Latest news with #AspirationalDistrictsProgramme
United News of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Telangana Guv hails Sampoornata Abhiyaan, a targeted campaign by NITI Aayog
Hyderabad, Aug 2 (UNI) Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma commended the Sampoornata Abhiyaan—a targeted campaign by NITI Aayog aimed at 100 percent saturation in six critical sectors: Maternal Health and Nutrition, Agriculture and Water Resources, Education, Financial Inclusion and Skill Development,and Basic Infrastructure. In his keynote address at the Sampoornata Abhiyaan Samman Samaroh organized as part of NITI Aayog's Aspirational Districts and Aspirational Blocks Programme, here, the Governor noted that the initiative builds upon the success of the Aspirational Districts Programme (2018) and Aspirational Blocks Programme (2023), ensuring inclusive growth at the grassroots. He appreciated the outstanding performance of districts such as Komaram Bheem-Asifabad, Jayashankar Bhupalapally, Bhadradri-Kothagudem, and blocks like Gundala, Mutharam (Mahadevapura), Palimela, Tiryani, and Narnoor, which achieved full saturation across all six indicators. The Governor lauded the dedication of District Collectors, nodal officers, and frontline workers—Anganwadi staff, ASHAs, ANMs, teachers, and SHG leaders—for their tireless efforts. He acknowledged the vital role of local institutions and elected representatives in delivering effective last-mile governance. 'Sampoornata is more than a milestone; it reflects a governance model rooted in inclusion, accountability, and empowerment,' he remarked. He stressed the need to institutionalize these gains by integrating saturation goals into annual development plans. The Governor also announced his intention to visit all Aspirational Blocks to gain firsthand insights and requested SRLM's coordination for the same. Ten high-performing blocks and their respective District Collectors were felicitated with medals and appreciations cerificates for exemplary service, innovation, and leadership on the occasion. The event was attended by Minister for Transport and BC Welfare Ponnam Prabhakar, Chief Secretary Ramakrishna Rao, Principal Secretary to Governor Dana Kishore, Buddha Prakash, Secretary Planning SERP CEO Ms. Divya Devarajan, and NITI Aayog representative Dr. Salman Ahmad Siddiqui, along with Several district collectors, project officers of ITDAs and district and block-level officers. UNI KNR GNK
Indian Express
29-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Certainly our duty to keep roads in good condition': Gujarat CM asks officials to not take media coverage in negative manner
When the Gujarat government has increased the road network in the state, it is certainly its duty to keep those roads in good condition, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said on Tuesday. The CM made the remark while addressing a public gathering — Sampurnata Abhiyan Samman Samaroh — at Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre in Gandhinagar where two aspirational districts and 11 aspirational talukas of Gujarat who performed well on different indicators were felicitated. On the occasion, the CM talked about the issue of complaints of damaged roads during monsoon. He said that earlier, there were not many complaints related to conditions of roads since there were very limited roads. But now, the CM said, there is an extensive road network. 'Now, it won't do… that the roads are damaged after people start using them,' he said. The CM asked officials not to take media coverage about bad condition of roads negatively and to move on by repairing those roads. '…now when we have increased the proportion of roads, then it is certainly our duty to keep those roads in good condition,' the CM said. The CM also asked the officials to maintain quality in any work being done by them in the state. The function was also attended by Speaker of Gujarat Assembly Shankar Chaudhary and Additional Secretary and Mission Director of Aspirational Districts and Blocks Programme at Niti Aayog Rohit Kumar, among others. The two aspirational districts from Gujarat, which were felicitated on the occasion, include Dahod and Narmada. The 11 aspirational talukas that were felicitated for their performance on the six indicators include Lakhpat, Rapar, Kukarmunda, Nizar, Tharad, Ghoghamba, Sayla, Garbada, Nandod, Santalpur and Subir. Performance of the districts and talukas were assessed on the basis of six indicators on issues like antenatal care, supplementary nutrition for pregnant women, generation of soil health cards, screening for people with diabetes and hypertension, and self-help groups receiving revolving fund. Launched in January 2018, the Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) aims to quickly and effectively transform 112 most under-developed districts across the country, according to the website of Niti Aayog. The programme focuses on the strength of each district, identifying low-hanging fruits for immediate improvement and measuring progress by ranking districts on a monthly basis, it added.
