Evaluation of the Aspirational District Programme (ADP) by NITI Aayog

NITI Aayog is set to evaluate the government's flagship scheme, the Aspirational District Programme (ADP), seven years post its 2018 launch. The evaluation aims to assess the programme's relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, and impact in transforming India's underdeveloped regions by effectively localising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Objective of the Evaluation

• Determine the effectiveness of ADP in enhancing district performance across: 
  1. Health and nutrition
  2. Education
  3. Agriculture and water resources
  4. Financial inclusion and skill development
  5. Basic infrastructure
• Focus on four core dimensions: 
  1. Relevance of the scheme
  2. Examine the efficiency of fund allocation and utilisation
  3. Evaluate changes in district-level rankings and performance over time
  4. Identify the contribution of ADP to district progress

Programme Details

• Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP): 
  • Tracks progress on 49 key performance indicators (KPIs) across 81 data points
  • Covers sectors like health, education, agriculture, financial inclusion, and infrastructure
• Aspirational Block Programme (ABP): 
  • Focuses on 500 blocks across 329 districts in 27 states and four union territories
  • Includes 160 blocks from 112 aspirational districts
  • Aims to improve public service delivery and administrative capacity
  • Selection based on 30 KPIs from Mission Antyodaya and socio-economic data