Lok Sabha Question No. 2642 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-08-04
Subject: Development of Aspirational Districts
Ministry: PLANNING
Asked by: Krishna Pal Singh Yadav, Sandhya Ray

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PLANNING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2642

TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.08.2021

## DEVELOPMENT OF ASPIRATIONAL DISTRICTS

## †2642. DR. KRISHNA PAL SINGH YADAV: SHRIMATI SANDHYA RAY:

Will the Minister of PLANNING be pleased to state:

- (a) the targets fixed for the development of aspirational districts identified by the NITI Ayog for the financial year 2020-21 and the number of districts regarding which the targets have not been achieved along with the details thereof;
- (b) the schemes formulated and targets set for the development of aspirational districts on all fronts for the financial year 2021-22 along with the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to implement it's own schemes on the basis of the sustainable development goals;
- (d) if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether NITI Ayog is formulating any action plan for capacity building at the level of Panchayati Raj Institutions in the aspirational districts; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF STATISTICS & PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION; MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS

## (RAO INDERJIT SINGH)

- (a) & (b) The main strategy of the Aspirational Districts Programme ('ADP') is bringing convergence  of existing  schemes/  programs of the Central, State and District Administration. The programme is in the nature of additionality. Therefore, under it, NITI  Aayog  does  not  fix/  set  any  targets  or  formulate  separate  schemes  for  the districts.  Instead,  it  has  identified  49  Key  Performance  Indicators  (KPIs)  across  the sectors  of  Health  &  Nutrition,  Education,  Agriculture  &  Water  Resources,  Financial Inclusion  &  Skill  Development,  and  Basic  Infrastructure,  and  has  set  up  a  robust monitoring mechanism for measurement of progress of the Districts in these indicators.

On the basis of progress made by the Districts on a monthly basis, NITI Aayog ranks the districts and releases the ranking in the public domain. This ranking system and the ensuing competition are expected to encourage the District Administration to improve their performance across the KPIs. The progress made by the Districts across the KPIs is available on a web portal www.championsofchange.gov.in ('Champions of Change' dashboard), which is in the public domain.

- (c) &  (d)  Government's  Centrally  Sponsored  and  Central  Sector  schemes  are  already addressing  the  Sustainable  Development  Goals  (SDGs).  In  this  regard,  NITI  has mapped all SDGs and related targets on the CSSs as well as implementing Ministries/ Departments.  This  mapping  indicates  which  scheme  is  focused  on  which  SDG(s)/ Target(s).  The  mapping  is  available  at  NITI  Aayog's  website  at  following  link: http://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2019-01/SDGMapping-Document-NITI\_0.pdf
- (e) &  (f)  The  Ministry  of  Panchayati  Raj  has  already  released  recommendations  for capacity building, training and strengthening of the Panchayati Raj Institutions, in the National  Capacity  Building  Framework-2014,  and  has  also  launched  online  portals eGramSwaraj (https://egramswaraj.gov.in), AuditOnline (https://auditonline.gov.in) to support  their  governance  activities.  Further,  the  Government  launched  a  Centrally Sponsored  Scheme  of  Rashtriya  Gram  Swaraj  Abhiyan  (RGSA),  which  is  being implemented  from  2018-19  to  2021-22,  with  the primary aim  of developing governance  capabilities  of  PRIs  to  deliver  on  Sustainable  Development  Goals (SDGs).

Under  ADP,  in  order  to  build  capacity  of  district  teams  including  panchayat  level functionaries,  NITI  Aayog  has  circulated  a  primer  that  maps  all  the  49  Key Performance  Indicators  under  the  programme  with  the  Schemes  of  the  Central Government  and  identifies  steps  to  make  progress  in  these  indicators.  In  another initiative, NITI Aayog has been encouraging the District Administrations to monitor performance of blocks by using the template of the Aspirational Districts Programme. This  is  expected  to  automatically  lead  to  building  of  capacities  at  panchayat  level which is necessary for improving the overall performance of a block.

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