New Indian Express
26-07-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Startup India identifies Wayanad as next startup hub in Kerala
KOCHI: Startup India, the flagship initiative of the Central government to build a strong and inclusive ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship in the country, aims to establish Wayanad as the next startup hub in the state. This was disclosed by Mamatha Venkatesh, head of Startup India, on the sidelines of the Kerala Innovation Festival organised by the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) in Kochi on Friday. The decision to identify Wayanad comes after the district was named in the Central government's Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP). Wayanad is the only district in Kerala to make it to the list of 112 districts from all over the country, she said. According to Mamatha, Startup India will work closely with the state government to ensure that Wayanad becomes the next startup hub. She explained, "We are working with other departments like Athmanirbar Bharat regarding aspirational districts. Our focus is on developing startup incubation centres in Tier II and Tier III cities. For Wayanad, we will be having numerous brainstorming sessions with the state government, as it is the state bodies that must develop clear plans and initiatives for establishing and nurturing startup incubation centres in the district."
Indian Express
25-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Goa a step closer to getting 3rd district, Cabinet approves proposal
The Goa Cabinet on Friday approved a proposal for the creation of a third district in the state. As per the proposal, the new district will consist of four hinterland talukas of Sangeum, Dharbandora, Quepem and Canacona, which currently fall under the South Goa district. The district headquarters is proposed to be set up at Curchorem in Quepem taluka. Goa currently has two districts, North Goa and South Goa. North Goa district comprises five talukas — Bardez, Tiswadi, Pernem, Bicholim and Sattari. South Goa district has seven talukas — Ponda, Mormugao, Salcete, Sanguem, Dharbandora, Quepem and Canacona. In November 2023, the Goa government formed a committee to examine the proposal for the creation of a third district in the state. The seven-member committee, headed by the Chief Secretary, was tasked with assessing the need for a third district in view of the increasing population and the need for overall development of the state. The committee was mandated to ascertain whether the creation of a third district would lead to the development and welfare of the people in general, and of backward talukas in particular. It was also asked to suggest the boundaries of the new district after considering several aspects, including population, economic status, availability of infrastructure and public opinion. Sources said that after considering aspects related to the demography, geographical area, infrastructure and administration, the committee recommended the creation of a third district, carved out of areas falling under the South Goa district. 'The existing South Goa district, thus altered, may consist of Ponda, Salcete and Mormugao talukas. The boundaries of the existing North Goa district may remain unchanged,' the committee is learnt to have said in its report. The committee further said that as per the socio-economic indicators of the area of the proposed district, it meets the criteria for selection for the Aspirational Districts Programme. The panel further said it is likely that the creation of the district would attract central funds in key sectors such as health, education, agriculture, water, infrastructure and financial inclusion to accelerate development in the area. In January 2021, former chief minister and Ponda MLA Ravi Naik had moved a private member's resolution in the state Legislative Assembly, demanding the constitution of a third revenue district, comprising Sattari, Ponda and Dharbandora talukas. Naik had argued that the third district was a long-pending demand of the people of these talukas and that it would facilitate better administration, efficient delivery of services and help in getting more funds from the Centre for development projects in the state. Naik had also said the people of Sattari, Ponda and Dharbandora talukas were largely underprivileged and often found themselves running in the corridors of the collectorate buildings and forced to travel to Margao and Panaji to get their work done. The resolution was defeated after a vote in the House. In February 2020, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the government was considering forming a third district in the state, in view of increasing population and the need for overall development.
