Andar block of Siwan district of Bihar tops NITI Aayog's 1st delta ranking of ABP

• 09 Dec 2023

Why in News?

Andar block of Siwan district of Bihar in eastern India, included in Zone 6, has got the top position in the first delta ranking of Aspirational Block Program (ABP) announced by NITI Aayog on December 7, 2023.

Key Points:

• In the first Delta Ranking of Aspirational Block Program (ABP), Tiriyani Kumuram Bheem block of Asifabad, Telangana got first position and Kaushambi block of Kaushambi district of Uttar Pradesh got second position.
• The blocks are divided geographically into six zones and ranking is given to two blocks from each zone.
  • In Zone 1, which includes hilly and north-eastern states as well as islands, Amri block (West Karbi Anglong, Assam) and Ngopa block (Saitual, Mizoram) stood first and second respectively.
  • In Zone 2, which covers North Indian states, Harraiya block of Basti district of Uttar Pradesh stood first and Virno block of Ghazipur district stood second.
  • In Zone 3 comprising southern states, Maski block (Raichur, Karnataka) and Naranur (Adilabad, Telangana) were declared the top rankers.
  • In the western Indian states, which include Zone 4, Sironcha and Aheri blocks in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra emerged as winners.
  • Under Zone 5, Tirla block of Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh and Pat block of Barwani district were the winners in Central India.
  • In Eastern India, included in Zone 6, Andar in Siwan district of Bihar and Ramgarh in Dumka in Jharkhand were at the top position.
• The winners in all categories will be awarded a prize money of Rs 1.5 crore for the top rank and Rs 1 crore for the second rank.
• The ranking of the blocks was calculated based on the performance of the blocks and the progress achieved in the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in the month of June, 2023.
• Ranking the blocks based on KPIs is a core strategy of the programme, which is based on the spirit of competitive and cooperative federalism. This is the first time that a ranking of blocks has been calculated as part of the Aspirational Block Programme.
• Apart from ABP, ADP rankings for the month of October 2023 were also announced, in which Rayagada (Odisha) and Jamui (Bihar) secured the first and second ranks respectively. Awarded to top rankers in the thematic and overall categories of ADP.
• It may be noted that the Aspirational Block Program (ABP) was started on January 7, 2023. ABP focuses on improving governance to enhance the quality of life of citizens in India's most difficult and relatively underdeveloped blocks. 500 blocks in 329 districts across 27 states and 4 union territories in India are part of this programme.