with districts at the focus.
• Significant improvement in social progress:
  1. Health outcomes with an increase in institutional deliveries from 66 to 74 per cent between the first (2018) and second (2019)household surveys by third parties. Continuous focus on health helped tackle covid issues like Malkangiri district in Odisha utilised infra made for quarantine centres becoming an entry point for returning migrants.
  2. The United Nations Development Program has lauded ADP terming it as a catalyst for expediting development. It mentioned that agriculture and water resources have registered massive improvements with scope for improvement in economic progress.
  3. Financial inclusion through best practices such as GoalMart, an e-commerce portal launched by Assam’s Goalpara district administration ‘to promote rural, ethnic and agrarian products of the district in the national and global markets.

However, there is significant scope for improvements in ADP:

• Need for greater incorporation of the latest technologies to provide innovative solutions to district-specific challenges.
• Need for the encouragement of more startups and social entrepreneurs with greater collaboration further to ensure progress.
• Need for the inclusion of independent third parties further in areas of data collection and evaluation to measure progress.
• Provision of performance-based allocation by awarding seven well-performing districts if appreciated but poor-performing districts should also be supported.

Looking at the progress, the Aspirational block program has been launched to improve development parameters. A template to emulate ADP at the block level has been developed by Niti Aayog but states who have not finalised a model for identifying the poorest blocks should also do that at the earliest. With dedicated efforts towards improvements and emulating them in other programs, we can ensure Antyodaya and the upliftment of everyone through transformed governance for a Vikasit Bharat.