News18
17-07-2025
- Politics
- News18
Kanker: Witnessing Transformation In An Aspirational & LWE-Affected District
Last Updated: Kanker serves as a live laboratory of this transition—a testament to the impact of focused governance, community engagement, and persistent delivery Last fortnight, I visited Kanker in Chhattisgarh—one of the districts historically affected by Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), along with Bijapur, Sukma, and Narayanpur. Notably, Bastar and Kondagaon have recently been removed from the Ministry of Home Affairs' list of LWE-affected areas. Kanker is also among the 112 districts selected under the Government of India's Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP). These two aspects—LWE legacy and aspirational district status—motivated my visit, particularly in light of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent assertion that several aspirational districts are now doing better than their respective state averages. While searching for the local MLA, I came across a government-organised workshop attended by over 300 people at a local school. This was no ordinary event—it was a well-coordinated awareness and registration drive under the Dharti Aaba Janbhagidari Abhiyan, launched by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs on 15 June to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary year of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, revered as Dharti Aaba. Just two days later, on 17 June, this full-fledged programme was already underway in Kanker's remote tribal belts—a reflection of the speed and seriousness of the government's efforts. The campaign is grounded in a benefit saturation model, aiming to ensure that every tribal household not yet covered under any central welfare scheme is identified and brought into the fold. The workshop embodied the whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach—various departments had set up stalls for on-the-spot registration under flagship schemes. I was informed that officials would also visit villages to conduct door-to-door outreach, further ensuring last-mile delivery. An important partner at the state level is the Development Evaluation Society of India, tasked with identifying excluded tribal beneficiaries. At the Amoda village panchayat office, I met two of their field investigators—Parmeshwar Kashyap and Radhika Nayak—who are among 150 personnel currently collecting and forwarding data on tribal households not availing benefits under 36 key centrally-sponsored schemes. Their field reports suggest high outreach and coverage in schemes like PM Awas Yojana, Kisan Samman Nidhi, Ujjwala Yojana, pensions, and Swachh Bharat toilets. However, they highlighted certain delivery gaps, especially in the Har Ghar Jal (tap water) initiative. My village visits—to Amoda, Anjani, Bans Patthar, and Thega—revealed similar trends. In these areas, residents reported availing benefits from multiple schemes, including MGNREGA, PM Anna Kalyan Yojana, and others. Most villages had achieved ODF (Open Defecation Free) status, with toilets in every household. One recurring concern, however, was poor mobile connectivity, which sometimes hampers delivery of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)-linked schemes. Villagers requested improved mobile infrastructure to mitigate these issues. A local social activist pointed out an interesting sociopolitical observation: Scheduled Castes in the state have become more adept at leveraging welfare schemes due to increased political awareness, whereas Scheduled Tribes often remain underserved despite being the focus of targeted initiatives. This makes outreach efforts like the Dharti Aaba campaign even more critical. At the helm of these efforts is District Magistrate Nilesh Kumar Kshirsagar, whose proactive governance style stood out. He has repurposed an old building into a central library, which now serves as a vibrant knowledge hub for the youth especially who are preparing for the competitive exams. His emphasis on innovation and saturation delivery is yielding visible results. He confidently asserted that many schemes in Kanker are performing better than non-aspirational districts, validating the strategic intent behind the ADP framework. Rise of Neo-Middle Class What I witnessed in Kanker aligns with broader national narratives. The World Bank recently reported that 270 million Indians have moved out of extreme poverty in the past decade. Additionally, the International Labour Organisation claims that 64 per cent of India's population (approx. 94 crore people) now falls under some form of social security net, up from just 24 per cent in 2019. These numbers are not just statistics—they represent the rise of a neo-middle class in India: a segment that may not be wealthy but is no longer poor, and is filled with aspiration. Kanker serves as a live laboratory of this transition—a testament to the impact of focused governance, community engagement, and persistent delivery. The author teaches Political Science at Satyawati College, University of Delhi. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views. First Published: June 30, 2025, 15:49 IST
