Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP)

✦Key Features

• 112 Aspirational Districts in 28 states; selected on composite index of backwardness
• 5 themes: Health & Nutrition, Education, Agriculture & Water Resources, Financial Inclusion, Infrastructure
• Competitive ranking: monthly delta ranking shows improvement; top 3 districts felicitated
• Central, State, District government officers work together; central prabhari officer per district
• 49 districts have graduated to near national average (2025); replaced by Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP)
• Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP) launched 2023: 500 blocks in 329 districts
• Inspiration for PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana model

✓Eligibility Criteria

• District administrations of the 112 districts identified by NITI Aayog based on composite socio-economic indicators.
• State and Union Territory governments responsible for the implementation of sectoral schemes within these districts.
• Implementing agencies and departments focused on health, education, agriculture, and basic infrastructure.
• Civil society organizations and development partners collaborating with the district authorities for grassroots impact.

★Benefits

• Systemic outcomes including improved health and nutrition indicators through convergence of existing government programs.
• Allocation of additional financial rewards through 'Challenge Grants' for districts showing the highest monthly improvement.
• Technical support and professional mentoring provided by NITI Aayog and central Prabhari Officers to enhance administrative capacity.
• Strengthened local governance through the use of data-driven decision-making and competitive federalism.

▶Application Process

• NITI Aayog identifies the districts using a baseline ranking across 49 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• District administrations develop a specific District Action Plan focusing on low-performing sectors identified in the baseline survey.
• Districts upload real-time progress data on the 'Champions of Change' dashboard every month for performance monitoring.
• State-level Empowered Committees review the progress and provide necessary administrative approvals for new projects.

₹ Budget Allocation

5000

Funding Ratio (Centre:State): No additional funding; works on convergence of existing schemes. However, NITI Aayog provides 'Performance Linked Funds' to top-performing districts.

Historical Context

Launched in January 2018 to address regional disparities and ensure that the benefits of growth reach the most marginalized districts in a time-bound manner.