About ABP

• The Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP) was launched by the Government of India in January 2023.
• The Programme focuses on improving governance to enhance the quality of life of citizens in the most difficult and underdeveloped blocks of India by converging existing schemes, defining outcomes, and monitoring them on a constant basis.
• ABP is being implemented in 500 aspirational blocks across 329 districts in the country. Uttar Pradesh has the maximum number of blocks (68) under this programme followed by Bihar (61).
• In each of them, the ABP will focus on monitoring key socio-economic indicators categorized under major sectors namely, Health and Nutrition, Education, Agriculture and Allied Services, Drinking Water and Sanitation, Financial Inclusion, Basic Infrastructure and overall Social Development. 
• ABP identifies Block Level Officials as Leaders of Change. Equipped with right skills and competencies it is expected that Block level Officials will steer and drive the change in aspirational blocks under the guidance and support of district and state level officials.

Strategy

• Along the lines of aspirational districts strategy, the aspirational blocks strategy also hinges upon three broad contours.
  • Convergence (of Central & State Schemes),
  • Collaboration (of NITI Aayog, Central Ministries and Departments, State Governments and District and Block Administration) and,
  • Competition among blocks driven by a spirit of mass Movement.

Why in News?

• The government in this financial year has allocated Rs 100 crore for the Aspirational Blocks Programme. 

Related Information

Aspirational Districts Programme

• Launched in 2018, the Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) is one of the largest experiments on outcomes-focused governance in the world. 
• The ADP is NITI Aayog’s flagship initiative to uplift those backward 112 districts that are lagging behind in specific development parameters of health and nutrition, education, agriculture and water resources, financial inclusion, skill development, and basic infrastructure.
• NITI Aayog anchors the programme with support from Central Ministries and the State Governments. 
• Officers at the level of Joint Secretary / Additional Secretary have been nominated to become the ‘Central Prabhari Officers’ of each district.