61 Blocks of Bihar Included in Country's 500 Aspirational Block Programme

• 11 Jan 2023

Why In News?

• According to information received from media sources on January 10, 2023, the Central Government has started the Aspirational Block Programme on the lines of the Aspirational District Program. For this, 500 backward blocks of the country have been selected, including 61 blocks of Bihar.

Key Points

• Niti Aayog has set a standard for the selection of blocks under the Aspirational District Programme launched to bring backward blocks forward on many scales of development. To select blocks, Niti Aayog has based per capita income and population, in which per capita income has been given 75% and population has been given 25% weightage. On this basis, blocks have been selected from different states.
• Out of 27 backward districts of Bihar, 61 blocks have been selected. Similarly, 68 blocks have been selected from Uttar Pradesh, 34 from Jharkhand and 29 each from Odisha and West Bengal under the Aspirational Block Programme.
• Like the aspirational districts, special attention will be paid to indicators like health and nutrition, education, agriculture and water resources, financial inclusion and skill development in these blocks, which are backward on many parameters of development.
• Additional funds will also be managed by the Centre for these districts. The ranking of blocks will be done so that the competition to move forward in them can increase.
• The Aspirational District Programme implemented in 2018 includes 12 districts of Bihar - Katihar, Begusarai, Sheikhpura, Araria, Khagaria, Purnea, Aurangabad, Banka, Gaya, Jamui, Muzaffarpur and Nawada.
• The focus is on developing key sectors like health, nutrition, education, financial condition and infrastructure in these districts. Education mainly includes school education and library facilities, infrastructure in schools.